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Brigham Young University

#1 Best Colleges in Utah
Private nonprofit Provo, UT · Urban · Rocky Mountains · 100% data
A Earnings A- Graduation B+ Value
Graduation Rate
82% A-
Most students who enroll finish their degree here
Earnings (10yr)
$75,790 A
Top 5% nationally — exceptional earning power
Net Price
$15,564 C+
Close to the national average
Acceptance Rate
68% B-
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +86% vs avg
Graduation +43% vs avg
Net Price +-9% vs avg
Mobility Top 92%

Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 34.3× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $34.3 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Colleges in Utah.

34.3× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $34.3 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $2,075,238.

What The Data Says

  1. A C+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduates earn 86% more than the national college median.

  3. A 82% graduation rate — 43% above the national average.

  4. Inventor rate in the top 24% nationally — patents, startups, and new technology flow from its graduates.

  5. Every $1 invested returns $34.3 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Economic Footprint

Inventor Rate
1.0%
Top 24%
Patents
441
Linked to graduates
Patent Citations
856
Downstream influence

Why Brigham Young University Matters

Brigham Young University is a private research university in Provo, UT and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong research base, an unusually high rate of inventors and patents, and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 5% of all U.S. colleges.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private Research University
Carnegie Class
R2 · High Research
Enrollment
32,952
Setting
Urban
Designations
94
Primary Strengths
Business & Marketing, Biology & Biomedical, Engineering, Computer Science & IT

Why students choose Brigham Young University

Elite STEM ecosystem
Engineering, computing, and the sciences dominate its programs
Research-intensive environment
Active labs and research-active faculty
Entrepreneurial, inventive students
Above-average inventor and patent activity
Patent powerhouse
441 patents tied to its people
Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Exceptional earning outcomes
Graduate earnings in the top 5% of colleges

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C+
Top 38% overall
A
Earnings
$75,790 median
B+
Value
4.9× net price
C+
Affordability
$15,564/yr net
A-
Graduation
82% graduate
F
Social Mobility
0.7% climb Q1→Q5
B-
Selectivity
68% admit rate
D
Diversity
0.34 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, is a great fit for students looking for a vibrant campus experience with a strong academic focus. With an acceptance rate of 68%, it welcomes a diverse group of learners. Students here can dive into popular fields like Business and Marketing, Biology, Engineering, and Computer Science, all of which have proven track records. The 82% graduation rate indicates that many students not only enroll but also successfully finish their degrees, which is a solid indicator of support and student satisfaction.

Looking ahead to life after graduation, the financial prospects seem promising. Graduates earn an average of $75,790 within a decade of completing their studies. This suggests that the skills and knowledge gained here can lead to upward mobility in the job market. The affordability of attending BYU is also noteworthy, especially with a net price of $15,564 after aid, making it accessible for a variety of students.

When it comes to managing debt, students graduate with a median debt of $11,069, which is relatively manageable compared to many institutions. This financial landscape allows students to focus on their careers without being overly burdened by loans. Those who thrive here often appreciate the community-oriented environment and the emphasis on values in both academic and personal life.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Brigham Young University is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Brigham Young University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a private institution in Provo, Utah, Brigham Young University offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 68% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,376. The graduation rate is roughly 82%.

Acceptance Rate
68%
Retention Rate
91%
SAT Average
1376
ACT Midpoint
29
SAT Range
1270–1460
ACT Range
28–32
Full-Time Faculty
70%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$14,370
Student–Faculty Ratio
21:1
Diversity Index
0.34
First-Gen Students
14%
Applicants
10,559
Admitted
7,040

Inside the Admissions Office

School-reported Common Data Set · 2025-26

The acceptance rate tells you how hard Brigham Young University is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 24% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school most admitted students ultimately pass on.

Yield Rate
24%
of admits enroll
Submitted SAT
11%
of enrolled freshmen
Submitted ACT
43%
of enrolled freshmen

Test-optional, in practice. Only about 54% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.

Source: Brigham Young University's Common Data Set, 2025-26 View the source document on collegedata.fyi →

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Brigham Young University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Brigham Young University is $6,688, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $15,564. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,444 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,069 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$6,688
Out-of-State
$6,688
Avg Net Price
$15,564
Median Debt
$11,069
Pell Grant Rate
32%
Federal Loan Rate
11%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$10,444
Family Income $30K–$48K
$10,112
Family Income $48K–$75K
$13,062
Family Income $110K+
$20,542

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Brigham Young University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Brigham Young University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Brigham Young University earn a median of $75,790, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

6 Years After Entry
$58,450
8 Years
$66,055
10 Years
$75,790
Debt-to-Earnings
0.15x
Earning > $25K
69%

Earnings Trajectory

$58,450 6yr $66,055 8yr $75,790 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (630)
21%
100% (630)
21%
100% (630)
21%
100% (630)
21%

How Brigham Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation82%Earnings 10yr$76KNet Price$16KRetention91%Median Debt$11KPell Grant Rate32%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$10K$0-30K$10K$30-48K$13K$48-75K$21K$110K+

The Mobility Equation

Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?

ACCESS% from bottom 20%2.2%SUCCESS% who reach top 20%29.6%MOBILITY0.65%

College ROI Calculator

Is Brigham Young University Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Brigham Young University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $15,564/year ($62,256 total). Graduates earn $75,790 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $2,137,494 in total earnings — a net gain of $2,075,238 (34.3× your investment). The median debt is $11,069, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 82% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$62,256
Projected 20yr Earnings
$2,137,494
Net Return
$2,075,238
ROI Multiple
34.3×
Cost Per Year
$15,564
Median Debt
$11,069
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
82%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does Brigham Young University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Brigham Young University is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.65%, in line with strong performers nationally. Access is narrower: only about 2.2% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 29.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $119,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate
0.65%
Bottom 20% → Top 20%
Success Rate
29.6%
If bottom 20% get in
From Bottom 20%
2.2%
Share of students
Parent Median Income
$162,495
today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Brigham Young University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Brigham Young University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.79, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.79
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
6.6%
Support Ratio
0.99
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Innovation & Knowledge Creation

Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education

Brigham Young University produces inventors at an above-average rate (top 24% nationally), with 441 patents tied to its graduates.

Inventor Rate
1.03%
Top 24% nationally
Patents Produced
441
Linked to graduates
Patent Citations
856
Downstream influence
Inventors From Low-Income
1.10%
Bottom-20% families

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Top Programs

The fields Brigham Young University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Brigham Young University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a private institution in Provo, Utah, Brigham Young University offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 68% of applicants receiving an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,376. The graduation rate is roughly 82%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Brigham Young University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Brigham Young University is $6,688, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $15,564. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $10,444 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $11,069 in federal student loans.

Is Brigham Young University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Brigham Young University earn a median of $75,790, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

Does Brigham Young University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

Brigham Young University is a measurable contributor to upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 0.65%, in line with strong performers nationally. Access is narrower: only about 2.2% of students come from the bottom income quintile, typical of more selective, higher-income institutions. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 29.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $119,600, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

How Connected Is Brigham Young University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Brigham Young University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.79, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 7% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Does Brigham Young University offer Early Decision?

No. Brigham Young University does not report a binding Early Decision plan (2025-26 Common Data Set).

Is Brigham Young University really test-optional?

In practice, yes. Only about 54% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at Brigham Young University (2025-26 Common Data Set).

What percentage of admitted students enroll at Brigham Young University?

About 24% of admitted students choose to enroll at Brigham Young University — its yield rate (2025-26 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.

Compare Brigham Young University

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

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