Student success and performance data
Highlights from the Graduate Satisfaction Survey
In response to our Fall 2008 3rd party survey.
- 99 percent of graduates were satisfied with the projected/actual time to completion of their programs.
- 89 percent of graduates were either satisfied or very satisfied with the how rigorous their programs were.
- 94 percent of graduates would recommend WGU to others.
- 85 percent of graduates would enroll into WGU again in the future, if given the opportunity.
- 79 percent of graduates were satisfied with preparation for their career of choice.
Work-Related Benefits of Earning a WGU Degree Online:
- 44 percent got a new job
- 43 percent got additional responsibilities
- 23 percent got a promotion
- 49 percent got a pay increase
- 58 percent got increased status among friends and colleagues
- 59 percent got increased status with supervisors and employers
- 77 percent had increased self-confidence in performing their work
- 92 percent reported one or more of these benefits
Highlights from the Employer Satisfaction Case Study
80 employers responded as part of our 2008 Employer Case Study
- 95 percent of employers rate WGU graduates as equal to or better than their counterparts who graduated from other colleges and universities.
- 90 percent of employers rate WGU graduates' preparation for the workforce as "Good" or "Excellent".
- 81 percent of employers say they would recommend hiring WGU graduates to business associates and affiliated companies.
- 99 percent of employers rated WGU graduates' ability to analyze and solve problems at or above their counterparts.
- 69 percent of employers rate WGU graduates as "Excellent" employees.
Student Performance on National and WGU Assessments
WGU students' results in taking major national exams as compared to national performance measures.
National Business Exams
The Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification exam:
National Teachers Exams
PRAXIS Math Exam
- WGU pass rate: 85%
- Percent of WGU students in top 15% Nationally: 41%
PRAXIS Elementary Education Pedagogy Exam
- WGU pass rate: 94%
- Percent of WGU students in top 15% Nationally: 32%
PRAXIS Elementary Education Content Exam
- WGU pass rate: 97%
- Percent of WGU students in top 15% Nationally: 28%
* Note: WGU pass rates exceed 90% on 8 of 10 PRAXIS exams.
WGU Competency Exams
Pass rate: 79.5%*
*Note: Individuals who don't pass the assessments are typically able to retake their exams or resubmit their assignments under the guidance of their mentor.
Results of the National Study of Student Engagement (NSSE)
NSSE is a survey of student engagement in the academic and social life at schools nationwide. It examines a variety of characteristics of student activity at a university, focused on the degree to which students are actively participating in the opportunities for engagement provided by their universities. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching has a classification system for colleges and universities that is used widely for policy and research purposes (defined as Carnegie Peers). NSSE identifies colleges and universities that meet the same Carnegie profile as WGU and reports comparisons between WGU's results and this group of similar institutions.
In this study, questions were asked of students and graduates. They answered on a scale of 1 to 4, 4 being the highest or best answer, and 1 being the lowest or worst. WGU's results are in red, the Carnegie Peers are in green, and the NSSE 2007 average is in yellow.
Overall, how satisfied are you with the quality of advising at your institution?
How would you evaluate your entire educational experience at this institution?
If you could start over again, would you go to the same institution you are now attending?
- WGU Seniors rate WGU in top 10% of institutions nationally on NSSE's Level of Academic Challenge category.
- WGU Seniors rate their Student-Mentor interaction in the top 50% of institutions nationally.
- WGU First Year students rate their Student-Mentor interaction in the top 10% of institutions nationally.
