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MEASURING IMPACT

Graduation and Retention Rates

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”.

Graduation Rate by Race/Ethnicity: 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%

Graduation Rate by Race/Ethnicity: Non First-Time

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%

Graduation Rate by Gender: First-Time

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%

Graduation Rate by Gender: Non First-Time

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%

Graduation Rate by Financial Aid Status: First-Time

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%

Graduation Rate by Financial Aid Status: Non First-Time

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