Utah State University (USU) History and Academics

History

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is located in Logan, Utah which is eighty-one miles northeast of Salt Lake City. President Lincoln signed the Morrill-Land Grant Colleges Act that provided for the establishment of a university in each state and territory and Utah built the Utah Agricultural College. The college received university status in 1957 and was given its current name. The University now awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees with many programs being offered online as well as in traditional classroom settings. USU prides itself on remaining true to its initial principle of dedicating itself to its land and its people. The university is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and is classified as a Doctoral/Research University-Extensive school by the Carnegie Corporation.

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Information Summary

Ranks 3rd in Utah and 547th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	86.0
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$20,504
Admission Success rate	N/A
ACT / SAT 75%ile scores	28 / 1290
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	18 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	73% / 53%
Enrollment Total (all students)	27,932

Academics

The University is composed of a number of colleges including the College of Agriculture, the College of Business, the College of Education and Human Services, the College of Engineering, the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, the College of Natural Resources, and the College of Science.

Bachelor’s degrees are awarded in hundreds of different disciplines throughout seven colleges including the Caine College of the Arts, the College of Agriculture, the College of Science and the John M. Huntsman School of Business. The university offers standard degrees in such areas of study as economics, accounting, elementary education, history, biology and numerous liberal arts and sciences.

Utah State also stays true to its roots as an agricultural institution as evidenced by such unique areas of study as biological and irrigation engineering, agricultural education, landscape architecture, environmental planning, fisheries and wildlife, and range land resources.

There are nearly one hundred fifty graduate degrees awarded in such areas as animal science, ecology, business administration (MBA), human resources, instructional technology, engineering, toxicology, American studies, English, bioregional planning, wildlife biology, industrial mathematics and biochemistry to name a few. Many of these degrees are available online as well and the college keeps building their distance education program so that it can serve the needs of the people who need them the most.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Unique Programs

Utah State is ingrained in academic research. The University receives millions of dollars annually to conduct various research in order to find solutions to real-world issues. The annual Student Showcase presents 50 student research projects each year and students work alongside each other and some of the best faculty in the world to complete these projects. Most recently, eleven USU students—more than any other institution—were invited to present their research during the Council on Undergraduate Research’s Posters on the Hill in Washington D.C.

Admissions

Applications to the undergraduate programs are accepted for fall, spring and summer semesters. Students wishing to enter USU in the fall following graduation should apply as early in their senior year as possible in order to allow time for the application and financial aid to be processed but may apply as late as April 1. In addition to the application form and fee, students must provide official, sealed high school transcripts and ACT or SAT scores. Applications can be submitted on-line.

The university uses an index score based on test scores and GPA to determine admissions eligibility. Though there are generally minimum GPA and standardized test score requirements, students are considered on an individual basis. Students should have completed four years of English, three years of mathematics, three years of science, one year of American history, two years of the same foreign language, and two additional years of electives. It is strongly recommended that students take mathematics at least up to trigonometry.

Applicants to the graduate school will be required to submit the application and fee along with appropriate standardized test scores such as the GRE or GMAT along with transcripts from all undergraduate institutions. The school also requires three letters of recommendation but all that the applicant needs to do is include the names and email addresses on the appropriate lines on the application and the school will contact them directly for the recommendations. Prospective students should also check with the program of choice to make sure that there are no additional requirements.

International students and students wishing to transfer from another institution have additional admissions requirements and should refer to the university in order to determine what is necessary in order to be accepted for enrollment.

Financial Aid

In-state tuition and fees for undergraduate students will be $3672 in 2005-2006. Students applying from out of state and graduate students will have different costs.

Financial aid is available with a combination of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs.

Utah State participates in standard federal aid programs, including Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplement Grants, LEAP grants, Federal Perkins Loans, and Federal Work-Study Loans. Federal Stafford Loans and PLUS Loans are also available. USU can provide emergency loans to those students who qualify and need to compensate for tuition expenses immediately. Scholarships require satisfactory academic progress be made.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 4160th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Utah.

Students

In addition to the numerous classroom, dormitory, and administration buildings, Utah State University has an amphitheater, an art museum, a laboratory school, several greenhouses and an observatory as well as numerous building dedicated to particular forms of research.

The Utah State University Library offers electronic catalogs and on-line databases to supplement the plentiful physical volumes stored on site. Special collections include a folklore collection, a manuscript collection, a photograph collection, and the University archives.

Utah State is home to more than 250 student clubs and organizations. USU also provides campus recreation services, counseling, food services, special services for “reentry” students, and even daycare and educational services for children of students. Students can participate in intramural sports, club sports, relaxation activities or simply enjoy some of the local scenery.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Student Graduation Demographics

Athletics

Utah State University is an NCAA Division I school and offers men’s and women’s basketball, cross-country, tennis and track & field. Men have the additional options of golf and football while women may also choose to participate in gymnastics, soccer, volleyball and softball. The team nickname is the Aggies and most teams compete in the Western Athletic Conference The football team plays in the Sun Belt Conference, the gymnastics team is in the Western Gymnastics Conference, and indoor track and field teams play in the Mountain Pacific States Federation. Utah Sate University teams have won numerous conference and league championships and frequently ranks at the top in the Big West Academic Conference for student athlete academic performance.

Sports facilities include a basketball arena, a baseball field, a track stadium, and a field house. There is also an indoor training facility with a full-sized football field for practices. In addition to intercollegiate sports, USU also offers several different intramural sports including badminton, swimming and table tennis as well as numerous club sports.

Local Community

Logan, located in the Cache Valley about twenty miles south of Idaho, is a comfortable and scenic town that provides a good deal to entertain visitors and residents alike. Attractions include the Aquatic Center, Recreation Center, Municipool, and Skate Park. Logan is also home to such annual events as a martial arts tournament, golf tournament, and summer art festival. Willow Park Zoo is home to a wide variety of native and exotic species of birds and other animals and there are numerous opportunities for additional outdoor activities such as hiking and sightseeing.

The campus is only a minute from Logan Canyon which offers a ski resort, hundreds of hiking and bike trails, climbing routes and numerous other outdoor activities. There is also a public transportation system that services the school so that students don’t need to have a vehicle in order to take advantage of the local amenities.

Bibliography

Utah State University. Utah State University. 2011. Web. 21 June 2011.
Utah State Aggies: Home of Utah State University Athletics. CBS Sports.com College Network. 2011. Web. 21 June 2011.

Utah State University