Utah: school, college and career rules
Utah requires 24 credits (including financial literacy and digital studies) for a diploma, tests with RISE, Utah Aspire Plus and the grade 11 ACT, gives resident tuition after one full year of Utah residency, and rewards advanced high school coursework with the Opportunity Scholarship.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
Utah State Board of Education Rule R277-700-6 (effective 7 April 2026): students in grades 9 to 12 earn at least 24 units of credit through courses or competency assessment. USBE
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| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| Language arts | 4.0 units (grade 9, 10 and 11 levels plus one more) |
| Mathematics | 3.0 units (Secondary Mathematics I, II and III or equivalents; parents may opt out of Math III in writing) |
| Science | 3.0 units: 2 from two of earth science, biology, chemistry, physics or computer science, plus 1 more |
| Social studies | 3.0 units (3.5 for students entering grade 10 in 2026-27, with American Constitutional Government and Citizenship) |
| The arts | 1.5 units |
| Health education | 0.5 unit |
| Physical education | 1.5 units |
| Career and technical education | 1.0 unit |
| Digital studies | 0.5 unit |
| General financial literacy | 0.5 unit |
| Electives | 5.0 units |
24 units of credit.
State tests for the diploma
The diploma rule has no exit exam. Students heading to college must also meet a math competency, such as AP Calculus or Statistics 3+, ACT math 26+, SAT math 640+, a C in a qualifying concurrent enrollment math course, or a full year of senior math in special circumstances. USBE
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Also good to know
- Library media skills are built into the subject areas, and credits earned before grade 9 can count toward graduation.
USBE
Graduation RequirementsUtah State Board of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
State test: RISE, Utah Aspire Plus and the ACT
Readiness Improvement Success Empowerment (RISE), Utah Aspire Plus and the statewide grade 11 ACT. RISE is the computer-adaptive summative test for grades 3 to 8 (and some high school courses); Utah Aspire Plus, a hybrid of ACT Aspire and Utah Core items, is given in grades 9 and 10; all grade 11 students take the ACT. USBE
View source
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| RISE | English language arts | Grades 3–10 |
| RISE | Mathematics | Grades 3–8 (plus Secondary Math I and II) |
| RISE | Science | Grades 4–8 (plus earth science, biology, physics and chemistry) |
| RISE | Writing | Grades 5 and 8 |
| Utah Aspire Plus | Reading, mathematics and science | Grades 9 and 10 |
| ACT | Statewide school-day administration | Grade 11 |
Source: USBE
View source
What the scores are used for
- Utah Aspire Plus reports predicted ACT score ranges for each subtest and a predicted composite, alongside grade 9 and 10 proficiency scores.
USBE
Utah Aspire PlusUtah State Board of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- The grade 11 ACT is given statewide by ACT for Utah, so every student gets a college admission score.
USBE
ACT (statewide grade 11 administration)Utah State Board of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- Utah System of Higher Education (USHE)University system · 16 public institutions under the Utah Board of Higher Education: degree-granting universities and colleges such as the University of Utah (the state's flagship and an AAU member), Utah State, Weber State, Utah Valley, Southern Utah and Utah Tech, plus eight technical colleges.
- Salt Lake Community College (SLCC)Community colleges · Utah's open-access community college, part of USHE: nearly 50,000 students on 8 campuses and online, over 100 programs, with credits that transfer to four-year schools.
Sources: ushe.edu blocks India (Wordfence); read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-07-11 (20260711112526).USHE
SLCC
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Every school in Utah, public and private, with cost and completion: 62 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 7 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- Utah Code § 53B-8-102: a student who came to Utah to attend college can get resident status only after keeping continuous Utah residency for one full year, signing a declaration giving up residency elsewhere, and showing objective evidence of permanent Utah residency.
