A Message from President Scott D. Pulsipher
At WGU, we believe education is most powerful when it evolves alongside the needs of the individuals it serves. As technological advances reshape the future of work, we believe education must move beyond an episodic, one-size-fits-all model toward one that is continuous, adaptive, and responsive throughout an individual’s lifetime.
In that spirit, this past year WGU continued to broaden the ways individuals can access learning throughout their lives.
While workforce-aligned degree programs remain at the heart of our mission, we expanded complementary pathways, including certificates, apprenticeships, employer-sponsored education, and other innovations that help students build relevant knowledge and skills as their goals and careers evolve. We also harnessed AI to deliver more personalized learning experiences at scale, enabling more students to receive the individualized support they need to succeed.
In fiscal year 2026, WGU awarded its 500,000th degree—a testament to the enduring quality and relevance of our model. But even more important than the milestone itself is what it represents: a new standard of impact and an enduring commitment to expand access and create lasting value for generations to come.
This report reflects that work—and our belief that education's greatest impact is measured not by the credentials it awards, but by the lives it transforms.
WGU at a Glance
July 1, 2025—June 30, 2026
500,000+ Total Degrees Awarded
WGU surpassed a historic milestone in FY26, awarding its 500,000th degree.
68,364 Degrees Awarded
WGU awarded 68,364 degrees to 67,317 graduates, with at least 10,000 graduates from each school for the second-straight year.
448,907 Total Alumni
Students from all U.S. states and territories have earned a degree from WGU with 94% of alumni saying they would choose WGU again.
95% Equal or Better in Soft Skills
Employers rate WGU graduates equal to or better than graduates from other institutions in workplace soft skills, including communication, collaboration, leadership, and creativity.
3.5 Million Tasks Evaluated
Working with mentors, instructors, and evaluators, WGU students demonstrated competency by completing 3.5 million course tasks and passing 2.9 million assessments.
196,996 Students Enrolled
This includes students enrolled in WGU's 122 degree programs, as well as 23 certificate programs.
$8,730 Average Annual Tuition
The average annual cost of undergraduate tuition and fees at WGU is $8,730—compared to the national average of $18,241—and $9,669 for graduate tuition and fees.
29x Return on Cost of Degree
A WGU degree is calculated to deliver 29 times the cost of the investment over a graduate’s remaining career earnings.
$40 Million in Scholarships
WGU awarded $40 million in scholarships to assist 14,437 students, with $2.5 million distributed in emergency aid.
Responsible Borrowing Initiative
WGU helps students borrow only what they need, with 58% of undergraduates borrowing the recommended amount and a median student loan balance at graduation of $11,900.
1,934 Active Workforce Partnerships
More than 23,000 students earned their degrees through WGU's partnerships with employers and organizations across industries.
Enhancing Student Opportunities
Among WGU's student body, 77% came from one or more underserved populations and 16% of students are affiliated with the military.
Outcomes That Matter
Percentage of Undergraduates Who Enrolled with
0–11 Transfer Credits
Creating pathways to opportunity means helping students succeed. WGU measures its impact through three Key Results: completion (finishing a specific credential or degree), return for graduates, and equity in access and attainment. Together, these measures reflect the university's commitment to transparency and accountability while providing a clear view of the outcomes that matter most.
WGU’s student population is evolving—and that matters when looking at graduation rates. An increasing share of undergraduate students are entering WGU with 0–11 transfer credits. These students have more coursework to complete before earning a degree, which can extend the time required to graduate.
Completion
The graduation rates shown below reflect the percentage of WGU students who graduate within a given time frame. They differ from those typically reported by the U.S. Department of Education, which counts only first-time students with no prior college experience—a group that represents less than 10% of WGU’s student population. As a result, the most widely cited federal measures, such as the College Scorecard, exclude more than 90% of WGU students who come to WGU with previous college experience.
4-Year and 6-Year Graduation Rate for Undergraduate Students
2-Year and 3-Year Graduation Rate for Graduate Students
Return
Factored Graduate Return
- Median income change from graduation to two years post-graduation: $14,671
- Factored Graduate Return (FGR) for FY23 cohort, two-year post-graduation income data: 29x
*FGR = ( (two-year post-graduation income - income at the time of graduation) x (65 - graduation age) ) / total tuition cost. Calculated using verified income data provided by Equifax.
