University of Utah announces tuition increases

SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah will be increasing its tuition this upcoming fall, costing students more than $200 extra a semester.

The 3.5% tuition increase shakes out to a full-time undergraduate student paying another $271 per semester.

U of U Communication Director Rebecca Walsh said the majority of the increase will go towards paying and retaining faculty.

“Retention of faculty is a constant effort on our campus and we have to remain competitive with our salaries,” Walsh said.

Walsh noted that there is a new scholarship called the Utah Promise Scholarship.

“It covers tuition and fees for new first-time students of moderate-income families whose household income and assets are less than 100,000 a year,” Walsh said. 

She said it’s not uncommon for a faculty member to be recruited by another research university.

“I think faculty are aware of that effort and understand what the university institution and leaders are trying to do here to remain competitive with our faculty, Salaries in particular, to preserve our R1 status and the exceptional education here at the U,” Walsh said. “Which includes undergraduate research opportunities, living on campus, college town magic, all of those things make the University of Utah a special place.”

Despite the rise in tuition, Walsh said the university is still one of the most affordable research-focused schools in the West.

“We are the most affordable school among our AAU peers, which are the top research institutions in the country, and we do everything we can to offset the cost of tuition for our students,” Walsh said.

The school is in the American Association of Universities and is $2,000 cheaper to attend than the next closest member.