What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Utah

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 62 postsecondary institutions in Utah. The ownership mix is 18 public institutions, 5 private nonprofits, and 39 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 21 of 62 Utah institutions that report one is $12,586, and the average admission rate among the 10 that report one sits at 82.9%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 48 of 62 Utah colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $39,867, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.