Equity in Access and Attainment
Founded on the belief in the inherent worth of every individual and each person’s innate capacity to learn, WGU is committed to expanding access and increasing completion for everyone, regardless of background. With its personalized, digitally native, one-to-one model, WGU can meet students where they are and provide the support they need to increase the likelihood that enrollment leads to completion—the real measure of access. And with the ability to scale through technology, WGU can expand access without excluding those who may not fit traditional models of higher education. WGU works to make education and opportunity work for everyone, especially those who have been underserved by traditional higher education or face persistent barriers to opportunity. Today, 77% of students enrolled at WGU come from one or more underserved populations.
Tracking progress in both enrollment and completion across learner populations helps ensure WGU expands pathways to opportunity while supporting meaningful student outcomes. As our students and their needs evolve, the populations represented in our data evolve as well. For example, a growing share of undergraduate students are enrolling with 0–12 transfer credit units, a trend that has implications for how we understand and support student success. Our commitment remains constant: to continually improve access, completion, and outcomes for every student.
Equity in Access: Percent of Student Population
Equity in Attainment: 6-year Graduation Rates
*Historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups include students who identify as Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, or as being from two or more races.
**Low-income households earn less than $45,000 annually for a household of two.
Access and attainment are strengthened when students can earn a degree without taking on an outsized financial burden, making affordability an important dimension of educational access. WGU’s commitment to affordable education is reflected in the lower levels of debt students carry at graduation.
Median Debt At Graduation Per Undergrad Who Borrowed
Student and Employer Feedback
Outcomes provide one view of WGU's impact. The experiences of students and graduates—and the perspectives of employers—offer another, showing how learning translates into confidence, capability, and opportunity.
2025 Gallup Alumni Survey
87% said WGU was worth the cost vs. 64% nationally.
2026 National Survey of Student Engagement
81% acquired job-related knowledge and skills.
2025 Harris Poll Graduate Survey
94% would choose WGU again.
2025 Harris Poll Employer Survey
87% would hire another WGU graduate.
Future-Ready Workforce
Preparing students for opportunity requires understanding how opportunity itself is changing. As employers adapt to new technologies and evolving skill needs, WGU is working to ensure its pathways remain relevant to the world graduates enter.
WGU Distinguished Graduate Bryce Slaughter chose WGU to build on his 15+ years in the U.S. Navy, earning both a bachelor's and master's degree in cybersecurity, attaining 13 industry-recognized certifications in the process. Today, he advises the U.S. Department of Defense on cybersecurity strategy.
“Education strengthened the knowledge and experience I already had while giving me greater confidence in my abilities,” he said. “It opened doors in my career, creating opportunities for advancement that once felt out of reach.”
Millions of adults have similar professional and lived experiences that can fuel their higher education journeys. WGU connects their talent to opportunity by collaborating with employers, educators, and policymakers to design accessible, competency-based learning pathways that meet workforce needs.
The Workforce Challenge
WGU's Workforce Decoded research series provides a national view of how employer needs are evolving amid rapid advances in AI and changing workforce demands. Based on a survey of more than 3,100 employers across industries and regions, the findings help inform WGU's partnerships, program development, and workforce-aligned pathways.
- 76% of employers say AI has shifted the types of candidates they seek; 80–86% across all U.S. regions say AI is already shaping hiring priorities.
- 38% of employers are reducing entry-level hiring due to AI, raising urgency for workforce-aligned education.
- Employers now value degrees and certificates together (“yes, and”) rather than treating them as competing credentials.
How WGU Responds
WGU prepares students for a changing economy by strengthening the connection between education and opportunity. Through academic innovation, employer partnerships, technology, and work-based learning, the university helps students build relevant skills employers are looking for.
Academic Pathways
WGU expanded academic pathways that align learning closely with workforce needs while giving students greater flexibility in how they advance toward a degree.
- WGU launched the nation's first accredited, online, competency-based undergraduate degree in AI engineering, preparing students for emerging careers in an AI-enabled economy.
