| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Public university in the Utah System of Higher Education; campus-based, with many business, IT and criminal justice programs also online |
| Campuses | Main campus in Orem, the Provo Airport campus (flight training) and the Lehi campus, plus the Wasatch Campus in Heber City; all in Utah |
| Credentials | Undergraduate certificates, associate degrees (A.A.S., A.S., A.A., A.S.N.), bachelor’s and master’s degrees |
| Accreditation | Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 1969, reaffirmed January 2025 |
| Federal aid | Yes; VA benefits and Military Tuition Assistance accepted |
| 2026-27 cost | $3,436.55 a semester for Utah residents and $9,788.55 for nonresidents (tuition and fees, 12 to 18 credits) |
| Students | 48,670 in fall 2025, a record, per UVU |
| Founded | 1941, as Central Utah Vocational School; university status in 2008 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
Utah Valley University: Utah’s largest university, with a technical-school past
Utah Valley University (UVU) is a public university in Orem, in the Utah System of Higher Education, and the Utah Board of Higher Education sets its tuition. It opened in 1941 as Central Utah Vocational School in Provo, became a community college in 1987 and a university in 2008, and still runs a “dual mission”: open-admission certificates and associate degrees alongside bachelor’s and master’s programs. Enrollment reached a record 48,670 in fall 2025, the largest in Utah, per UVU. For trade and career students, the main draws are the Provo Airport flight program, nursing and dental hygiene, respiratory therapy at the Lehi campus, a Utah POST police academy and an ACF-accredited culinary degree.
Career programs at UVU, and where they are taught
UVU’s 2026-27 catalog runs from undergraduate certificates to master’s degrees. The table shows the programs closest to a specific job or license. Tuition is the same university-wide rate for most of them (see the cost section); we found no published whole-program cost for any of them, and flight fees are charged on top of tuition.
| Program | Credential | Length / entry | Where | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | A.S.N. (RN pre-licensure) | Competitive entry | West Campus, Orem | NCLEX-RN |
| Master of Science in Nursing | M.S.N. (nurse educator) | Needs BSN and Utah RN license or eligibility | Orem | – |
| Dental Hygiene | A.A.S., 84 credits | Four semesters after prerequisites | West Campus, Orem | Dental hygiene licensing exams |
| Respiratory Therapy | B.S. (A.A.S. 66 credits as a step) | Five semesters after two years of prerequisites | Lehi | NBRC exams (B.S. only) |
| Professional Pilot | B.S., 120 credits | Flight courses need a second-class medical | Provo Airport; online option with an outside flight school | Commercial Pilot certificate; restricted ATP at 1,000 hours |
| Aviation Science | A.A.S., 63 credits; A.S.; certificate | 2.5 GPA for flight courses | Provo Airport | Commercial Pilot certificate; restricted ATP at 1,250 hours |
| Police Academy (Law Enforcement) | Undergraduate certificate, 20 credits | Two POST modules | Orem | Utah POST written and physical tests |
| Culinary Arts | A.A.S. | Three prerequisites, then three days a week | Canyon Park, Orem | – |
| Cybersecurity | A.A.S., B.S., M.S. | – | Orem; M.S. also Lehi | – |
| Information Systems & Technology | A.A.S., A.S., certificate | – | Orem and online | – |
Programmatic accreditation: ACEN for the associate, bachelor’s and master’s nursing degrees, through 2032; CODA for dental hygiene; CoARC, provisionally, for respiratory therapy; the American Culinary Federation for culinary arts. The flight school is FAA-certified under Part 141, and UVU is a Utah POST satellite academy. UVU has no electrician, LPN or aircraft-maintenance program; its Automation & Electrical Technology degree trains automation technicians and PLC programmers, not licensed electricians.
What the main programs cover
Nursing (A.S.N.)
The Associate of Science in Nursing is UVU’s pre-licensure RN program, taught at the West Campus in Orem. Students train in simulation labs and in clinical placements with community health partners, and graduates sit the NCLEX-RN. Entry is competitive, and pre-nursing advising helps students prepare to apply. Licensed practical nurses can enter through LPN-to-ASN pathways, including one for graduates of Mountainland Technical College’s LPN program. After licensing, nurses can finish a B.S. online through the RN-to-BSN completion program, and a master’s prepares nurse educators.
