Cedar City, Utah Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Colleges in Cedar City, Utah: median public in-state tuition $7,094 (+24.5% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $53,925 (-9.2% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 87.8% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $13,000 (-3.7% vs U.S.) 9,880 students enrolled statewide.
Overview
Colleges and universities in Cedar City serve students across Utah with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 3 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 9,880 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $7,094. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Cedar City, Utah and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Cedar City vs Utah & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar City, Utah | $7,094 | $8,359 | $13,000 | 61.8% | 9,880 |
| Utah (state median) | $6,552 | $11,766 | $9,750 | 53.0% | 355,242 |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Cedar City, Utah vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar City, Utah | $53,925 | 87.8% | 75.5% | 5.3% | — | 81.1% | 0.24 |
| Utah (state median) | $59,177 | 87.8% | 68.8% | 5.2% | — | 81.2% | 0.29 |
| United States | $59,401 | 93.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.8% | 0.36 |
Other cities in Utah (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar City, Utah | $7,094 | $8,359 | $13,000 | 61.8% | 9,880 | $53,925 | 87.8% |
| Salt Lake City | $9,281 | $22,516 | $14,500 | 50.4% | 216,095 | $72,729 | 91.9% |
| Provo | $11,747 | $21,192 | $9,236 | 71.0% | 34,380 | $61,484 | 81.9% |
| Orem | $6,674 | $17,558 | $11,518 | 46.7% | 28,571 | N/A | N/A |
| Logan | $9,412 | $12,644 | $10,834 | 60.4% | 21,972 | $59,177 | 87.4% |
| Ogden | $6,625 | $10,237 | $15,298 | 49.9% | 19,288 | N/A | N/A |
| Saint George | $6,480 | $18,197 | $11,500 | 38.3% | 9,871 | N/A | N/A |
| Lehi | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2,774 | N/A | N/A |
| Draper | $20,847 | $30,051 | $24,192 | 68.0% | 2,180 | N/A | N/A |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 | $59,401 | 93.0% |
Top college in Cedar City, Utah by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 61.8%, Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Top college in Cedar City, Utah by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 87.8%, Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Most selective college in Cedar City, Utah (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 81.8%, Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Top college in Cedar City, Utah by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $74,267, Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Top college in Cedar City, Utah by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $100,149, Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Top college in Cedar City, Utah by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $46,772, Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Top college in Cedar City, Utah by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $51,322, Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Top college in Cedar City, Utah by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $53,925, Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Top college in Cedar City, Utah by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $199,254, Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Most affordable college in Cedar City, Utah (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $10,887, Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Top college in Cedar City, Utah by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 75.5%, Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
In-state tuition: Cedar City, Utah vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Cedar City, Utah median in-state tuition is $7,094, +24.5% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Cedar City, Utah vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Cedar City, Utah is $13,000 (-3.7% vs U.S. median $13,500). Regional median: $9,750.
Median earnings (10 years out): Cedar City, Utah vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Cedar City, Utah center around $53,925 (-9.2% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Cedar City, Utah vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 87.8% at the median Cedar City, Utah campus (-5.2 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Cedar City, Utah median public in-state tuition is $7,094, about +24.5% vs the national median. Versus the Rocky Mountains region, tuition is +39.6%.
Median graduate debt is $13,000 (-3.7% below the U.S. median of $13,500). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Cedar City, Utah are $53,925, about -9.2% vs the U.S. campus median ($59,401).
The median campus reports 87.8% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 93.0% (-5.2 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 75.5% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 5.3% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 81.1% (U.S. 73.8%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Southern Utah University (87.8%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Cedar City, Utah is 61.8% (national institution average about 49.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Cedar City?
This city profile covers 3 campuses in Cedar City, Utah with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Cedar City?
Median in-state tuition in Cedar City is $7,094 and median net price is $8,359. For Utah overall, medians are $6,552 and $11,766; U.S. medians are $5,700 and $9,912.
What do graduates earn in Cedar City?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Cedar City is $53,925 vs $59,177 for Utah and $59,401 nationally.
What is student debt like for Cedar City colleges?
Median completer debt in Cedar City is $13,000 vs $9,750 for Utah and $13,500 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Cedar City?
Top campuses on this page include Southern Utah University (graduation) and Southern Utah University (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Cedar City?
Among 3 College Scorecard campuses in Cedar City, Utah, none are flagged as HBCUs or tribal colleges in IPEDS, none report at least 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment, and none report a religious affiliation in IPEDS.
Sources & related
- Utah college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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