The University of Utah said the closure was approved this spring as part of its plans to cut and reallocate resources under a state-mandated budget directive affecting all of public higher education.

Republican Rep. Walt Brooks has reversed his earlier stance on gun laws, backing a bill to ban open carry on Utah's public college campuses. The proposal would also bar guns from dorm rooms and allow only concealed carry if approved.

The number of added students—9,112 more going into higher education this year — has also never been so high. The state now has a total of 216,117 enrolled across its eight traditional schools in its public system.

Facing rising college costs, more Gen Z students like Penelope Masotti are choosing skilled trades for financial stability. Masotti plans to study cosmetology after graduation, joining a growing shift away from traditional four-year degrees.

Utah State University will restructure its academic programs—including several large-scale mergers and a still unknown number of employee layoffs—in order to make up lost funds from the state's budgets cuts for higher education.

Utah State University will start a pilot program to overhaul general education curriculum with the new focus. That's expected to be expanded to schools statewide by 2029.

Utah's university and college presidents need to better scrutinize what programs they offer—and should cut those that are not graduating students, leading to high-paying jobs or supporting the state's workforce needs, according to a critical new audit.