 Brigham Young University ( often referred to as BYU or , colloquially , The Y ) is a private research university located in Provo , Utah , United States . It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter @-@ day Saints ( LDS Church ) , and , excluding online students , is the largest of any religious university and the third largest private university in the United States , with 29 @,@ 672 on @-@ campus students . Approximately 99 percent of the students are members of the LDS Church , and one @-@ third of its US students are from Utah . 
