An article fromDive Brief University of Utah could cut up to 15% of staff ahead of future enrollment drops

The public institution said it is facing “some of the most significant challenges in its 176-year history.”

Published Sept. 10, 2026Ben Unglesbee Senior Reporter

• Share
  • Copy link
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • X/Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Print
• License
• Add us on Google

The University of Utah's campus in Salt Lake City. The public institution's leaders aim to reduce as many as 850 staff positions. Getty ImagesListen to the article 3 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Dive Brief:

• University of Utah leaders plan to slash staff positions by 5% to 15% over the next year as the institution faces what it described as “some of the most significant challenges in its 176-year history.” 
• The staff eliminations would amount to between 250 and 855 jobs, cuts that could include layoffs as well as attrition and retirements, according to a Tuesday news release. Reductions won’t apply evenly across units, according to the university’s chief financial officer.
• Leaders hope to free up resources to reinvest in the institution, which could include “more faculty positions, increased faculty salaries, more research support, and continued development of a more fully residential campus,” the university said.

if (window.dfp_visibility === 'mobile' ) googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.defineSlot( '/3618/highereddive/highereddivehybrid1', [[300, 250], 'fluid'], 'dfp-hybrid1-mobile' ).addService(googletag.pubads()); ); waitToLoadAds.push(function() googletag.cmd.push(function() if (window.dfp_visibility === 'mobile' ) window.onDvtagReady?.(() => googletag.display('dfp-hybrid1-mobile')); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) var adUnitPath = '/3618/highereddive/highereddivehybrid1'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-mobile'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper #dfp-hybrid1-mobile'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') ); ); ); if (window.dfp_visibility === 'desktop' ) googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.defineSlot( '/3618/highereddive/highereddivehybrid2', [[300, 250], 'fluid'], 'dfp-hybrid2-desktop' ).addService(googletag.pubads()); ); waitToLoadAds.push(function() googletag.cmd.push(function() if (window.dfp_visibility === 'desktop' ) window.onDvtagReady?.(() => googletag.display('dfp-hybrid2-desktop')); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) var adUnitPath = '/3618/highereddive/highereddivehybrid2'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-desktop'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper #dfp-hybrid2-desktop'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') ); ); ); Dive Insight:

University of Utah leaders say they are trying to prepare the institution for a financially sustainable future — one with fewer students. 

They cited projections that college-aged students and state college enrollment are both poised for a multi-year decline beginning early in the next decade. 

By the numbers   -6% The projected drop in Utah’s population of high school graduates from 2023 to 2041, according to the latest estimates of the Western Interstate Commission. for Higher Education   38,261 University of Utah’s total student population in fall 2025, an all-time high for the university ahead of projected declines.   $8.6 billion The institution’s operating expenses in fiscal 2025. That is a nearly 62% spike from five years prior.   -$448.6 million The university’s operating loss in fiscal 2025, over 80% bigger than five years earlier. However, with state funding, investment income and other nonoperating revenue sources added in, the University of Utah booked a $921 million total surplus in fiscal 2025.

Meanwhile, University of Utah also said expenses have been growing faster than revenues, “a trajectory that is not sustainable over the long term.” Leaders emphasized the need to grow margins in that environment, to provide money to invest in University of Utah’s mission. As it stands, the institution’s operating margin is estimated at 5.3% for fiscal 2027, 20 basis points below 2025 levels, according to an August presentation. 

The expected staff cuts will come as work is “consolidated, simplified or eliminated,” the university said. Leaders have not made final decisions about how many positions will be cut, and scope and timing will depend on job functions. 

University of Utah currently has 5,700 non-healthcare staff. The university’s medical center also aims to undertake similar downsizing measures.

“Every dollar and every hour we can redirect from unnecessary complexity is capacity we can put back into our mission of creating impact,” Chief Financial Officer Gary McArthur said in a statement. 

The University of Utah also announced last month it would cut back retirement benefits for newly hired employees, in line with its "university-wide modernization effort."

Along with enrollment and cost pressures, the university has navigated changes to the state’s funding model. Last year, it announced it would axe 81 courses and degree programs as part of a legislatively mandated initiative to cut costs and reinvest in high-demand fields. 

The university also plans to close its last remaining solo satellite location in the state as part of its savings plan to comply with the new law.

• Add us on Google
• Share
  • Copy link
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • X/Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Print
  • License

Filed Under: Finance, Faculty & Staff, Enrollment Higher Ed Dive news delivered to your inbox

Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts

Email:

• Select user consent: By signing up to receive our newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe at anytime.

Sign up A valid email address is required. Please select at least one newsletter.Editors' picks

• Getty ImagesTemple University lays off 40 employees as it tackles deficit

  The public Philadelphia institution is reducing its workforce for the second year in a row but has seen promising enrollment gains of late.

  By Ben Unglesbee • July 10, 2026
• Getty ImagesTrump administration caps student visa stays at 4 years under final rule

  Critics have castigated the measure, arguing it ignores average degree completion times and creates unnecessary burdens for international students.

  By Laura Spitalniak • Updated July 17, 2026