- WGU launched 12 new and five redeveloped degree programs in FY26, expanding academic pathways aligned with workforce needs.
- WGU partners with 706 community colleges across the U.S., creating transfer pathways that allow for prior coursework and experience to apply to bachelor’s degree programs. In FY26, 28,474 students enrolled via these transfer partners.
- Credit-bearing certificates gave students additional opportunities to build workforce-relevant skills while making measurable progress toward a degree, with 5,097 certificate enrollments during FY26.
- The CVS Health Pre-Pharmacy pathway helped pharmacy technicians prepare for PharmD programs while reducing out-of-pocket costs with assistance of employer-sponsored education benefits provided through EdAssist.
- The School of Business expanded student access to employer networks and career pathways through strategic partnerships with SHRM Education-to-Employment (E2), Project Management Institute (PMI) student association, and the launch of the National Retail Federation Student Association (NRFSA) in partnership with WGU regions. Additionally, the school engaged with key employers, offering custom internships opportunities with T-Mobile and Goldman Sachs.
Workforce Pathways
WGU also strengthened pathways that integrate learning directly with work, reducing barriers for students while helping employers build talent pipelines for high-demand careers.
- WGU maintained 1,228 active employer partnerships across business, healthcare, K–12, and the military, connecting education with workforce opportunity.
- The ReNEW Fund partnered with a pair of new employers—Henry Community Health in Indiana and Wyandot Memorial Hospital in Ohio—to expand access to high-demand careers through an innovative financing model supported by philanthropy and repaid by employers as graduates are hired. Qualifying students get a zero-interest loan to help cover the cost of tuition, in-person labs, and clinical placements for the last two years of their program.
- Craft Education helped employers manage apprenticeship programs by reducing administrative complexity and connecting structured learning with paid work. During FY26, 667 employers used the platform to track more than 800,000 hours of on-the-job learning, supporting more efficient delivery of work-based education.
Connection: The WGU Achievement Wallet
Preparing students for work also means helping them communicate what they know and what they can do. The WGU Achievement Wallet enabled students to document verified skills alongside traditional credentials, making their capabilities more visible to employers.
- 140,000+ students used the Achievement Wallet during FY26.
- The platform documented more than 1.7 million verified skills.
- Students translated their experience into 38,057 résumés, helping connect competencies with career opportunities.
At the national level, WGU helped advance the future of Learning and Employment Records (LERs). During FY26, President Scott Pulsipher testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, highlighting the importance of helping individuals make their knowledge and capabilities visible while strengthening connections among education, employers, and workforce systems.
Watch President Scott Pulsipher's Congressional testimony on the future of Learning and Employment Records.
Building What's Next
Every learner's path is different, but every journey is intentionally designed around the same goal: helping students start learning, earn their credential, and be prepared to succeed at what's next. From exploring educational pathways to earning a degree and advancing a career, WGU combines flexible learning, personalized support, and technology to increase every learner’s odds of success. Some of the new innovations from FY26 include:
- Academic Virtual Assistant (AVA): Provides students with on-demand, course-specific support anytime they need it. During the tool's pilot phase, students who used AVA were nearly twice as likely to connect with a Course Instructor, demonstrating how AI can strengthen meaningful human support.
- AI-Enhanced Curriculum Development: WGU now uses enhanced AI technology to help build the most updated, workforce-aligned curriculum, designed to deliver the skills, experiences, and program-level outcomes that prepare students to be job-ready graduates. These new capabilities improve the quality of and accelerate our speed to market for new programs while enabling us to continually update existing programs so students receive the most relevant, aligned curriculum.
- School of Business Work-Based Learning: Engaged 3,300 students in work-based learning opportunities throughout FY26, connecting them with employers and providing valuable real-world experience. These opportunities strengthened students’ résumés and positioned them for career success.
- School of Technology Applied Experience Program: Debuted in late June, placing students in virtual workplace environments where they perform real work with real tools. This equips graduates with a portfolio of demonstrated experience they can showcase to future employers, proving they have experience doing the jobs employers are looking for.
