Brigham Young University

What Brigham Young University does

Brigham Young University is a private, nonprofit research university founded in 1875 and headquartered in Provo, Utah, sponsored and governed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the flagship of the Church Educational System (alongside BYU-Hawaii, BYU-Idaho, BYU-Pathway Worldwide, and Ensign College). The university serves 37,205 daytime students (34,224 undergraduate, 2,981 graduate) drawn from all 50 U.S. states and 103 countries, offering 202 undergraduate majors, 116 minors, 95 master's programs, and 29 doctoral programs across colleges including the Marriott School of Business (#37 MBA, #2 accounting), J. Reuben Clark Law School (#28), and Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering. Its core technology differentiators include the nation's leading language curriculum (84 courses taught, 127 languages spoken on campus, 4,578 advanced language enrollments) and applied engineering projects such as the Shell Eco-marathon supermileage vehicle (~911 km/L) and the Baloo soft humanoid robot.

The business model is tuition-based with structural Church sponsorship: LDS-member undergraduates pay $3,344/semester and non-LDS undergraduates pay $6,688/semester; graduate and professional programs (Business/Law) range from $7,764 to $15,528 per semester. The Church subsidizes member tuition through tithing funds, with the university describing each enrolled student as effectively on scholarship, which produces #5 lowest graduate debt (U.S. News) and a structural pricing advantage relative to peer private institutions. Distribution is primarily through direct admissions to the Provo campus, supplemented by 200+ study abroad programs in 60+ countries, the Jerusalem Center, the BYU Salt Lake Center for continuing education, and online Independent Study. BYU reported 8,123 degrees granted in 2024-2025 (6,820 bachelor's, 1,076 master's, 227 doctoral) and is supported by 466,803 living alumni. The university is not publicly traded, has no venture capital or private equity backing, and reports no operating revenue or ARR figure publicly.

Name

Brigham Young University

Legal name

Brigham Young University

Website

https://byu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Brigham Young University is a private nonprofit research university in Provo, Utah, sponsored by the LDS Church, serving 37,205 students across 202 undergraduate and 124 graduate programs with Church-subsidized tuition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Private University)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB), Campus Spiritual & Religious Life (EDALAHAI)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Private university
• Faith-based education
• Graduate programs
• Study abroad programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Provo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition: Primary revenue from tuition. LDS students pay subsidized rates ($3,344/semester undergraduate) while non-LDS students pay full cost ($6,688/semester). Church subsidies tuition for members through tithing funds.
2. Graduate Tuition: Graduate programs including standard graduate ($4,208/semester LDS, $8,416/semester non-LDS) and professional programs in Business and Law ($7,764/semester LDS, $15,528/semester non-LDS).
3. Medical School Development: In July 2024, the First Presidency announced creation of a medical school at BYU, focusing on international health issues affecting LDS Church members and humanitarian efforts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Brigham Young University is a private, faith-based research university that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across 202 undergraduate majors, 95 master's programs, and 29 doctoral programs, including top-ranked programs at the Marriott School of Business and J. Reuben Clark Law School. The university is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which subsidizes tuition for member students through tithing funds, and integrates religious education into the academic curriculum. Complementary offerings include NCAA Division I athletics (BYU Cougars), one of the nation's largest study abroad portfolios, and leading language education.

