THE WGU DIFFERENCE
Partnering with WGU has its benefits.
National reach. Personal touch.
WGU was established by a bipartisan consortium of 19 U.S. governors with a single vision: change the lives of working learners by giving them access to high-quality, affordable education that fits into their busy lives.
Over 20 years later, we’re still dedicated to that vision and bringing it to life through partnerships with employers like you. As one of the nation’s largest institutions of higher education, WGU has over 300,000 students and alumni employed in virtually every industry across the country. We’re experienced, having already partnered with over 300 major organizations, and can help guide your approach to employee learning and development, ensuring your investment is measurably increasing performance, engagement, and productivity.
Accessible and affordable postsecondary education.
Serving working learners at scale across the country has provided WGU with a deep understanding of employers’ workforce needs and objectives, particularly as it relates to the future of work and learning. For us, WGU is as much an employer-centric university as it is a student-centric university—the two go hand in hand.
WGU has been a national leader in making postsecondary education affordable while reducing student debt and encouraging responsible borrowing. We want both our students and partners to see WGU as a realistic and worthwhile investment. The Harvard Business Review says hiring outside can cost up to six times more than upskilling your existing talent. Are you putting your money where it matters most?
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Focus on flexibility and innovation.
Online universities are popping up all over the place, hoping to capture a portion of the demand for more convenient postsecondary options. But we’ve been in the online arena since 1997, so we know there’s more to making education convenient than a W-Fi connection.
That’s why we’ve gone above and beyond to implement flexible learning—WGU students have no set class schedules. Instead, they have the freedom to fit their coursework into whatever part of the day makes the most sense for them. Many WGU grads have attained degrees without having to alter their work schedules or cutting back hours. Employee upskilling has never been more seamless.
Like you, we appreciate hard work and dedication. Our competency-based education model rewards students who study hard by allowing them to progress through their coursework as quickly as they can master the material. Combined with our flat-rate tuition, which involves paying per term rather than per course, motivated students are often able to complete their programs ahead of time and under budget. That’s the WGU difference at work.
Results that exceed expectations.
According to a 2019 Harris Poll, employers and hiring managers are big fans of what we do and how we do it. See for yourself.
Top candidates.
96% said they
would hire another WGU graduate.
Prepared for the job.
97% said that their WGU graduates were well-prepared for their jobs.
Job performance.
95% rated job performance of WGU graduates as excellent
or very good.
Beyond expectations.
97% of employers said WGU graduates meet or exceed expectations.
“Our partnership work in helping employers future-proof their workforce is good for individuals, good for employers, and good for the economy—and we’re proud to play a part in this.”
-Spencer Stewart,
VP, Strategic Partnerships
What our partners and advocates say.
“Our partnership with WGU enables our employees to advance their education affordably without interrupting their careers.”
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John Steele, Senior Vice President of Human Resources,
HCA Healthcare
“I’m impressed by the results in places like Western Governors University. Its low-cost online programs rely on competency-based progression, not class time or credit hours. It uses external assessments to evaluate student proficiency.”
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Bill Gates
“Why American Colleges Have to Change”
“Our partnership with WGU enables our employees to advance their education affordably without interrupting their careers.”
![]()
John Steele, Senior Vice President of Human Resources,
HCA Healthcare
“I’m impressed by the results in places like Western Governors University. Its low-cost online programs rely on competency-based progression, not class time or credit hours. It uses external assessments to evaluate student proficiency.”
![]()
Bill Gates
“Why American Colleges Have to Change”
Let’s work together.
We’ve got what it takes to help your people rise to the next level. See what a partnership with WGU could do.