The University of Utah will shut down its Sandy Center on Jan. 1, 2027, ending a 25-year presence that gave south Salt Lake County residents access to general education courses, evening classes and continuing education without driving to the main campus.

Approximately 660 students are enrolled at the 30,000-square-foot facility at 10011 Centennial Parkway this fall, according to a university statement released Aug. 22. Of those, 33 take all their classes exclusively at the Sandy location. The rest split time between Sandy, online courses and the main campus.

Fall 2026 classes will continue as planned through the end of the semester.

The closure is driven by House Bill 265, a 2025 state law requiring Utah's eight public universities to collectively reallocate $60.5 million from lower-demand programs into high-demand fields like engineering, artificial intelligence and biotechnology. The U's share is $19.6 million over three years. Rep. Karen Peterson and Sen. Ann Millner carried the bill.

Most students learned the campus was closing the week of Aug. 17, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. As recently as July, the university had posted an announcement encouraging students to enroll at the Sandy Center, calling it "a convenient way to complete general education and degree requirements outside of the main campus."

The timing stung. The Sandy Center sits just off Interstate 15 and a TRAX station, a location that made it popular with students and residents on the south end of the valley. Beyond degree courses, the center housed a bookstore, a testing center and continuing education classes open to non-students, including photography and writing.

Senior vice provost Paul Kohn said advisers are working with affected students to find in-person and online alternatives for spring 2027. "We are committed to helping students navigate their options and make plans that keep them moving toward their degrees," Kohn said in the university's statement.

The university has not disclosed how much money the closure will save. The U signed a 10-year, $7.35 million lease for the space in 2023 and may attempt to sublease it to another tenant.

The Sandy campus was not part of the U's original HB 265 plans presented to the Utah Board of Higher Education in summer 2025. It was added during second-year implementation presentations earlier in 2026.

Continuing education, youth programming and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute offerings will move to other university locations after the center closes. Students with questions can contact their academic adviser or email [email protected].