The chart above is based on data collected from a survey of students representing all campuses. Students were asked their opinion on each of the campuses for each category.. 36 students responded for each school.
BYU–Hawaii
BYU–Hawaii’s location is one major thing that sets it apart from the other church institutions. Located on Oahu’s North Shore, it is minutes from some of Hawaii’s most famous beaches. According to BYU–Hawaii’s website, it hosts the most international study body in the United States, with students representing 70 different countries across the globe.
BYU–Hawaii is the smallest of the 3 institutions, which allows for smaller classroom sizes and more interaction with professors, something Amanda Hendry, a sophomore studying marine biology from Idaho, says is critical in her education. “I actually feel like my professors care about me here. They know me by name, and I get one-on-one attention here. That’s something that most campuses don’t have.”
Lindsey Alkema, a who graduated from BYUH in biology, and who has served as a model student on BYUH’s homepage for 6 years, said her education at BYUH will always be a part of her. “Through my experience at BYUH, my husband and I were inspired to go on an 8 month trip around the world to experience all of the cultures we had learned about at BYU–Hawaii. And my experience in the biology program there has furthered me to where I am now.”
Alkema went on to explain that it is due to BYUH’s location and the overall mentality of the students is the reason why it ranked so low on its dating scene. “Students at BYU–Hawaii are more focused on adventurous excursions and ‘hanging out’ rather than dating seriously.”
BYU in Provo
BYU in Provo one of the world’s largest private universities, with over 30,000 students, according to its website. BYU in Provo serves as the main campus for the Church Educational System, and it is the most widely recognized campus of the Church. According to the Princeton Review, BYU is the nation’s top sober-school, winning this award now for the 17th year in a row. Being the Church’s largest institution, it offers 187 undergraduate programs, 64 master programs, and 25 doctorate programs, according to its official website.
BYU in Provo is also leading the nation in language learning programs, with over 70 percent of its student body fluent in a second language, according to its site. The Marriot School of Management ranks among the top in the country and has one of the best accounting programs in the nation.
According to their website, BYU in Provo’s campus is more than 560 acres of buildings including a library containing more than eight million items. BYU in Provo ranked highest in difficulty of its courses, overall student life, housing, and quality of education, based on the survey given to students.
But to some students like Rebecca Vigoren, a junior from Washington studying peacebuilding, the sheer size of the campus and student body raises some concerns. She explained how difficult it is to be recognized among the professors and students. She joked that sometimes at places like BYU in Provo “your roommates don’t even know when you are gone.”
BYU-Idaho
According to their website, BYU-Idaho has approximately 16,000 students enrolled each semester, and it is the second largest church institution. Founded in 1888 in the small farming community of Rexburg, Idaho, it was once a junior college known for much of its history as Ricks College.
Chelsey Brown, a senior from Idaho studying physical therapy at BYU-Idaho, said she couldn’t imagine herself anywhere else. “The spirit you feel on campus here is unique to all of the other campuses. It starts from when you step foot on campus and eventually resides within you as you step off.”
Since the transition of becoming an accredited four-year institution, BYU-Idaho no longer hosts events of intercollegiate sports, but instead has taken an approach of intramural sports programs between the students on campus. BYU-Idaho has also been commonly referred to by students as “Iceberg” due to its temperatures during the winter and spring months of the year.
In January, the average high for the city of Rexburg is 29 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average low of just 12 degrees Fahrenheit, and an average annual snowfall of 55 inches, according to www.usclimatedata.com. Brown explained how these drastic climate conditions and a small town feel gave BYU-Idaho its other nickname, “BYU-I do.”
“The fact that there’s nothing to do in Rexburg, and it’s too cold to do anything outdoors anyway, explains why so many people get married here. They just date to pass the time,” she said.