10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$5,200at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT · 82 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 75 · Federal debt reported for 47
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$5,200 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
10.2 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−2%Estimated return after 10 years
$68,960Observed earnings · year 5
$14,900Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $1,300 per year to reach it.
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $22,300 housing and food allowance plus $9,700 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$59,600
$8,000Annual price+$27,600
$16,000Current college-wide context−$4,400
$24,000Annual price−$36,400
$32,000Annual price−$68,400
$40,000Annual price−$100,400
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024
1,721 high-school students took college courses.
IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.
This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Utah run 1% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$16,200Average net price / year
$25,557Cost of attendance
$19,000Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$201/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$68,960Median earnings · year 5 after completion
65.0%Completion rate
86.0%Admission rate
1,257Average SAT score
26ACT midpoint
27,264Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about University of Utah
What does University of Utah cost?
University of Utah reports an average annual net price of $16,200 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do University of Utah graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $68,960 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do University of Utah graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $19,000. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at University of Utah worth the same?
No. The current release contains 82 field-and-degree records for University of Utah; 75 report year-4 earnings and 47 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
42,482Students enrolled at any point
32,800Undergraduate students
9,682Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
65% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
500 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
70% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$66,238Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$69,080Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$66,007Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income68%
Middle income74%
Higher income75%
Undergraduate student composition
White64%
Black1%
Hispanic14%
Asian6%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Computer Programming.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$80,886Year 1
$125,582Year 5
$164,239Year 10
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 14
$73,631Year 1
$94,764Year 5
$125,967Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$58,476Year 1
$89,947Year 5
$124,381Year 10
Applied Mathematics.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 27
$56,406Year 1
$86,367Year 5
$107,201Year 10
Philosophy and Religious Studies, General.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 38
$44,398Year 1
$54,993Year 5
$105,799Year 10
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 26
$39,667Year 1
$63,240Year 5
$100,331Year 10
Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 04
$43,433Year 1
$64,996Year 5
$97,859Year 10
Astronomy and Astrophysics.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 40
$44,098Year 1
$71,925Year 5
$96,151Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$52,685Year 1
$75,345Year 4
$68,960Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Dentistry · First Professional Degree$153,7142Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration · Doctoral Degree$149,6523Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$144,6804Medical Illustration and Informatics · Master's Degree$137,4245Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$137,3296Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Doctoral Degree$133,0197Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Master's Degree$129,2338Information Science/Studies · Master's Degree$127,158Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesBachelor's Degree · $75,686 reported+56%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree · $144,680 reported+40%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Medical Illustration and InformaticsMaster's Degree · $137,424 reported+35%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Family and Consumer Economics and Related StudiesBachelor's Degree · $69,027 reported+30%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's Degree · $61,081 reported+29%vs same-degree national median$25,472federal debt6Computer ScienceBachelor's Degree · $137,329 reported+28%vs same-degree national median$19,947federal debt
Comparable colleges in UT
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Ogden, UT
Weber State University
- Annual net price
- $10,258
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $64,264
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -13%
Utah State University
- Annual net price
- $14,936
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $58,651
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -43%
Utah Tech University
- Annual net price
- $16,039
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $53,920
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -63%
Utah Valley University
- Annual net price
- $6,376
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $61,664
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -19%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing the 40 highest-earning records from 82 field-and-degree records. Use the program directory to search the complete set.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dentistry | First Professional Degree | $153,714 | Not available | Not reported |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | Doctoral Degree | $149,652 | Not available | 45 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $144,680 | Not available | Not reported |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | Master's Degree | $137,424 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $137,329 | $19,947 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Doctoral Degree | $133,019 | Not available | 91 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Master's Degree | $129,233 | Not available | Not reported |
| Information Science/Studies | Master's Degree | $127,158 | Not available | Not reported |
| Real Estate | Master's Degree | $122,525 | Not available | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Master's Degree | $115,739 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $114,197 | $19,375 | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Master's Degree | $114,128 | Not available | 0 |
| Law | First Professional Degree | $113,168 | Not available | Not reported |
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $109,883 | Not available | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Master's Degree | $106,317 | Not available | Not reported |
| Information Science/Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $105,127 | $24,041 | Not reported |
| Medicine | First Professional Degree | $103,469 | Not available | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $100,793 | $18,850 | Not reported |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $98,215 | $22,750 | Not reported |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $96,353 | $19,476 | 0 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $94,253 | $20,759 | Not reported |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | Master's Degree | $93,475 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $91,361 | $24,477 | Not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $91,127 | $22,400 | 0 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $86,243 | $22,106 | 4 |
| Civil Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $85,097 | $24,426 | Not reported |
| Economics | Bachelor's Degree | $84,146 | $16,642 | Not reported |
| Architecture | Master's Degree | $83,978 | Not available | Not reported |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $83,511 | $20,632 | Not reported |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | Doctoral Degree | $82,597 | Not available | 13 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $81,252 | $21,500 | 11 |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $80,501 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's Degree | $80,164 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Bachelor's Degree | $78,989 | $25,000 | Not reported |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Doctoral Degree | $78,651 | Not available | 69 |
| Physics | Bachelor's Degree | $77,158 | $21,990 | Not reported |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Master's Degree | $76,906 | Not available | Not reported |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $75,686 | Not available | Not reported |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | Master's Degree | $75,629 | Not available | Not reported |
| Nutrition Sciences | Master's Degree | $74,055 | Not available | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
Search every University of Utah program record →Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.