About Graduation Rates
Every year, colleges and universities like WGU are required to submit data about our institution and our students to the federal Department of Education. This information is then posted on the federal web site, College Navigator where you can search for colleges and compare information. WGU is also required by the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008, to provide all students and prospective students with specific information about our institution, including the retention and graduate rates on this page.
At WGU, graduation is our goal. It’s the reason we exist: to help every student who enrolls achieve the degree that will turn dreams into realities; so we take graduation rates very seriously. You may have seen graduation rates reported for WGU, including a low rate on the College Scorecard. That’s because the College Scorecard uses Department of Education data that only counts first-time, full-time students.
In other words, the nontraditional students who make up more than 98% of WGU’s student body are not counted in the College Scorecard data. The vast majority of WGU students have previous college experience before coming to WGU. These students are not considered first-time students, so their success at WGU is not counted in the rate reported by the Department of Education through the College Scorecard.
To put it another way: The College Scorecard data excludes the very students WGU was designed to serve.
Graduate Career Success
While students come to WGU for widely different career reasons, when they graduate, they’re finding the opportunities they sought.
Advancement: According to a 2023 Harris Poll survey1 87% of WGU graduates reported they were employed in their degree field.
Employer Acceptance: When employers were asked how the WGU graduates they’d hired performed on the job, 98% said WGU graduates met or exceeded expectations. 97% said that their WGU graduates were prepared for their jobs, and 97% said that would hire another WGU graduate2.
Graduate Satisfaction: A 2023 Harris Poll revealed that 96% of WGU graduates have recommended WGU to others, compared with 84% of those who attended other schools. 96% of WGU grads said they would choose WGU again, compared with 91% of grads from other schools3.
1 2023 Harris Poll survey of 1,655 WGU graduates.
2 2023 Harris Poll survey of 300 employers of WGU graduates.
3 2023 Harris Poll of 1,655 WGU graduates and 1,443 national, non-WGU graduates.
Graduation Rate
The graduation rate, also called the "Student Right to Know" or IPEDS graduation rate, measures the progress of full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking students. It tracks whether they complete their program within 150% of the standard time expected for graduation.
Note that WGU has 1% of the student population which are first-time, full-time students. The majority (99%) of our students began their studies at another college or university. For this reporting timeframe, 900 students were counted as “full-time, first-time”.
Race/Ethnicity
Cohort
Grad Number
Percent
American Indian or Alaskan Native
17
7
41.18%
Asian
76
41
53.95%
Black, non-Hispanic
133
51
38.35%
Hispanic/Latino
165
62
37.58%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
8
1
12.50%
Race or Ethnicity Unknown
10
6
60.00%
Nonresident Alien
68
38
55.88%
Two or More
19
6
31.58%
White, non-Hispanic
762
369
48.43%
Total
1258
581
46.18%
Race/Ethnicity
Cohort
Race/Ethnicity
Grad Number
Race/Ethnicity
Percent
American Indian or Alaskan Native
17
American Indian or Alaskan Native
7
American Indian or Alaskan Native
41.18%
Asian
76
Asian
41
Asian
53.95%
Black, non-Hispanic
133
Black, non-Hispanic
51
Black, non-Hispanic
38.35%
Hispanic/Latino
165
Hispanic/Latino
62
Hispanic/Latino
37.58%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
8
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
1
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
12.50%
Race or Ethnicity Unknown
10
Race or Ethnicity Unknown
6
Race or Ethnicity Unknown
60.00%
Nonresident Alien
68
Nonresident Alien
38
Nonresident Alien
55.88%
Two or More
19
Two or More
6
Two or More
31.58%
White, non-Hispanic
762
White, non-Hispanic
369
White, non-Hispanic
48.43%
Total
1258
Total
581
Total
46.18%
Race/Ethnicity
Cohort
Grad Number
Percent
American Indian or Alaskan Native
883
405
45.87%
Asian
1,616
841
52.04%
Black, non-Hispanic
4,748
1,594
33.57%
Hispanic/Latino
5,419
2,362
43.59%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
230
96
41.74%
Race or Ethnicity Unknown
45
21
46.67%
Nonresident Alien
2,882
1,535
53.26%
Two or More
975
445
45.64%
White, non-Hispanic
31,100
17,022
54.73%
Total
47,898
24,321
50.78%
Race/Ethnicity
Cohort
Race/Ethnicity
Grad Number
Race/Ethnicity
Percent
American Indian or Alaskan Native
883
