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Our Impact

We’re on a mission to change lives for the better by creating pathways to opportunity

To quantify the impact WGU has had in our first 25 years, we commissioned Gallup to study the economic effects of a WGU degree. The data proves what we already know: that our online, competency-based, student-centric approach to learning works.

We’ve awarded more than 300,000 degrees in high‑demand fields. Our alumni complete their degrees quickly, with little debt and high salaries–allowing them to contribute to their local economies and provide a higher quality of life for their families. See for yourself:

$261 Billion

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

300,000

Since 1997, WGU has awarded more than 300,000 master’s and bachelor’s degrees to our students–many of whom would not have been able to achieve a degree at a traditional institution.

$1.03 Billion

WGU alumni have paid $1.03 BILLION LESS in tuition than they would have if they had completed their undergraduate degree elsewhere.

Read the Full Survey View Survey

Investing in Students = Investing in States

Through public-private partnerships with states, we are able to have an even greater impact on our students. WGU State Affiliates create opportunities for thousands of citizens who could not otherwise afford a degree by opening up access to state grant funding. In doing so, they are ensuring that graduates–and their dollars–stay in their state.