Western Governors University

What are the graduation rates for students at Western Governors University?

IPEDS figures for 2024-25 report a 46% six-year graduation rate and a 33% four-year rate for WGU. Its reported retention rate is 65%. These measures describe defined student cohorts and time windows; they are not the probability that any particular new student will graduate.

Federal graduation-rate measures principally track first-time, full-time students. That is an important limitation at WGU, where many learners arrive with previous college credit or return to education as adults. The rates also cannot, by themselves, establish why students did or did not complete. A prospective transfer student may get a more useful planning estimate from an individual transfer evaluation, the number of requirements left in the chosen degree, and the time available for study each week.

What is the earning potential for graduates at Western Governors University?

College Scorecard program figures report earnings one year after completion for measured groups of former students, not a salary promised to every graduate. The measure reflects people covered by the Scorecard's earnings methodology; it should not be read as a survey of every alumnus or as the effect of the degree alone.

For example, reported one-year median earnings are $74,868 for computer and information sciences, general, and $74,342 for the registered nursing field. Business administration, management and operations is reported at $58,705, while teacher education for specific levels and methods is reported at $34,615. Those fields can include different jobs, locations, prior experience, and degree levels. Earnings also say nothing on their own about tuition paid, debt, job satisfaction, or later career progression. Applicants comparing programs should use the figure for the closest matching field, not a university-wide example from an unrelated profession.