American Indian or Alaskan Native
405
American Indian or Alaskan Native
45.87%
Asian
1,616
Asian
841
Asian
52.04%
Black, non-Hispanic
4,748
Black, non-Hispanic
1,594
Black, non-Hispanic
33.57%
Hispanic/Latino
5,419
Hispanic/Latino
2,362
Hispanic/Latino
43.59%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
230
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
96
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
41.74%
Race or Ethnicity Unknown
45
Race or Ethnicity Unknown
21
Race or Ethnicity Unknown
46.67%
Nonresident Alien
2,882
Nonresident Alien
1,535
Nonresident Alien
53.26%
Two or More
975
Two or More
445
Two or More
45.64%
White, non-Hispanic
31,100
White, non-Hispanic
17,022
White, non-Hispanic
54.73%
Total
47,898
Total
24,321
Total
50.78%
Status
Cohort
Number of Grads
Percent
Male
630
262
41.59%
Female
628
319
50.80%
Total
1258
581
46.18%
Status
Cohort
Status
Number of Grads
Status
Percent
Male
630
Male
262
Male
41.59%
Female
628
Female
319
Female
50.80%
Total
1258
Total
581
Total
46.18%
Status
Cohort
Number of Grads
Percent
Male
16,360
7,299
44.61%
Female
31,538
17,022
53.97%
Total
47,898
24,321
50.78%
Status
Cohort
Status
Number of Grads
Status
Percent
Male
16,360
Male
7,299
Male
44.61%
Female
31,538
Female
17,022
Female
53.97%
Total
47,898
Total
24,321
Total
50.78%
Status
Cohort
Number of Grads
Percent
Received a Federal Pell Grant
440
170
38.64%
Received a Subsidized Stafford Loan who did not receive Pell
115
46
40.00%
Received neither a Pell Grant nor a Subsidized Stafford Loan
703
365
51.92%
Total
1258
581
46.18%
Status
Cohort
Status
Number of Grads
Status
Percent
Received a Federal Pell Grant
440
Received a Federal Pell Grant
170
Received a Federal Pell Grant
38.64%
Received a Subsidized Stafford Loan who did not receive Pell
115
Received a Subsidized Stafford Loan who did not receive Pell
46
Received a Subsidized Stafford Loan who did not receive Pell
40.00%
Received neither a Pell Grant nor a Subsidized Stafford Loan
703
Received neither a Pell Grant nor a Subsidized Stafford Loan
365
Received neither a Pell Grant nor a Subsidized Stafford Loan
51.92%
Total
1258
Total
581
Total
46.18%
Status
Cohort
Number of Grads
Percent
Received a Federal Pell Grant
16,629
6,406
38.52%
Received a Subsidized Stafford Loan who did not receive Pell
6,119
3,090
50.50%
Received neither a Pell Grant nor a Subsidized Stafford Loan
25,150
14,825
58.95%
Total
47,898
24,321
50.78%
Status
Cohort
Status
Number of Grads
Status
Percent
Received a Federal Pell Grant
16,629
Received a Federal Pell Grant
6,406
Received a Federal Pell Grant
38.52%
Received a Subsidized Stafford Loan who did not receive Pell
6,119
Received a Subsidized Stafford Loan who did not receive Pell
3,090
Received a Subsidized Stafford Loan who did not receive Pell
50.50%
Received neither a Pell Grant nor a Subsidized Stafford Loan
25,150
Received neither a Pell Grant nor a Subsidized Stafford Loan
14,825
Received neither a Pell Grant nor a Subsidized Stafford Loan
58.95%
Total
47,898
Total
24,321
Total
50.78%
Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the percentage of first-time students who return to WGU to continue their studies the following year. Data come from the 24-25 IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey.
Entering year-to-second-year retention rate for first-time (full-time) students: 62%
Continuing Education
WGU completers who have continued their educational pursuits.
In accordance with the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended, WGU must make available information regarding the types of Graduate and Professional education pursuits in which graduates of WGU’s four-year degree programs have enrolled.
Seventeen percent of WGU’s four-year degree program graduates (241,700) between July 1, 1998, and July 7, 2025, went on to complete a Graduate or Professional program. Source data: National Student Clearinghouse Subsequent Enrollment and Graduation Survey.
Degree Earned
Total
Percent
Doctorate
4377
14.74%
Master's
3,285
11.06%
Juris Doctor
75
0.25%
Post-Master's
21,956
73.92%
Post-Bacc
9
0.03%
Total
29,702
100.00%
Degree Earned
Total
Degree Earned
Percent
Doctorate
4377
Doctorate
14.74%
Master's
3,285
Master's
11.06%
Juris Doctor
75
Juris Doctor
0.25%
Post-Master's
21,956
Post-Master's
73.92%
Post-Bacc
9
Post-Bacc
0.03%
Total
29,702
Total
100.00%
WGU Baccalaureate to Graduate Program
WGU’s four-year degree program graduates who continued with WGU and earned a graduate degree.
Degree Earned
Total
Percent
Master's
42,132
99.76%
Post-Master's
16
0.04%
Post-Bacc
15
0.04%
Endorsement
72
0.2%
Total
42,235
100.00%
Degree Earned
Total
Degree Earned
Percent
Master's
42,132
Master's
99.76%
Post-Master's
16
Post-Master's
0.04%
Post-Bacc
15
Post-Bacc
0.04%
Endorsement
72
Endorsement
0.2%
Total
42,235
Total
100.00%
Updated 7/15/25
