To help students and to save money, Utah’s public colleges, universities now in regional groups
Jul 14, 2026, 2:06 PM | Updated: 5:12 pm
FILE: University of Utah student Olive Nelson, 20, studies at the J. Willard Marriott Library in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (Tess Crowley, Deseret News)
(Tess Crowley, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s public colleges and universities are working together to more easily transfer credits between schools and to increase access across rural communities. The goal according to the Utah System of Higher Education is to “bridge gaps between technical certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor degree pathways.”
The changes were mandated by HB352 which lawmakers passed earlier this year. The regional groupings replace the four categories that previously defined Utah’s public colleges and universities: research universities, regional universities, comprehensive community colleges, and and technical colleges.
This law specifically directed the Utah Board of Higher Education to organize public universities and colleges into geographic regions “built on institutional specialization, centers of excellence, vertical and horizontal integration, and shared administrative services,” according to a recent memo from the Utah System of Higher Education.
Each region must include a university or college that grants degrees, as well as one technical college.
Last week the board announced it has placed each of Utah’s 16 public colleges and universities into one of five new regions.
Commissioner of the Utah Board of Higher Education Geoff Landward said they feel the schools can work together to provide a better experience for Utah students.
“We’re missing opportunities to provide better access to higher quality higher education,” Landward said. “By having institutions look for partnerships that … allow students to have a more seamless experience in going from one institution to another.”
The Stewart Bell Tower and “W” on the mountainside are pictured on the campus of Weber State University in Ogden on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2025. WSU is already working with Davis Technical College to make credit-transfer, and access to higher education, easier. (Isaac Hale, Deseret News)
Examples of schools working together could include having technical schools in partnership with universities where a clear upward mobility program is defined and where credits automatically transfer. Landward pointed to Davis Technical College and Weber State as examples.
“Weber State has started to look at opportunities, for example, like dual enrollment where students can enroll in both Weber State University and Davis Technical College,” said Landward, “and attend those institutions at the same time and have the credit transfer automatically between the two institutions.”
He said combined administrative services is another way the schools can partner. This could save taxpayer money and give smaller schools better resources. He said the board plans to offer financial incentives for schools to work together.
“We know we want you to look at administrative services. We want you to look at integrated admissions, integrated advising. We want to look at shared and joint degree programs,” he said.
Landward said the board hopes to see some of these partnerships in place by next year.
Contributing: Simone Seikaly
