10 Years of BYU-Pathway

BY: BYU-Pathway Worldwide

BYU-Pathway Worldwide is celebrating its 10-year anniversary! Take a look at some significant events and milestones from the past decade to see how the organization has grown.

2009

The Pathway pilot program was approved. The first three locations opened in Manhattan, New York; Mesa, Arizona; and Nampa, Idaho, with just 50 total students.

2010

Ten additional U.S. locations were added to the pilot program.

2011

The first international Pathway locations opened in Ghana and Mexico. Pathway, which was originally only available to 18–30 year olds, also became available to students age 31 and up.

2012

Priesthood leaders could request locations to open in their local area.

2013

Pathway expanded to serve 9,500 students in 14 different countries.

2014

Pathway’s 100th domestic location opened in Rexburg, Idaho.

2015

The certificate-first approach to earning a degree was formalized, giving students meaningful academic milestones and helping them develop marketable skills on the way to a bachelor’s degree. The new degree structure was implemented organization-wide in April 2019.

2016

The total number of BYU-Idaho online certificates and degrees awarded to Pathway completers since the start of the program reached 1,246.

2017

The First Presidency announced the creation of BYU-Pathway Worldwide, giving it responsibility for the Pathway program (which was renamed “PathwayConnect”) and the coordination of online degree programs across the Church Educational System. Clark G. Gilbert, then president of BYU-Idaho, was inaugurated as BYU-Pathway Worldwide’s first president.

2018

BYU-Pathway headquarters moved from Rexburg to Salt Lake City, Utah, to allow the organization to work more closely with other Church departments and leaders. Nearly 50 BYU-Pathway employees and their families faithfully relocated to continue building the organization.

2019

BYU-Pathway continued to expand its reach by:

• Partnering with Welfare and Self-Reliance to provide educational opportunities to more students worldwide
• Implementing new PathwayConnect curriculum to better prepare students to earn a bachelor’s degree
• Pre-approving all young returning missionaries for admission to PathwayConnect
• Increasing mentoring efforts to help first-semester students navigate the difficulties of entering higher education and remain enrolled
• Awarding a milestone total of 11,584 certificates and degrees