Utah Launches Broad-Based College Admission Guarantee

The state of Utah is guaranteeing every high school graduate in the state can gain admission to one of its public higher education institutions for next year.

Introduced last Friday, “Admit Utah” promises high school grads they will be admitted to at least one of the 16 public universities, colleges or technical colleges in the state. The offer appears to be the most expansive of any state’s guaranteed college admission programs.

Because the institutions have different GPA admission requirements, the AdmitUtah.org platform will prompt students to enter their GPA and then direct them to those public institutions where they will be guaranteed admission.

To be eligible, a student must have graduated from high school or earned a GED and complete applications to those schools that he or she is considering.

"Admit Utah marks a significant milestone in our efforts to ensure that every Utah student has access to a quality college education," Cydni Tetro, Utah Board of Higher Education member, said in a statement. "This platform will provide students with even more clarity and simplicity in the college application process, empowering them to pursue their educational aspirations with confidence."

In addition to guaranteed college admission, the new platform includes other resources to assist undecided students explore their college options, provide guidance about financial aid, and help them find the best fit among in-state public institutions.

The program also integrates college preparation into Utah’s K-12 education system and promises stronger data integration with those schools.

“This initiative paves the way for students to pursue their academic goals without unnecessary obstacles,” said Geoffrey Landward, Commissioner of Higher Education. “We firmly believe that every Utah student deserves the opportunity to succeed in college, and we are confident that ‘Admit Utah’ will be instrumental in making that a reality.”

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In August, the University of Utah, which is more selective in its admission requirements than other institutions in the state, announced its own guaranteed admission pilot program called “Utah Direct.” Through it, high school seniors who have a GPA of at least 3.5 and live in one of four Utah school districts – Canyons, Granite, Davis and Provo – will receive a letter this fall guaranteeing admission if they apply to the state’s flagship institution.

“We know the act of just applying to college can be daunting,” said Steve Robinson, the University of Utah’s vice provost for enrollment management. “Hopefully letting students know their admission to the U is guaranteed before they even apply will reduce anxiety about the admissions process and help them feel better about going to college.”

Utah becomes the latest state to offer some form of direct or guaranteed admissions to its public colleges. Idaho was the first state to do so, starting its program in 2015. Since then several states, individual colleges and university systems have followed suit as institutions search for ways to boost enrollments and reach students who might otherwise not be inclined to consider college.

In September, the Common Application announced it was growing its direct admissions program for the 2024–2025 application season to 116 member colleges and universities in 34 states. The full list of participating institutions — which includes public and private institutions, research universities and liberal arts colleges — is listed here.

Niche, one of several private companies now offering a direct admissions platform to partner institutions, has expanded its 2025 direct admissions program to more than 100 college and university partners in 33 states, with dozens more still expected to join.

Two major questions raised about these streamlined admissions programs are whether they increase an institution’s yield — the number of admitted students who subsequently enroll — and how they affect the admission and enrollment of traditionally underrepresented minority students.

According to Niche, its direct 2024 admissions program, in which 91 institutions participated, resulted in:

• nearly 930,000 students receiving at least one acceptance and scholarship offer, with the average number of offers per student at just over five.
• about two-thirds of admitted students identifying as Hispanic, Black or African American.
• an average annual scholarship of $18,500 provided through the program.
• an estimated first-year tuition revenue of over $165 million to the institutions.

One large-scale study suggests that direct admissions can boost applications, but, by itself, has only a small effect on enrollment, which is influenced by other factors, notably the cost of attending college. The jury is also still out on how well students who enroll through direct admissions perform academically once they are in college. That’s a crucial question, and the scale of Utah’s program makes it a good candidate to provide some answers.