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WGU In Your State

An online, non-profit university committed to making high-quality, low-cost education accessible to all.

Western Governors University was founded in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors who saw a need for a college-educated workforce in their states—a need that was not being fully met by traditional higher education.

WGU is making education accessible for all by offering courses at any time, anywhere, and by measuring progress by competency, rather than credit hours. But don’t take our word for it–explore our 25th Anniversary Impact Report to see our impact in action.

$261 Billion

WGU’s more than 300,000 graduates will earn $463 billion over the course of their post graduation lives– $261 billion more than they would have otherwise.

$826,000

WGU graduates earning their bachelor’s degrees at age 38 earn, on average, $826,000 more in their lifetimes than they would have without coming to WGU.

$1.03 Billion

WGU has saved its alumni more than $1 billion in tuition, freeing that money to go to other parts of the economy and giving graduates and their families a higher quality of life.

Read The Full Survey

Contact your regional WGU representative to discover what WGU can do for your state.

Discover what other states are doing and get actionable policy suggestions.

The WGU Policy Playbook serves as a guide to help state leaders better understand and serve their working learners. It outlines specific, actionable policies that can transform higher education into a system that offers quality, customized learning experiences of all.

Read real-life stories of impact.

On our blog, we share stories of impact from WGU students and alumni, plus updates on how we’re redrawing the education landscape.

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About WGU
August 25, 2023

WGU Ohio: Transforming Lives and Creating Pathways to Opportunity

Five years may seem like a short amount of time, but it can bring about significant changes. Just look at higher education in Ohio, which has witnessed a transformative shift…
Podcast
June 14, 2023

WGA and WGU with Jim Ogsbury

Listen JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xMzAxMDg1NyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjExMjMwMiUyRjEzMDEwODU3LXdnYS1hbmQtd2d1LXdpdGgtamltLW9nc2J1cnkuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xMzAxMDg1NyUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF Subscribe With a robust partnership and commitment to bipartisanship, WGU and WGA are influencing the West and the world. At Western Governors University (WGU), bipartisanship isn’t just a…
Podcast
June 9, 2023

The Importance of Telling Our Story with Allen Clarkson

Listen JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xMjkwNDEyMSUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjExMjMwMiUyRjEyOTA0MTIxLXRoZS1pbXBvcnRhbmNlLW9mLXRlbGxpbmctb3VyLXN0b3J5LXdpdGgtYWxsZW4tY2xhcmtzb24uanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xMjkwNDEyMSUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF Subscribe An insider’s perspective on the evolution of WGU. 132,000 active students. 300,000 alumni. 8,000 staff nationwide. The numbers we use to define Western Governors University are indisputably…
AccessibleAffordablePolicy Priorities
June 1, 2023

Wide Open Spaces

WGU is improving equitable education in Montana The great state of Montana is famous for its sweeping vistas and towering mountains. As the third largest state geographically, Montana covers a…
AccessibleAffordablePolicy Priorities
June 1, 2023

A Good Life–and a Better Education–For All

Amanda Redler is not a typical college student. She is a 36-year-old mother of three living in rural Albion, Nebraska, more than an hour’s drive from any brick-and-mortar college or…
Podcast
May 30, 2023

The Power of Partnerships with David Quam

Listen JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xMjkwNDAxMiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjExMjMwMiUyRjEyOTA0MDEyLXRoZS1wb3dlci1vZi1wYXJ0bmVyc2hpcHMtd2l0aC1kYXZpZC1xdWFtLmpzJTNGY29udGFpbmVyX2lkJTNEYnV6enNwcm91dC1wbGF5ZXItMTI5MDQwMTIlMjZwbGF5ZXIlM0RzbWFsbCUyMiUyMHR5cGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0JTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdCUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ== Subscribe Exploring how we build meaningful, win-win partnerships with government officials and advocacy groups–and why it matters. As an institution founded by 19 United States governors, Western Governors…