HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of Utah vs Utah State University

University of Utah clears +$1.79M in 30-year net value, Utah State University +$1.32M — both pay off, University of Utah by +$468K.

Two UT public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT

clears more

30-year net value
+$1.79M
Total cost of attendance
$86,852
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$59,331
Breaks even by age
38

Utah State University · Logan, UT

30-year net value
+$1.32M
Total cost of attendance
$67,796
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$52,662
Breaks even by age
45
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of Utah vs Utah State University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/utah-vs-utah-state

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Questions

Is University of Utah or Utah State University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, University of Utah clears +$1.79M and Utah State University +$1.32M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; University of Utah comes out ahead by +$468K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does University of Utah pay off than Utah State University?
About +$468K over a 30-year horizon (+$1.79M vs +$1.32M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of Utah?
+$1.79M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $86,852, median earnings ten years out $59,331, breaking even around age 38. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.