Professional Pilot and Aviation Science
Flight training is based at the Provo Airport campus. UVU’s aviation program dates from 1988 and flies 25 aircraft including Diamond DA40 XLT trainers and Piper PA-44 twins. Professional Pilot B.S. students graduate with at least a Commercial Pilot certificate and can add instructor ratings up to multi-engine instructor; the 63-credit Aviation Science A.A.S. also requires the Commercial Pilot certificate to graduate. Flight courses need a second-class FAA medical and a 2.5 GPA and can be competitive when space is short. UVU lists 10 airline partners.
Dental Hygiene
The 84-credit A.A.S. takes four semesters after prerequisites, with 35 to 40 hours a week on campus in the Health Professions building on the West Campus. Students treat patients in the program’s clinic, which UVU says sees more than 2,000 patients a year. To apply, students take the HSRT entrance test, complete 20 observation hours, and submit two references and an essay by 1 February, followed by an interview. Hygienists who are already licensed can take a B.S. completion degree online.
Respiratory Therapy
The B.S. is the entry-level degree: five semesters at the Lehi campus after two years of prerequisites, covering adult, pediatric and neonatal respiratory care. Graduates sit the NBRC’s TMC and clinical simulation exams for the RRT credential. Admission is by competitive cohort, with an interview, background check and drug screen. A 66-credit A.A.S. exists as a step toward the B.S., but the catalog says it does not by itself qualify students for the board exams. Working RRTs can finish an online RRT-to-BSRT degree.
Police Academy (Law Enforcement certificate)
UVU runs the 20-credit certificate as a satellite academy of Utah POST, the state’s peace officer standards agency. CJ 1800, POST Module I (8 credits), prepares special-function officers, and CJ 1810, POST Module II (12 credits), completes law enforcement officer training. Entry is by permission only: applicants file a State POST application and are interviewed. To complete the academy, cadets must pass the State POST written exam with a score of at least 80% and the State POST physical tests. Classes meet at the Orem campus.
Culinary Arts
The Culinary Arts A.A.S. is taught at the Culinary Arts Institute in Building L at Canyon Park, 661 East Timpanogos Parkway in Orem. Students take three prerequisite courses before entering the program, then attend in person three days a week. Kitchen work includes the student-run Restaurant Forte and catering events. The program is accredited by the American Culinary Federation. UVU also offers a Hospitality Management B.S.
Tuition and how students pay
UVU charges a flat rate for 12 to 18 credits a semester, so full-time students pay the same whatever their load in that range. For 2026-27, Utah residents pay $3,102 in tuition plus $334.55 in general fees, $3,436.55 a semester, or $6,873.10 for the year; nonresidents pay $9,788.55 a semester, or $19,577.10.
Tuition rose 3.13% on 2025-26, as proposed to the Utah Board of Higher Education in March 2026.
| 2026-27, per semester (tuition and general fees) | Utah residents | Nonresidents |
|---|---|---|
| 12 to 18 credits (flat rate) | $3,436.55 ($3,102 tuition + $334.55 fees) | $9,788.55 ($9,454 tuition + $334.55 fees) |
| Two semesters, full-time | $6,873.10 | $19,577.10 |
| 1 credit | $552.01 | $1,448.01 |
| Each credit above 18 | +$236 | +$732 |
| Online-only, living outside Utah (not aviation or emergency services) | – | $285 per credit, course fees extra |
| Master of Science in Nursing, 12 credits | $4,486.60 | $12,838.60 |
Nonresidents who live outside Utah and take only online courses pay a flat $285 per credit, but that rate does not apply to aviation or emergency services courses.
Graduate tuition depends on the program: nursing master’s students pay the base graduate rate, while the MBA, accounting and finance, computer science and cybersecurity master’s degrees have their own tables. Course and lab fees, including flight fees, are extra and listed in the class schedule. The admission fee is $35.
UVU takes federal student aid and VA benefits, and Military Tuition Assistance covers at most $250 per credit. Online Professional Pilot students who fly at an outside flight school cannot use UVU financial aid or VA benefits for that flight training.
Open admission, but the career programs choose their students
UVU admits all applicants at the university level. Most of the career programs above add their own entry steps: competitive admission and pre-nursing advising for nursing; the HSRT test, observation hours and a 1 February deadline for dental hygiene; an interview, background check and drug screen for respiratory therapy; a second-class medical and a 2.5 GPA for flight courses; a POST application and interview for the police academy; and three prerequisite courses for culinary arts. Dental hygiene takes 35 to 40 hours a week on campus and culinary three days a week, while many business, IT and criminal justice programs can be taken online.
Accreditation and results
UVU has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities since 1969. The Commission reaffirmed its accreditation in January 2025 after the fall 2024 evaluation, with no sanction, and asked for an ad hoc report, with a virtual visit, in fall 2026 and a mid-cycle review in fall 2027.