Utah Code
Utah Code § 53B-8-102, Definitions -- Resident student status -- Exceptions (version effective 2025-05-07)Utah State Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
le.utah.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2025-07-07 (20250707233012) of the version file C53B-8-S102_2025050720250507, which a 2026-10-16 capture still shows as current.
View source - Evidence includes a Utah high school transcript from the past 12 months, Utah voter and vehicle registration, a Utah driver license, Utah employment, Utah resident income tax returns and a 12-month Utah rental agreement.
Utah Code
Utah Code § 53B-8-102, Definitions -- Resident student status -- Exceptions (version effective 2025-05-07)Utah State Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
le.utah.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2025-07-07 (20250707233012) of the version file C53B-8-S102_2025050720250507, which a 2026-10-16 capture still shows as current.
View source - Otherwise residency follows the general law of domicile; the section also sets rules for military members, veterans and their families.
Utah Code
Utah Code § 53B-8-102, Definitions -- Resident student status -- Exceptions (version effective 2025-05-07)Utah State Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
le.utah.gov times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2025-07-07 (20250707233012) of the version file C53B-8-S102_2025050720250507, which a 2026-10-16 capture still shows as current.
View source
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the Utah System of Higher Education (Utah Board of Higher Education). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
Opportunity Scholarship
Achievement-based scholarship for completing advanced core courses in high school; students apply in their senior year (January to March for the class of 2026). It covers tuition and general fees after other state aid, up to a cap set each year: $800 a semester for four semesters ($3,200) for the class of 2026, for full-time students at eligible Utah colleges. ushe.edu blocks India (Wordfence); read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-08-22 (20260822235144).USHE
Utah Promise Grant
Statewide need-based grant that helps Utahns who show financial need attend Utah public colleges. ushe.edu blocks India (Wordfence); read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-07-11 (20260711112526).USHE
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a Utah license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | Utah board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | Utah State Bar | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 86). NextGen UBE from July 2028. NCBEUtah: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | Utah Medical Licensing Board | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.) FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | Utah Board of Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | Utah Board of Nursing and Certified Nurse Midwives | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact Utah Board of Nursing and Certified Nurse MidwivesNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
Utah State Jobs
Utah Department of Government Operations, Division of Human Resource Management (DHRM)
- Search and apply at statejobs.utah.gov; a new applicant tracking system launched on 18 March 2026, so applicants need a new profile.
- Check minimum requirements for any job at jobdesc.utah.gov. Utah's Skills-First Hiring initiative drops degree requirements where a degree is not legally required.
Source: Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-08-13 (20260813074405); statejobs.utah.gov times out from India.Utah DHRM
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
Utah has no State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers programs here. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- Utah Apprenticeship Office (U.S. Department of Labor)Utah has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Utah Apprenticeship Office registers and oversees programs.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: Apprenticeship.gov
View source
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- Utah: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact Utah Board of Nursing and Certified Nurse Midwives · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- Rule R277-700, The Elementary and Secondary School General Core (R277-700-6 High School Requirements; R277-700-9 math competency), effective 2026-04-07 · Utah State Board of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Graduation Requirements · Utah State Board of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Readiness Improvement Success Empowerment (RISE) · Utah State Board of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Utah Aspire Plus · Utah State Board of Education checked 2026-10-22
- ACT (statewide grade 11 administration) · Utah State Board of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Utah Scholarship and Aid Landing Page (state aid programs and Utah colleges and universities) · Utah System of Higher Education checked 2026-10-22
- About the U · University of Utah checked 2026-10-22
- About SLCC · Salt Lake Community College checked 2026-10-22
- Utah Code § 53B-8-102, Definitions -- Resident student status -- Exceptions (version effective 2025-05-07) · Utah State Legislature checked 2026-10-22
- Opportunity Scholarship · Utah System of Higher Education checked 2026-10-22
- Search Jobs · Utah Division of Human Resource Management checked 2026-10-22
- State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by state · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21
- The Apprenticeship System: Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) states · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21