- Personalized Enrollment: Self-service tools, a dynamic pathway quiz, and real-time chat help each student find the right path—with personalized support when they need it.
Innovation
Continuous improvement requires continuous innovation. Through WGU Labs (the university's research and development arm), the university builds, tests, and evaluates new approaches to learning before scaling those solutions that improve student success. Working with WGU's academic programs and national partners, WGU Labs explores how technology can strengthen teaching, learning, and workforce preparation.
Examples from FY26 include:
- AI-Powered Student Support: An AI support agent helped students find answers to foundational college questions 24/7. During a pilot, students sought additional academic support more often while maintaining the same level of engagement with human mentors, demonstrating how AI can strengthen—not replace—human support.
- PathoPro Tutor: Developed with the Leavitt School of Health, this adaptive AI study tool gave nursing students personalized exam preparation. During the pilot, 92% of participants said they would recommend it to a peer.
- AI-Assisted Course Design: The WGU School of Business deployed an AI-assisted course authoring tool to help teams build two complete courses in under three months while maintaining strong student outcomes, accelerating WGU's ability to respond to changing workforce and economic needs.
- Current Skills Validation: An AI-driven initiative explores new ways to recognize knowledge and skills gained through work, military service, caregiving, and other life experiences.
Investing in Opportunity
Creating pathways to opportunity requires partners who also believe in the inherent worth and ability of every individual and in the transformative power of education. In FY26, WGU's philanthropic community invested in that vision by helping remove financial barriers through scholarships, grant partnerships, and strategic investments that supported student persistence, graduation, and career advancement.
Philanthropy
- $23.8 million in total funds raised
- 3,712 donors
- 2,750 first-time donors
- $11.2 million in donor-funded scholarships
- 1,176 students received scholarships funded by philanthropic gifts
- 136 corporate and foundation partners
- $6.7 million endowment
DeLuca Philanthropy: Expanding the Future of Nursing
In FY26, DeLuca Philanthropy donated $15.5 million to expand nursing education and strengthen the healthcare workforce. The investment includes $10 million to grow the ReNEW Fund—an innovative financing model that helped 658 aspiring nurses overcome financial barriers in FY26 while creating a sustainable talent pipeline for employers—and $5.5 million to establish the DeLuca WGU Clinical Learning and Simulation Center in Orlando, increasing WGU's capacity to prepare practice-ready nurses through immersive clinical training. Together, these investments demonstrate how philanthropy, education, and employers can work together to address pressing workforce challenges.
Strategic Grant Partnerships
Strategic grant partnerships helped WGU test and scale new approaches to learner success, strengthen pathways into high-demand professions, and expand educational opportunity for populations and communities facing persistent barriers.
Some examples from FY26 included support from the Gates Foundation to advance learner-centered innovation through AI and skills mapping; a California workforce grant designed to prepare 200 new educators; and Department of Defense funding that supported scholarships, security clearances, and pathways into cybersecurity careers. Additionally, WGU received a multi-year grant from Axim Collaborative in which WGU is leading a national coalition on improving assessments in the age of AI. A three-year partnership with Reboot Representation demonstrated the potential of sustained investment as enrollment among Black, Latina, and Native American women in technology programs increased as the initiative supported 643 graduates, exceeding its original graduation goal by 116%.
Scholarships Addressing Workforce Needs
Scholarships helped students persist through financial pressures that could have otherwise interrupted their education and also supported talent development in fields facing significant workforce demand.
Examples from FY26 included the Finish Line Scholarship for technology students nearing graduation; scholarships supporting aspiring teachers and healthcare professionals; and the DaVita Nursing Clinical Support Scholarship, which helped nursing students manage costs associated with clinical education, including travel, childcare, and lost wages. The Opportunity Scholarship also extended support to students who did not qualify for traditional federal or state financial aid.
Our Students
WGU is expanding access to affordable, high-quality education through workforce-aligned programs and pathways that deliver value for students, particularly those not well served by traditional higher education. The data that follow offer a portrait of the students who chose WGU during FY26 and reflect the breadth of backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations they brought to their education, workplaces, and communities.
