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Brigham Young University (BYU)

Utah, United States
Visit School Website
  • Private Type
  • 1875Founded
  • YesAccept Int. Studs
  • YesDistance learning

About

BYU is the flagship university of the Church Educational System and is known for its strong academic programs, vibrant campus life, and commitment to religious values. The university operates under a board of trustees, with the president of the church serving as chairman. It offers a unique environment where students can pursue academic excellence while adhering to a code of conduct that reflects the teachings of the LDS Church.

Acronym BYU
Nickname Cougars
Motto / Slogan Enter to learn; go forth to serve
Colour Navy blue and white
Mascot Cosmo the Cougar
Founded 1875
Location Provo, Utah, United States
Address Brigham Young University Provo, UT 84602

Mission

The mission of Brigham Young University — founded, supported, and guided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — is to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life. That assistance should provide a period of intensive learning in a stimulating setting where a commitment to excellence is expected and the full realization of human potential is pursued.

Brigham Young University

Main Academic Divisions (Faculties)

  • College of Engineering (Fulton)
  • College of Fine Arts and Communications
  • College of Humanities
  • College of Life Sciences
  • College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences
  • College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
  • College of Nursing
  • College of Education (McKay)
  • College of Business (Marriott)
  • J. Reuben Clark Law School
  • College of Religious Education

Reasons to Study at Brigham Young University

  1. High-Quality Education at an Affordable Cost

    BYU offers strong academic programs with tuition significantly lower than most U.S. private universities, making it one of the best value options for international students.

     

  2. Strong Academic Reputation

    The university is well known for excellence in business, engineering, sciences, and humanities, with experienced faculty and practical, career-focused learning.

     

  3. Career Preparation & Practical Experience

    Students benefit from internships, research opportunities, career mentoring, and strong employer connections that improve job readiness after graduation.

     

  4. Supportive Values-Based Environment

    BYU combines academic excellence with Christian values, promoting integrity, service, leadership, and personal development in a respectful community.

     

Fees

Undergraduate Tuition

Indigenous Students USD 6,888
International Students USD 13,776

Postgraduate Tuition

Indigenous Students USD 8,672
International Students USD 17,344

Other Fees

UNDERGRADUATE:

  • A non-refundable application fee: $35

 

POSTGRADUATE:

  • A non-refundable application fee: $50

Admission

Undergraduate Admission Requirement

Entry requirements vary by program and course. Check the program page for requirements. 

  • Submit your application by the appropriate application deadline.
  • Please note that housing options are dependent upon what is available on any given room selection date.
  • Apply for the semester/term you wish to attend. Requests to change beginning semesters may not be accommodated.
  • The admission criteria are the same for all entry dates. One semester/term is not easier to get into than another.
  • If you want to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, learn more information about deferring here.
  • You need to submit a college transcript for any concurrent college credit received.
  • If you have completed any international secondary education, pre-university, college, or university work, see Evaluating International Work for more information. BYU only accepts official US-accredited transcripts without an evaluation.
  • Because of the intellectual, social, and emotional maturity required of university students, BYU does not admit applicants who will be younger than 17 years of age by the first day of class.

International Students:

  • Connect a church account
  • Agree to BYU's Honor Code and obtain Ecclesiastical Endorsements
  • Submit a complete academic history. All non-US accredited international educational work will need to be evaluated, even if that international work appears on a U.S. transcript. See Evaluating International Work for more details.
  • Submit an ACT or SAT score (if required)
  • Submit an English Proficiency Score (if required)
  • Obtain required recommendations
  • Complete essays and activities
  • Pay the application fee

Postgraduate Admission Requirments

  • Agree to abide by the University Honor Code
  • Sign the Honor Code Agreement
  • Complete an Ecclesiastical Endorsement
  • Submit proof of having obtained the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university.
    • As a general rule, graduate programs at Brigham Young University require a 120-credit baccalaureate degree or equivalent from a regionally accredited U.S. or international university. To be considered for admission, recipients of an accredited 90-credit degree must establish strong potential to succeed in their specific graduate program.
  • Graduate with at least a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate grade point average or 'B' average. 
    • Some programs may require a higher GPA to be considered for admission.
  • Submit proof of English proficiency (non-native English speakers only). 
    • Refer to our English proficiency minimums page for more information to see if you are subject to this requirement.
    • Submit completed foreign credential evaluation.
      • Applicants in the following programs are required to send the evaluations as part of the application process: Chaplaincy, Computer Science, Educational Leadership, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Exercise Science, Geological Sciences, Electrical and Computer Engineering, IT & Cybersecurity, Law, Linguistics, Mass Communications, MAT, MBA, MPA, MPH, Music, Neuroscience, Nursing, Physics & Astronomy, Psychology, Religious Education, School Psychology, Slat, Sociology, or Statistics.