Product overview

Brigham Young University is a comprehensive research university sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offering a portfolio of educational products and services centered on undergraduate and graduate degree programs across multiple colleges and schools. The core educational offerings include 202 undergraduate majors, 95 master's programs, and 29 doctoral programs spanning business (Marriott School of Business, ranked Top 30 with No. 2 accounting), law (J. Reuben Clark Law School, No. 28), engineering (Ira A. Fulton College), nursing, and humanities. The university differentiates through extensive language programs (84 courses, 127 languages spoken), study abroad opportunities (200+ programs in 60 countries), and faith-based integration across all curricula. Supporting the academic mission are research institutes like the Wheatley Institute, athletics programs (BYU Cougars), and specialized college services. BYU is ranked No. 20 overall in The Wall Street Journal's Best Colleges rankings and leads in language education, foreign language degrees produced, and technology transfer speed to unicorn status.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wheatley Institute: Research institute focused on religion, ethics, and family studies
• J. Reuben Clark Law School
• Marriott School of Business
• Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs Brigham Young University offers 202 undergraduate majors and 116 undergraduate minors across multiple colleges, including business, engineering, humanities, life sciences, and fine arts. The programs are designed for individual students pursuing bachelor's degrees, with faith-based education integrated across all curricula. LDS students pay subsidized tuition ($3,344/semester) and non-LDS students pay full cost ($6,688/semester).
• Graduate Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Students reach unicorn ($1B) startup status in under 6 years vs 11 years national average
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Catholic University of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026Host institution for ACE Commission on Faith-Based Colleges and Universities third annual convening, bringing together university presidents, faith leaders, and civic leaders including BYU participation.
• American Council on EducationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026National higher education organization convening faith-based colleges including BYU presidents for dialogue on civil discourse and campus polarization.
• Institute for Family StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Collaborative research partner with Wheatley Institute at BYU on AI romantic companion study surveying 2,431 U.S. adults on relationship impacts.
• Institute for Family StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Co-research partner on AI companion use study with over 2,000 young adults in committed relationships.
• Portal InnovationsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026VC firm Portal Innovations opening Woodbine Labs, a 30,000 sq ft biotech incubator in Salt Lake City (Q2 2027) to serve as launchpad for research emerging from University of Utah and Brigham Young University. CBRE named Salt Lake City an emerging life sciences market.
• Convexity PropertiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Real estate partner providing backing for Woodbine Labs biotech incubator facility in Salt Lake City.
• BioUtahminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Trade organization providing support for Woodbine Labs biotech incubator serving Utah research universities including BYU.
• Vandenberg Space Force BaseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2026Partnership to study rocket noise effects with BYU and California State University Bakersfield, announced as part of new space race and base expansion.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding, sponsoring, and guiding entity of BYU. Provides tithing subsidies for tuition, missionary training network for language programs, and ongoing spiritual direction through living prophets. This is the core defining relationship of the university.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Villanova University: An Augustinian Catholic private research university with a strong national ranking, faith-centered culture, and emphasis on service learning. Comparable to BYU in mission-driven identity and selective private university positioning.
• Georgetown University: A prestigious Jesuit Catholic private research university with strong law and business schools, integrating faith-based identity with elite academics. Highly comparable in mission profile, professional school depth, and selective applicant base.
• Boston College: A Jesuit Catholic private research university with strong undergraduate teaching reputation, faith-based mission, and similar applicant profile. Comparable to BYU in faith-academics integration and selective admissions.
• Emory University: A Methodist-affiliated private research university with strong professional schools (Goizueta Business, School of Law) and selective admissions. Comparable to BYU in faith-heritage, research depth, and ranking band.
• Wake Forest University: A historically Baptist-affiliated private research university with strong undergraduate teaching, smaller scale than BYU, and similar faith-heritage identity. Comparable in selective admissions profile and emphasis on character formation.
• Baylor University: The largest Baptist-affiliated private research university in the US, comparable in size (~20k students), faith-based mission integration, Big 12 athletic membership, and emphasis on combining religious commitments with research excellence.
• Creighton University: A Jesuit Catholic private university in the Midwest with strong faith-based identity, professional programs, and similar emphasis on values-driven education. Comparable to BYU in mission integration, though smaller in scale.
• University of Notre Dame: The most direct peer: a top-tier Catholic-affiliated private research university of comparable scale and prestige. Like BYU, it integrates faith with academic excellence, commands strong applicant demand, and competes for similar religiously-engaged high-achieving students nationally.
• Southern Methodist University: A Methodist-affiliated private research university with comparable size, faith-based identity, strong professional schools (Cox Business, Dedman Law), and similar Texas/southwestern regional draw to BYU's western footprint.
• Pepperdine University: A Churches of Christ-affiliated private university known for faith integration, smaller size, and commitment to religious values in education. Comparable faith-based identity, though smaller and less research-intensive than BYU.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/byu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BYUNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/byu
• Instagraminstagram.com/brighamyounguniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brigham-young-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brigham Young University