Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University International Student Insurance

Brigham Young University, located in Provo, Utah, was established in 1875. It’s a private research university owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded by Brigham Young, the second president of the LDS Church, as an educational facility for members of the church. It opened as Brigham Young Academy but was elevated to university status in 1903 along with the separation of the academy into two institutions, Brigham Young High School and the university. Today, BYU enrolls more than 30,000 students and counting each year. Its colors are navy blue, royal blue, and white, and its athletic nickname is the cougars.

About 99% of the student body are members of the LDS Church, and they follow an honor code—regulating matters like academic honesty; dress and grooming standards; and abstinence from drugs, alcohol, and extramarital sex—in line with LDS teachings. About two-thirds of students perform missionary work either before or during their enrollment at the school. The curriculum requires a number of religious education courses, and the university sponsors weekly assemblies with guest speakers discussing matters of faith.

On Campus

Notable features on campus include the BYU Museum of Art, the Museum of Peoples and Cultures, and the BYU Museum of Paleontology, which includes one of the top five collections in the world of vertebrate fossil collections from the Jurassic Period. It also operates the Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture and Food Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the nutrition and health of the rural poor, and the Center for Family History and Genealogy.

Notable Alumni

Noteworthy Brigham Young University alumni include actor Jon Heder; Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings; authors Stephenie Meyer and Orson Scott Card; politician Mitt Romney; and Kevin Rollins, former CEO of Dell.