I graduated from the University of Utah with a BS in Biology and then an MD from the School of Medicine.
I lived on campus the first year, and then shared an old house with a few guys for my other 3 years of undergrad.
My oldest daughter is starting at the U next month. They've greatly expanded the number of dorms available and they're much nicer. The dining hall options are much nicer too.
I don't know a lot about the engineering program, although I had a good number of friends who were enrolled in them.
As Medicman noted, parking sucks. It has since my parents went there in the 70s. The parking enforcement officers are ruthless and even my mother, an extremely nice woman, refers to them as the parking nazis.
Part of your tuition covers an unlimited pass to use the UTA bus and Trax system, which is a very good idea.
I took a shooting class at the U and we shot in either the Navy building or the Military Science building. It was a blast. I don't know if you can go there to recreationally shoot or not.
Is he a freshman? I'd live in the dorms the first year, which will also give him time to look around the neighborhood and decide if he wants to rent his own place the next year. The dorms will be full of people from all parts of the country.
Also, concealed carry is permitted at the U, if you have a permit. The U absolutely hates it, but the legislature has slapped them down again and again.