The University of Utah will close its Sandy campus on January 1, in response to a state directive to reallocate nearly $20 million in funding to programs that meet workforce needs. The Sandy Center, located 15 miles south of the university, offers general education courses that are also available at the main campus and online.
Fall classes will continue as scheduled for the 660 students who have already signed up, the university said. Of these students, 33 are registered exclusively for Sandy Center courses, while the rest take a combination of classes at the main campus or online.
The decision to close the Sandy Center is part of a larger effort to reduce costs and reallocate funding to programs that serve high-demand workforce needs, such as engineering, nursing, and artificial intelligence. The university will save on facility and administrative costs by closing the center.
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The Utah Board of Higher Education approved a below-inflation 2.2% increase in tuition and fees for the 2026-27 academic year. However, the university is barred from raising tuition to cover the difference, under HB 265, which directs Utah’s eight degree-granting public colleges to collectively cut $60 million over the next three years.
The University of Utah’s portion of the $60 million total comes to $19.6 million. Under a reinvestment plan approved by state lawmakers and the board last year, the university cut 81 degree programs and closed its St. George Graduate Center in 2025. The closure of the Sandy Center is expected to save the institution nearly $1.2 million.
The university maintains a Herriman campus with Salt Lake Community College, but the Sandy Center is its last solo satellite campus in the state. In addition to classes for degree-seeking students, the Sandy Center offers continuing education courses and youth programming, which will continue to be offered at other university locations following the center’s closure.
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The Sandy Center moved to its current location in 2015, with the goal of acting as a gateway to the University of Utah for post-traditional students who may work full time, have families, or be in other situations that make earning or finishing a degree more complicated. However, the university has since pulled away from the satellite campus model, shuttering its Murray campus in 2016 and its Bountiful location the following year.
While the closure of the Sandy Center may cause some disruption for students, the university has assured that fall classes will continue as scheduled. The majority of students who take classes at the Sandy Center also take classes at the main campus or online, so the impact is expected to be minimal. The university will continue to offer continuing education courses and youth programming at other locations, ensuring that students have access to the resources they need.
Fall classes will continue as scheduled for the roughly 660 students who signed up for them, according to the university. Of that group, just 33 students registered exclusively for Sandy Center courses, with the rest taking a combination of classes at the university’s main campus or online.
