Brigham Young University--Provo
Student life centers on religion and responsibility at Brigham Young University—Provo, a school founded and supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are more than 300 clubs on campus and a student volunteer coalition completes community service projects around campus. There is no Greek system at BYU. The BYU Cougars mainly compete in the NCAA Division I West Coast Conference. The football team is known for the number of players drafted by the NFL: about 140 players and counting. All BYU students can participate in the intramural sports, and about 40 percent choose to do so. Freshmen do not have to live on the Provo, Utah, campus, though the school encourages it. All students live according to a strict honor code, which prohibits – among other things – camping with members of the opposite sex and growing a beard without a doctor's approval. Extramarital and gay sex are also prohibited. Situated at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, the campus is close to plentiful climbing, hiking and biking opportunities. Provo is also home to the Missionary Training Center, where students of the Latter-day Saints faith can enroll to learn and grow before serving at least 18 months around the world.Known for its excellence in language education, BYU regularly offers courses in 62 different languages. About 65 percent of students speak a second language. In addition to its main location in Provo, BYU has campuses in Idaho and Hawaii. Notable BYU alumni include former U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney, "Twilight" series author Stephenie Meyer and actors Jon Heder of "Napoleon Dynamite" and Aaron Eckhart of "Batman: The Dark Knight."