Enrollment Demographics
FY26 School Snapshot
School of Business
66,402 Enrolled
23,089 Degrees Awarded
School of Technology
55,344 Enrolled
13,629 Degrees Awarded
School of Education
43,535 Enrolled
20,417 Degrees Awarded
Leavitt School of Health
31,715 Enrolled
11,248 Degrees Awarded
Graduate and Undergraduate Student Percentages
Percentage of Students Working While Enrolled
Percentage of Students Aged 24 or Younger
Percentage of Students from One or More Underserved Populations
Percentage of Military-Affiliated Students
Celebrating Our Graduates
Behind every degree earned is an individual who balanced work, family, and life's demands to reach this milestone. In FY26, WGU celebrated more of these achievements than ever before. From degrees conferred to the communities strengthened by our graduates demonstrating job-ready mastery and stepping into new opportunities, this section reflects the outcomes we care about most: real people, transformed.
Graduates
Commencement Highlights
Commencement
- Ceremonies in FY26: 9 (7 in-person, 2 virtual)
- Oldest graduate: 92 years | Youngest: 15 | Median age: 33 years
- Funds raised for the Night Owl Scholarship: $158,017
Distinguished Graduates
Each year, WGU recognizes alumni whose leadership, service, and professional accomplishments demonstrate the lasting impact of a WGU education. Selected from hundreds of nominations, Distinguished Graduates are recognized for making a significant difference in their careers, communities, and professions while exemplifying WGU's mission to create pathways to opportunity. Their stories illustrate how education creates ripple effects that extend far beyond individual achievement.
2026 Distinguished Graduates
Meet all 14 members of the 2026 Distinguished Graduate class and read their biographies and the stories of their impact.
Honorary Degrees
Each year, WGU's Board of Trustees confers honorary degrees on distinguished leaders whose work reflects the university's mission and values. Honored during commencement ceremonies, these individuals exemplify the power of education, service, innovation, and leadership to improve lives and inspire the next generation of graduates.
Dr. Bridget Terry Long
August 23, 2025
Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor; Saris Professor of Education and Economics, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Recognized for advancing educational opportunities through influential research on college access, financial aid, and student success, as well as transformative leadership as dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
John R. Ingram
November 15, 2025
Chairman, Ingram Industries Inc.; Chairman, Ingram Content Group LLC; Lead Owner, Nashville SC
Recognized for business leadership, civic engagement, and longstanding support for education, workforce development, and community advancement, including service as Chair of the Tennessee Advisory Board for WGU.
Deborah Quazzo
April 25, 2026
Managing Partner, GSV Ventures; Co-founder, ASU+GSV Summit
Recognized for leadership in education technology and workforce innovation, investing in organizations expanding access to learning, and helping shape the future of education and workforce development globally.
Jay Timmons
April 25, 2026
President and CEO, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
Recognized for advancing American manufacturing, championing workforce development, and leading national efforts to strengthen talent pipelines and expand career opportunities in modern manufacturing.
Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr.
June 6, 2026
Former Governor of Indiana; President, Purdue University
Recognized for transformational leadership in higher education and public service, including expanding college affordability, advancing educational reform, and strengthening opportunities for students and communities.
About WGU
WGU’s mission is to change lives for the better by creating pathways to opportunity. That mission drives lasting impact for individuals and communities while strengthening the talent economy of tomorrow.
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors, the nonprofit was founded on the belief that talent is universal, but opportunity is not—and that education is a powerful catalyst for upward mobility and workforce resilience. Purpose-built as a tech-enabled, competency-based university, WGU expands access to affordable, high-quality education through workforce-aligned programs and pathways that deliver value for students, particularly those not well served by traditional higher education.
By continually reimagining how education is designed, delivered, and accessed, WGU connects talent to opportunity and advances economic mobility for individuals and families. This model prepares students for in-demand roles and supports a workforce equipped to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving economy.
This report covers Fiscal Year 2026 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026).
Previous Annual Reports
Beginning last year, WGU made the decision to report data and outcomes on a fiscal year basis rather than on a calendar year basis as in years past. Unless otherwise noted, the data in this annual report is WGU internal data for FY26, defined as July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026.
