What Students Say About WGU: 

• 89% said “My institution was the perfect school for people like me.” (Gallup Alumni Survey 2024)

• 80% said “While attending my institution, I had a mentor who encouraged me to pursue my goals and dreams.” (Gallup Alumni Survey 2024)

• 71% said “My institution is passionate about the financial wellbeing of its students.” (Gallup Alumni Survey 2024)

• 95% said “Would go to the same institution they are now attending.” (National Survey of Student Engagement)

Employers Trust WGU Graduates to Deliver

• 93% rated the job performance of WGU graduates as “excellent” or “very good.” (Harris Poll Employers Study 2024)

• 89% reported being “extremely” or “very satisfied” with WGU graduates as employees (Harris Poll Employers Study 2024)

• 94% said WGU graduates meet or exceed expectations; 61% said “exceed”. (Harris Poll Employers Study 2024)

That alignment doesn’t happen by accident. Our technology ensures that learning outcomes reflect the needs of modern employers, so students graduate ready to make an impact from day one.

We also measure salary growth over time. The 2024 Harris Poll Graduates Survey tells us that, on average, bachelor’s degree earners see an income increase of more than $21,000 within two years and $31,000 within four years of graduation. Master’s degree earners see an average increase of more than $18,000 within two years of graduation and $34,000 within four years.  Not only that, both bachelor’s and master’s degree students pay annual tuition and fees that are about half the national average. Those gains allow them to support their families, invest in their communities, and give back in meaningful ways.

Why EdTech Employees Choose to Work at WGU

In a recent meeting with all EdTech employees, I told them the story of my friend and his comment, and I reminded them that since our first graduate in 2000, WGU has been a tech-enabled university. Every rollout, every feature, every fix matters. It all touches students directly.

We’re advancing this work through innovations like our Learner Care Dashboard and decision intelligence systems, which help mentors know when students need support before they even ask. These tools use data to empower human connection—combining technology and empathy to give students the right help at the right time.

We’re also helping students bridge education and employment through WGU’s Achievement Wallet, a digital portfolio that showcases both hard and soft skills so graduates can demonstrate their full capabilities to employers.

As one of the nation’s first online universities, WGU continues to lead how technology can expand access and redefine the student experience. Our innovations are now models for other institutions across the country.

This is why we work in EdTech. We are not building tools for the tool’s sake. We are building systems that help people start college, succeed in their programs, and walk across the stage at commencement.

The numbers are important, but the people behind them are more important. Our work in technology is what powers this university.

A Message of Appreciation

After that dinner, my friend and mentor, following what I believe was some genuine soul-searching, texted me saying, “I think it’s phenomenal that you feel the way you do about your work.” Then he sent me this quote:

“What a privilege it is to be tired from work you once prayed for.

 What a privilege to feel overwhelmed by growth you used to dream about.

 What a privilege it is to be challenged by a life you created on purpose.

 What a privilege to outgrow things you used to settle for.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Closing Thought

WGU’s mission-driven work is powered by technology but defined by people. Every feature we build and every system we improve helps a student achieve something life changing. That’s what makes this work not only meaningful, but necessary. 

The real question isn’t what we build at WGU, but why we build it. That is at the front of mind, every project, every line of code, every decision.