Western Governors University

western governors university accredidation

Degree Programs at Western Governors University

Western Governors University appears in our ranking of 30 Great Colleges With An Increasing Student Population.

The bachelor’s degrees in Business, Teaching, IT, and Healthcare offered at Western Governors University provide students with excellent quality education with the freedom to study in their own time, enabling them to enter the field of any of these industries with a solid understanding of more than just the basics. After graduating from their degree program, students will truly understand their core curriculum, but more than that, they’ll be at the forefront of their industries and have acquired the equivalent of years of experience in their chosen profession.

A few of the degree programs offered at Western Governors University include:

  • B.S. Nursing (RN to BSN Online)
  • B.S. Business – Healthcare Management
  • B.S. Computer Science
  • B.S. Business – IT Management
  • B.S. Software Development
  • B.S. Cybersecurity and Information Assurance

Professionals with a wealth of industry experience in their respective fields will all directly offer their expertise to students throughout their education – making Western Governors University a good fit for prospective students who need an excellent, thorough, reputable education in a format that would allow them to maintain a full-time job or a family or even a deployment while earning their degree.

About Western Governors University

One of the unique benefits of Western Governors University is that many of their degree programs are available both on-campus or online. The university is called Western Governors University because, in 1997, a group of U.S. governors came up with a new solution to an age-old problem: how to ensure quality education to more of their constituents instead of only those who come from wealthy families. The issue was addressed at a meeting of the Western Governors’ Association, and eventually a new university was formed.

The idea was to create a different kind of university. The U.S. governors who founded the college knew that students would need a brand new system for accessing quality education. The governors understood that one of the biggest boundaries to higher education was the fact that millions of working adults simply didn’t have the time to invest in commuting to a university campus or attending classes that were held during regular working hours. Fortunately, it was the mid-1990s, and it was becoming evident even as the internet just began to get off the ground that it had the potential to be the perfect medium by which to bring higher education to the masses. More and more Americans began connecting to the world wide web, and the possibility of an “anywhere, anytime” education was fast becoming a reality.

Instead of just delivering traditional curriculum and the traditional approach over the internet, the founders of Western Governors University realized that going online presented a unique opportunity to reshape higher learning altogether; with a new medium came new methods to educate.

Western Governors University Accreditation

In addition to being accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), all of WGU’s schools have additional accreditation. WGU also happens to be the only university in the country to be regionally accredited from four regional accrediting commissions at the same time. Western Governors University has also been recognized by The Standard of Excellence in Teacher Preparation (NCATE), CNN, MSNBC, Time Magazine, Microsoft IT Academy, and the United States Distance Learning Commission. Western Governors University has even been mentioned in a presidential report on “what works” in higher education. According to this press release, Western Governors University has been recognized eight times by the United States Distance Learning Commission.

Western Governors University Application Requirements

WGU is committed to providing a quality education to potential students who have the capacity and determination to complete their degree program and graduate. The purpose of the admission process is to help the university and the potential student both make an informed decision. Not every applicant is approved, and that’s not necessarily a reflection on applicants so much as it is simply that not everyone is a good fit for the degree program they decide to pursue.

The following criteria are considered when reviewing applications: college and work experience, readiness assessment if available, and the time commitment. General requirements for those enrolling in an undergraduate program at Western Governors University are as follows:

  • Must have a GED or High School Diploma
  • Must be at least 16 years of age
  • Submit all transcripts from all prior college coursework

Those interested in pursuing a graduate degree must submit transcripts to verify a bachelors degree from an accredited university and must interview with an enrollment counselor to ensure that the university is a good “fit” based on career goals and expectations.

Western Governors University Tuition and Financial Aid

Currently, the cost of attending Western Governors University is less than $3,500 per 6-month term. More than 30 scholarship programs are available to students, including the Become a Teacher Scholarship, the Margaret McClure Scholarship, the TT Transfer Scholarship, the Sage Scholarship, and the Linda Knodel Leaders in Nursing and Health Scholarship. All of these scholarships are valued at up to $2,000, and there are many more valued at $5,000 and up such as the FJ Management Impact Fund Scholarship, the Western Association of Food Chains Scholarship, and the Amanda Hudson Memorial Scholarship. Over ten million dollars in scholarships were awarded in 2017. Virtually anyone can afford to pursue their dreams with so many generous endowments in place to help pay for education.

Flexibility, quality, and affordability are the hallmarks of a good university, and Western Governors University is no exception to the rule. With thousands of dollars in scholarships available to prospective students and an innovative platform that allows students to study “whenever and wherever” they need to, there is no excuse to not pursue a higher education. Founded by United States governors working toward creating a more accessible college experience, Western Governors University is a success story waiting to create success stories, and it all starts with a simple application.