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by our College Data Analytics Team
Unbiased Factual Guarantee
Western Governors University 2023 Graduation & Retention Report
How long does it take to earn a degree at WGU? Find out how many students return after their freshman year, how long it takes to graduate, and what happens to the students who don't.
- WGU Retention Rate
- WGU Graduation Rate
- First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
- First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
- Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
- Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
- WGU Drop Out Rate
WGU Retention Rate
75%Freshmen Retention Rate
GoodRetention Rate
Freshmen retention rate refers to the percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year.
With 75% students making it past their freshmen year, WGU has freshmen retention rates above the national average.
Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.
When looking at just colleges and universities in Utah, the average is 75.47%.
WGU Retention 75 out of 100
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100%
Utah Retention 75 out of 100
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100%
Retention Rate | |
---|---|
WGU | 75% |
Nationwide | 70.57% |
Utah | 75.47% |
WGU Graduation Rates
51%6-Year Graduation Rate
40.28%Transfer Rate
1.71%Dropout Rate
How many of the estimated 7,415 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?
Four years after beginning their degree, 13% of those students had graduated. By 2017, six years after starting their degree, 51% of the students had graduated and after eight years 54% of this class completed their degree.
The official graduation rate of WGU is 51%. This is the percentage of students who completed their degree within 150% of the published time. That means six years for a standard bachelor's degree program.
How long does it take to get a bachelor's degree at WGU? The standard length of time for most students is 5.10 years.
Four Year Graduation Rate 42%
0%
100%
Six Year Graduation Rate 51%
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100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate 54%
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100%
WGU Graduation Rates vs. National Average
Completion Within Undergraduates Percentage Four Years 6,075 42% Six Years 7,415 51% Eight Years 465 3% Did Not Complete 6,756 46%
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WGU Drop Out Rate
Approximately 6756 students or 46% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.
What happened to the 6756 students who did not complete their degree?
5 are still enrolled.
5896 transferred to another institution.
WGU lost contact with the remaining 250 who we assumed dropped out.
Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Still Enrolled | 5 | 0.1% |
Transferred | 5896 | 87.3% |
Dropped Out | 250 | 3.7% |
WGU Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity
Race/Ethnicity | Graduation Rate |
---|---|
American Indian or Alaskan Native | 75% |
Asian | 41% |
Black / African-American | 26% |
Hawaiian | 100% |
Hispanic | 36% |
International | 67% |
Multi-Ethnic | 30% |
Unknown | 59% |
White | 51% |
Some Students Take More Time To Graduate
Some schools have mainly first-time, full-time students, while others cater to part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. For a variety of reasons first-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are usually more likely to graduate in four years.
Traditional Students:
First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.
Non-Traditional Students:
Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.
The majority of students at WGU are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.
Comparing the graduation rates of specific cohorts shown below will be more revealing than the overall statistics shared above.
First-Time / Full-Time WGU Graduation Rates
1%First-Time, Full-Time
24%6-Year Grad Rate
LowGrad Rate
First-time / full-time students at Western Governors University represent 1% of the students in the class of 2015, and 0.43% of WGU bachelor's degree graduations.
With a four-year graduation rate of 13%, first-time students in the WGU class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were less likely than average to graduate on time.
After six years, the WGU graduation rate was 24%, and by the eight year mark, 29% of the cohort had completed their degree.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.
Four Year Graduation Rate 13 out of 100
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100%
Six Year Graduation Rate 24 out of 100
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100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate 29 out of 100
0%
100%
WGU First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average
First-Time / Full-Time Completions | WGU | Nationwide |
---|---|---|
Four Years | 13% | 37.92% |
Six Years | 24% | 46.43% |
Eight Years | 29% | 47.82% |
First-Time / Full-Time WGU Drop Out Rates
97 first-time / full-time students or 71% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
5 are still enrolled.
86 transferred to another institution.
WGU lost contact with the remaining 7 who we assumed dropped out.
First-Time / Full-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Still Enrolled | 5 | 5.15% |
Transferred | 86 | 88.66% |
Dropped Out | 7 | 7.22% |
First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on WGU first-time, part-time students.
Non First-Time / Full-Time Students
99%Returning, Full-Time
51%6-Year Grad Rate
AverageGrad Rate
14500 WGU students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 99.07% of the students in the class of 2015.
Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.
With a six year graduation rate of 51%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate lower than the national average for students in this category.
After eight years, the graduation rate was 54%.
Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.
Six Year Graduation Rate 51 out of 100
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100%
Eight Year Graduation Rate 54 out of 100
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100%
WGU Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average
Returning / Full-Time Completions | WGU | Nationwide |
---|---|---|
Four Years | 0% | 49.57% |
Six Years | 51% | 53.83% |
Eight Years | 54% | 55.07% |
Non First-Time / Full-Time WGU Drop Out Rates
6659 non first-time / part-time students or 46% did not complete their degree within eight years.
Of those who did not finish:
606 are still enrolled.
5810 transferred to another institution.
WGU lost contact with the remaining 243 who we assumed dropped out.
First-Time / Part-Time Non-Completions | Undergraduates | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Still Enrolled | 606 | 9.10% |
Transferred | 5810 | 87.25% |
Dropped Out | 243 | 3.65% |
Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates
Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on WGU returning, part-time students.
More Resources:
An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.
How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?
Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?
How Many People Drop-Out of College?
How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.
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