Converse Hall and mountains

About Westminster College


Westminster is a private, accredited, and comprehensive liberal arts college in Salt Lake City, Utah. Students experience the liberal arts through engaging and well-developed academic programs in a supportive atmosphere.

Since the college's founding, Westminster has remained dedicated to providing life-changing learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate students. Expert faculty focuses on teaching, learning, and developing distinctive, innovative programs. Students thrive on Westminster's Sugar House campus with access to the Rocky Mountains, downtown Salt Lake City, and many of Utah’s natural wonders.

Mission Statement

Westminster College is a private, independent college dedicated to student learning. We are a community of learners with a long and honored tradition of caring deeply about students and their education. We offer liberal arts and professional education in undergraduate, selected graduate courses, and other innovative degree and non-degree programs. Students experiment with ideas, raise questions, critically examine alternatives, and make informed decisions. We encourage students to assume responsibility for their learning, to discover and pursue their passions, and promote more equitable and sustainable communities.

Our purpose is to prepare students to lead lives of learning, accomplishment, and service and to help them develop skills and attributes vital for success in a diverse and interdependent world. We promote distinct approaches toward engaged learning that emphasize theory and practice in our academic and co-curricular programs. Grounded in a culture of imagination and innovation, we pursue excellence while promoting inclusiveness and respect for differences.

Founded in 1875


Location

Surroundings impact your access to unique experiences. Westminster’s location in the eclectic Sugar House neighborhood of Salt Lake City is close to the outdoors, the arts, Utah Capitol, and the downtown business district, allowing you to cultivate a rich, well-rounded college experience in and outside of the classroom.

Facilities

Westminster’s 27-acre campus comprises 39 college facilities, including residence halls, a state-of-the-art LEED-certified science center, a library, facilities for athletics and recreation, art and performance spaces, and so much more. 

Small Classes

Big Impact

12

Undergraduate Average Class Size

11

Graduate Average Class Size



Global Students. Global Education.

 

First-year student breakdown pie chart: 54% from Utah, 44% out of state, 2% international

Costs and Aid

 

Cost breakdown graphic: $39,832 tuition, $3,662 board, $6,396 room

Accessible education

100%

of first-year students received grants and/or scholarships

29%

are federal pell grant eligible

$27,128

average award for first-year students

President Bathami Dobkin headshot

Meet the President

Bethami (Beth) Dobkin, PhD, is Westminster College's 19th president and the second woman to lead the college. As an innovator in higher education, Beth’s devotion to the college stems from a passion for creating a community that nurtures students’ curiosities.

“At its core, Westminster is about developing people, bringing students together in community, where they learn the freedom to think, the wisdom to know, and the aptitude to act. Each part in the Westminster education is indispensable to the others, and together with our unique place, make Westminster a truly remarkable institution.” —President Dobkin, Inaugural Address

 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PRESIDENT

Faculty Profile

111

full-time faculty

94%

of full-time faculty hold the highest degree available in their fields

133

adjunct instructors

Westminster male soccer players cheering on field
Athletics
Westminster College Athletics is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II. Westminster currently has 17 NCAA II sports teams and 4 non-NCAA sports teams.
Learn More About Westminster Athletics

3.5

average student-athlete GPA
(2021–22)

 

253

undergraduate student-athletes
(2022)

Learn more

 

Student at a table as faded background

Griff, Westminster's mascot, flexing arm muscles

Meet Griff

The mascot, myth, and legend.

The Westminster Griffin, better known as “Griff,” has been the beloved mascot of the college.

A rumor says that after the college revamped the Athletic programs in the 1990s, a Griffin’s nest was found atop the Converse clock tower. Griff then started attending Athletics events, bringing energy—and sometimes mischief—to Westminster students and fans.

Although formidable around Westminster community members, Griff is known to be playful and pull pranks when given the opportunity.

Community Service

feamle students making posters
Westminster houses the  Katherine W. Dumke Center for Civic Engagement, which facilitates volunteer opportunities, student-run programs, community-engaged learning, and other civic engagement activities for the Westminster community. 
group of students working around large table

450,000 hours

of community engagement work logged by students

(2014–2021)

 
 
 

Sustainability at Westminster

Westminster College is committed to promoting environmental awareness and education. The Environmental Center supports many services and student-led initiatives that educate the community and make the campus environmentally friendly. Westminster's campus has many sustainable features, including solar arrays, gardens, and a LEED® Platinum-certified building.

Westminster continually receives recognition for its campus-wide sustainability efforts, including the following:

  • A Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) silver rating
  • Rocky Mountain Power Blue Sky Legacy Award (2020)
  • A Princeton Review Green College (2022)

Fast Facts

Westminster College is proud to highlight the college's accomplishments, along with the successes of current students and alumni. Enrollment, current student, alumni, and rankings information reflects the college’s consistent dedication to fostering a campus community based on support, embracing mistakes, and growth.

1,287

total enrollment

8:1

student to faculty ratio

 

319

graduate students

968

undergraduate students

95%

students enrolled full-time

MSCMHC

largest graduate program

Nursing

largest undergrad program

 

Class of 2023 Profile

Infographic: 454 total degrees; 320 undergrads and 134 grad degrees

Infographic: 18 first gen grads; 11 veteran and ROTC grads age range 20-63 years old

Infographic: 34 states, 21 countries represented

Infographic: 54 student athletes; 3 medical school acceptances

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CLASS OF 2023

#12

Best in the West

U.S. News and World Report, 2022

#15

Best Undergrad Teaching

U.S. News and World Report, 2022

A Best College in the West

Princeton Review, 2022

#5

Best Value Schools

U.S. News and World Report, 2022

#9

Best Colleges for Veterans

U.S. News and World Report, 2022

A Top Green College

Princeton Review, 2022

100%

First-Year Students

Received Grants/Scholarships 2021–22 Academic Year

11

Distinguished Fellowships

Awarded/Nominated for the 2020–21 Academic Year

99%

of Classes

Have 29 Students or Fewer (2020–2021)

#17

Best College Towns

WalletHub (2023)

Best Undergrad for Nursing

U.S. News and World Report, 2022

93%

of Full-Time Faculty

Hold the Highest Degree Available in their Fields

 


Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education 2022 College Rankings

Westminster moved up in the 2022 edition of the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education college rankings list. The college is ranked 217—placing in the top third of colleges nationwide and 44th in the western region.

Westminster received high marks in student engagement—how students connect intellectually and socially on campus. Students surveyed for the ranking praised Westminster for the extent of its collaborative learning opportunities; the opportunity for interaction with professors; and the college's rigorous academics that challenge students, support critical thinking, apply learning to the real world, and make connections across topics, courses, and disciplines.

Year in Review 

Westminster searches for ways to grow as a community, and the last 12 months were no different. Take a look back at all we accomplished together, as Griffins.

 

Check it out