International Students:

Application requirements are different for each graduate program. Learn the application requirements for your graduate program by referencing the admission requirements on the program(s) website.

  • Search program admission requirements

Meet the University’s Minimum Requirements

  • Minimum admission requirements
  • International students have slightly different application procedures. Some elements change, and additional information is required from the applicant.
    • The English proficiency test is required. Please review the link for our accepted exams and the minimum scores needed.
    • Applicants applying to Computer Science, Geological Sciences, MBA, MPA, Music, Nursing, Sociology, Spanish & Portuguese, or Statistics programs who have foreign transcripts are required to complete an official foreign credential evaluation using one of our preferred foreign credential evaluation vendors BEFORE they can be considered for admission.
      • Applicants outside the programs listed above will be required to complete a foreign credential evaluation if recommended for admission (see "After You've Submitted" for an explanation of a Conditional Admit).
    • For additional international requirements, click here.

How To Apply For Admission

Admission Contacts

Email: [email protected]
Phone : +1 (801) 422-4104, +1 (801) 422-4636, +1 801-422-4091

Apply For Admission

Campus Tour

Facilities

  • Classrooms
  • Library
  • Laboratory
  • Research Center
  • Accommodation
  • Hospital
  • Sports
  • Gym
  • ICT
  • Cafeteria
  • Sports: Stay healthy and have some fun! BYU has intramural sports, gyms, fitness classes, meal plans, and insurance designed just for students. Student Health Center: Available to all BYU students, come in for a doctor's appointment, immunizations, physical therapy, urgent care, prescriptions, and any other medical needs. All services are available to you regardless of your insurance coverage. The center is located about a 15 minutes' walk north of campus, with hours from 8:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

 

  • Library: The mission of the Art in the Library program is to create a dynamic cultural center in the Library, to foster intellectual and creative activities through the visual arts, and to act as liaison with other academic departments on campus. The Society of Exploration Geophysicists offers a premier collection of applied-geophysics content through its SEG Library, including SEG eBooks, all SEG-hosted journal and meetings content.

School Contact

Address

Brigham Young University Provo, UT 84602

Email Address

[email protected]

Phone Number

+1 801-422-4636

Website Address

https://www.byu.edu/

Social Media Pages

Accreditations

  • Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • American Bar Association (ABA)
  • Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
  • Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
  • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
  • American Psychological Association (APA)

Vice Chancellor

Shane Reese

C. Shane Reese began his tenure as the 14th president of Brigham Young University on May 1, 2023. Prior to his appointment, he served as BYU Academic Vice President from 2019 to 2023, and dean of the BYU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences from 2017 to 2019. Reese also serves as a member of the Department of Statistics faculty and an elected fellow of the American Statistical Association... read more
.

Reese’s research has centered on Bayesian hierarchical models and Bayesian optimal experimental designs. He has created statistical models addressing a range of issues from predicting the power of solar storms to determining the safest method for destroying chemical weapons to assessing climate impact on glaciers in high mountain Asia and Antarctica. His work has also been used by the U.S. Olympic volleyball team as well as the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

Academic Staff

  • Julie Franklin

    Student Life Vice President Julie L. Franklin was appointed student life vice president on August 1, 2019. The student life vice president oversees BYU mission-focused student support services that help students meet the aims of... read more
    a BYU education and become disciples of Jesus Christ. Specific areas of oversight include Campus Life, Enrollment Services, Student Development Services, Student Health Services, Residence Life, and the Title IX Office. 

    Prior to her appointment, she served as the director of BYU Residence Life for 20 years. During her tenure in residence life, Franklin oversaw the renovations of Helaman Halls and led a comprehensive evaluation of the experiences of first-year students. The findings prompted the university to build the new Heritage Halls in 2016. Franklin has also collaborated with other areas within Student Life, from outreach efforts with Counseling and Psychological Services to accommodations with the Accessibility Center.

