BYU: the complete school report for parents

What does BYU actually weigh in admissions?

BYU rates 11 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, test scores, the essay, extracurricular activities, recommendations, personal qualities, talent, volunteer work, work experience, religious affiliation. It does not consider 5 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is BYU's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

87% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 3.89 on a 4 scale, reported for 98.78% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

BYU admitted 62.5% of 2,229 transfer applicants, against 68.6% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

BYU offers neither Early Decision nor Early Action, so there is no early round to strategize about and every applicant is read in one pool.

What will BYU actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $15,564 a year at BYU after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $7,096. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 62.7% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 1,740 merit awards averaging $3,756 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

22% of BYU graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $16,031 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $117 a month in repayment. BYU’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from BYU pay off?

Graduates earn a median $75,790 ten years after entering, and $58,450 at six years. 78% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 80% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

$146,934 to $27,616, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at BYU:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

91% of first-years return for a second year. 81% within six (Fall 2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 72.6% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 82.5% of everyone else, a gap of 9.9 points.

How big are the classes?

43% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 4% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 21:1, and 70% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

What is life at BYU like?

34,354 undergraduates. 14% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $64,914.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
• 87% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 3.89. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• BYU rates test scores Very Important, so a score at or above its middle-50 range is close to expected rather than optional.
• Its highest-earning major returns $146,934 five years out against $27,616 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about BYU

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