I've created this site to help members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, particularly prospective college students and their parents, research colleges. For many, whether a school has a critical mass of LDS students is an important factor in determining which school to attend. This site contains that information.  

Attend BYU or not? Attend a school in Utah or not? Attend a school with a large LDS population or not? These can be difficult questions. I don't know which school is best for a student, nor do I believe there is only one best school for anyone. You must consider the factors that matter most to you, determine which schools match well to those factors, maybe make campus visits or talk to current and former students, apply to a few schools, hope to get accepted to one or more, pray, decide, and move forward.  If after all that your choice doesn't work out for whatever reason, you can later transfer (although transferring credits can get complicated).

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in community, that we have obligations to our fellow congregants as well as to our expanded group of neighbors, and that we derive blessings from fellowshipping with and serving each other. Our relationships with each other give life purpose and meaning, enable us to implement Christ's teachings, and draw us closer to God. Most of us know that whether swimming in a vast sea of Saints or a small pond, our fellow Saints are frequently true friends that provide us with comradery, strength, uplift, kindness, love, laughter, and inspiration (and, sure, occasional headaches and heartaches too). The raw numbers on this site don't reveal anything about the individuals you may meet or the community of faith you will build together. That must be experienced to be known.  

As for me, I am a member of the Church living in Indiana. Both of my parents grew up in Arizona and graduated from Northern Arizona University before my father joined the Marine Corps and he and my mother moved all over the US and the world serving their country and raising their family. I was raised with the expectation that I would attend college but not pressured to attend any in particular.

My higher education options were limited due to finances. I could not see a way to afford out-of-state or private (non-Church) colleges. I applied and was offered scholarships to Brigham Young University, University of Arizona, and Arizona State University. I chose BYU because I wanted an experience outside of Arizona, where I lived at the time, and my older sister was at BYU and encouraged me.  

From elementary through high school few of my classmates were LDS, and attending a college with tens of thousands of members of my Church -- and living in a majority LDS city, county, and state -- was, to be frank, a cultural shock for me and took some acclimating. It turned out to be a great experience. At BYU I had amazing mentors, fantastic (and dull) classes, did fun (and stupid) college stuff, attended religious devotionals and academic forums, made life-long friends, fell in love and married, and developed into a semi-functioning adult and a disciple of Jesus Christ. I only lived in Provo four years, but my time there is not just a fond memory but a loadstar that occasionally still helps me find my bearings.

As neither my wife nor I were raised in Utah, we left Provo after graduating to make our way in the world. I attended graduate school at Washington State University - Vancouver and later graduated from Vanderbilt Law School, and we had good experiences at each. Over time I've met hundreds of Latter-day Saints who attended colleges all over the country and have varying degrees of fondness for their alma matters. There are many good educational options available, each with pros and cons, each providing a unique opportunity to its students. 

There are so many factors to consider -- size, cost, major, location, prestige, activities, sports, friends, family, culture, and so on. I'm not at all suggesting that the number of Institute classes be dispositive when choosing a college. But it would be wise for prospective students to ponder their future spiritual growth and how the LDS community at the schools they are considering attending might contribute to that growth.  Hopefully the information provided hear can inform that pondering.

Best wishes!