ACEN accredits the nursing degrees through 2032.
| Measure | Result | Period and source |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing A.S.N., first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 85.56% (160 of 187) | 2025, Utah Division of Professional Licensing |
| Nursing A.S.N., first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 91.48% (161 of 176) | January to June 2026, same source |
| Nursing A.S.N., first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate | 91.18% (155 of 170) | 2024, same source |
| Graduation rate | 45% | Federal data as shown by Niche, checked October 2026 |
The NCLEX-RN figures are for first-time candidates from the associate degree, as reported by Utah’s licensing division. UVU’s nursing graduation and employment reports could not be read, and the dental hygiene and respiratory therapy programs do not publish board pass rates on the pages we checked.
Before you enroll
- Respiratory therapy has only provisional accreditation from CoARC, and the 66-credit A.A.S. does not by itself qualify students for the board exams. Plan on the B.S.
- The Master of Science in Nursing prepares nurse educators. It does not lead to nurse practitioner licensure.
- Flight fees are not in the tuition figures. The online Professional Pilot option means flying at an outside FAA-approved school, which UVU aid and VA benefits do not cover. UVU’s restricted ATP minimums are 1,000 hours for the bachelor’s and 1,250 for the associate.
- Open admission does not mean open entry to the career programs: nursing, dental hygiene, respiratory therapy, flight courses and the police academy all select students.
- There is no electrician or LPN program at UVU. In Utah County, Mountainland Technical College teaches electrical apprenticeship and practical nursing.
Where UVU teaches
Most programs are on the main campus at 800 West University Parkway in Orem. Nursing and dental hygiene use the West Campus across I-15, and culinary arts the Canyon Park building, both in Orem. Flight training is at the Provo Airport campus. The Lehi campus at Thanksgiving Point, 2912 West Executive Parkway, hosts respiratory therapy, the part-time MBA and the Master of Cybersecurity. The Wasatch Campus in Heber City teaches general and education programs but none of the career programs above.
Clinics, kitchens and airline partners
Hands-on work is built into the career programs: dental hygiene students treat patients in the program’s clinic, culinary students cook and serve in Restaurant Forte and at catering events, nursing and respiratory therapy students complete clinical placements, and the aviation program lists 10 airline partners.
What students say
On Niche, Utah Valley University is rated 4.01 out of 5 from 3,837 reviews, with an overall grade of B- (checked 12 October 2026). Reviewers most often praise caring professors and staff, affordable tuition and career-focused, hands-on learning, and many describe the campus as safe and welcoming. The most common complaints are that teaching quality varies by professor, that social life is limited on a commuter campus, and that the university offers few scholarships of its own. The reviews cover the whole university rather than one program or campus, and we could not tell whether they were invited by the school or posted in bursts.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Nursing and Health
- Nursing (ASN, RN pre-licensure)
- RN-to-BSN (online)
- Master of Science in Nursing (nurse educator)
- Dental Hygiene (AAS; online BS completion)
- Respiratory Therapy (BS; AAS step-in degree)
- Physical Therapist Assistant (AAS)
Aviation
- Professional Pilot (BS)
- Aviation Science (AAS, AS, certificate)
- Aviation Management (BS)
Criminal Justice and Public Safety
- Police Academy: Law Enforcement Certificate (Utah POST)
- Criminal Justice (certificate, AA, AS, BS)
- Emergency Services (EMS, fire, wildland fire)
Culinary
- Culinary Arts (AAS)
- Hospitality Management (BS)
Business
- Accounting (certificate, AS, BS, MAcc)
- Business Management (AS)
- Master of Business Administration
- Finance (BS, MS)
- Financial Planning & Wealth Management (BS)
- Marketing (BS)
- Digital Marketing (BS, certificate)
Computers and IT
- Computer Science (AS, BS)
- Programmer (certificate)
- Software Engineering (BS)
- Cybersecurity (AAS, BS, MS)
- Information Systems & Technology (AAS, AS, certificate)
- Information Systems (BS)
- Information Technology (BS, certificate)
- Network Administration (certificate)
Construction, Manufacturing and Automotive
- Construction Management (AAS, BS)
- Cabinetry & Architectural Woodwork (AAS)
- Mechatronics: Automation & Electrical Technology (AAS)
- Diesel Mechanics Technology (AAS, certificate)
- Automotive Technology
- Collision Repair
Campus Locations
Provo (Orem), UT 800 West University Parkway, Orem, UT 84058
Lehi, UT 2912 West Executive Parkway, Lehi, UT