SLC is not representative of the rest of Utah, for example they had a gay mayor until 2020. Yes you see the Mormon influence, it was quite a surprise when one of D’s classmates got married after sophomore year, but she’s been fine as a liberal atheist.
It can’t be beaten for outdoor activities. D spends a lot of time climbing (both indoor https://momentumclimbing.com/millcreek/ and outdoor What "Daredevil" Thing Have You Done? - #23 by Twoin18), skiing, backpacking, rafting etc. - the ski slopes are only 30 minutes from campus. They drive all over to the National Parks, even going to the Oregon coast for surfing.
And it is cheap: the western states get WUE and others can get residency after the first year (which reduces the cost from $45K to about $25K per year). The honors dorms are great and very new.