  • Justin Collings

    Academic Vice President Justin Collings was appointed as the academic vice president June 21, 2023. He is responsible for the academic enterprise of the university. The academic vice president works collaboratively with the ... read more
    BYU President, other vice presidents, associate academic vice presidents and campus deans and directors to achieve the Mission and Aims of a BYU education.

    Collings joined the J. Reuben Clark Law School faculty in 2013 following a clerkship for Judge Guido Calabresi with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Before joining the university administration he served as associate dean for faculty and curriculum, as well as for research and academic affairs at BYU’s law school. Collings served as an associate academic vice president for faculty development before being appointed academic vice president in June 2023. He is a member of the advisory group and a former fellow of the BYU Wheatley Institute, whose mission is to fortify society’s core institutions of family, religion, and constitutional government.

  • Steve Sandberg

    Assistant to the President and General Counsel Steve Sandberg was appointed assistant to the president and general counsel December 1, 2018. At BYU, he oversees the Department of Risk Management and Safety, the Integrity and Compliance Office, and... read more
    the Office of the General Counsel and he also serves as a liaison for BYU on state and federal government relations matters. In addition to his roles at BYU, Sandberg is the general counsel for BYU–Hawaii, BYU–Idaho and Ensign College.

    Prior to working for BYU, he clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit for Judge Andrew J. Kleinfeld in Fairbanks, Alaska, and was an associate at Morrison & Foerster, LLP in Irvine, California. Sandberg is licensed to practice in California, Hawaii, Idaho and Utah.

  • Renata Forste

    International Vice President Renata Forste was appointed international vice president August 1, 2021. In this role, Forste oversees Continuing Education, Performing Arts Management and the David M. Kennedy Center for Internationa... read more
    l Studies.

    Forste taught three years as an assistant professor in the department of sociology at Western Washington University before joining the sociology faculty at BYU in 1995. She has served as an associate dean in the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences, department chair of the Sociology Department and most recently as director of the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies and associate international vice president.

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Notable Alumni

View More Alumni

History

The history of Brigham Young University (BYU) begins in 1875, when the school was called Brigham Young Academy (BYA). The school did not reach university status until 1903, in a decision made by the school's board of trustees at the request of BYU president Benjamin Cluff. It became accredited during the tenure of Franklin S. Harris, under whom it gained national recognition as a university. A period of expansion after World War II caused the student body to grow many times in size, making BYU the largest private university of the time. The school's history is closely connected with its sponsor, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Classes at B... read more

righam Young Academy commenced on January 3, 1876. Dusenberry served as interim principal for several months until April 1876, when Brigham Young's choice for principal arrived—a German immigrant named Karl Maeser. During this period the future U.S. Supreme Court Justice George Sutherland and future U.S. Senator Reed Smoot attended. The school did not become a university until the end of Benjamin Cluff's term as president. At that time, the school was still privately supported by members of the community and was not absorbed and sponsored officially by the church until July 18, 1896. A series of odd managerial decisions by Cluff led to his demotion; however, in his last official act, he proposed to the board that the academy be named "Brigham Young University." Many opposed, saying the school was not large enough to be a university, but the decision ultimately passed.

In 1903, Brigham Young Academy was dissolved and replaced by two institutions, Brigham Young High School (BY High) and BYU. The BY High class of 1907 was ultimately responsible for the giant "Y" that remains embedded on a mountain near campus. The Board elected George H. Brimhall as the new President of BYU. Under his tenure in 1904, the new BYU bought 17 acres (69,000 m2) of land from Provo called "Temple Hill". After some controversy among locals over BYU's purchase of this property, construction began in 1909 on the first building on the current campus, the Karl G. Maeser Memorial. Brimhall also presided over BYU during a brief crisis involving the theory of evolution. The religious nature of the school seemed at the time to collide with this scientific theory. Joseph F. Smith, church president at the time, settled the question for a time by asking that evolution not be taught at the school. Over time, students and faculty found a way to reconcile the factual elements of evolution with the church's teachings. Even though a few at this time described the school as little more than a "religious seminary", many of its graduates from this time would go on to great success and become well renowned in a variety of fields.