Academics
Utah State University is a large, affordable, research-oriented school that offers over 200 majors and “one hell of an engineering program.” The College of Education is “top notch” as well and there are strong programs in agriculture and business. “General education courses absolutely suck to take” and they “are much too large.” “Stack ‘em deep; teach ‘em cheap,” says a poetic Spanish major. Overall, though, “the academic experience is superb.” “The professors are saints as far as I’m concerned,” declares a civil engineering major. “They are here because they love teaching and seeing their students succeed.” “I’ve had some crummy professors, but only two or three out of 30,” estimates an accounting major. “The good far outweigh the bad.” Administratively, “the registrar’s office could be a little more organized” and there are the typical big school frustrations but USU generally “runs very smoothly.” “The administration’s main focus is on the students,” lauds a speech communication major, “and that is apparent from the amount of effort that they put toward student services and functions.”
Student Body
“Everyone is pretty laid back and conservative” at USU. Students describe themselves as “studious,” “very motivated to achieve,” and “nothing but welcoming and nice.” There’s a decent-sized contingent of international students on campus but there is “only a small percentage of minority students.” “This is northern Utah,” says a sophomore. “Most of the students are white and Mormon.” The Church of Latter-Day Saints has “a strong influence” here. Scores of students “do not drink, smoke, or have sex before marriage.” “Many are married” already and “have a part-time job.” Some students say that “it’s tough fitting in as a non-Mormon.” Others say that the “the LDS community at USU is very devout but at the same time very accepting.” There are “some overzealous Mormons” who are “pretty nearly intolerant and look down on other faiths,” they say, but “you get those nut jobs with every religion.”
Campus Life
“You can find a club or organization for just about anything” at USU. Sports are reportedly “quite popular.” “Aggie Basketball is huge.” However, other teams are “sickeningly terrible.” There is a smattering of Greek life and there are “parties with a lot of alcohol involved.” However, nobody really comes here for the party scene. This is “Mormonville.” “Dinner and a movie” and a lot of good old-fashioned dating are far more common than drinking. The surrounding town of Logan is “small” and “in the middle of the mountains.” It’s “pretty steep” around here but it’s “an incredibly beautiful and inspiring place to live and learn” and “a great place for the outdoors.” “Everyone goes sledding on Old Main Hill in the winter.” For serious skiers and snowboarders, there is a resort “really close” and “the snow in the canyon is awesome.” “A lot of people miss class after a good snowstorm to hit the slopes,” observes a junior.