Student Experience
See What Others Have to Say About WGU
WGU Earns Top Ratings
Students, graduates, and those considering returning to school have a lot to say about WGU. See why they say it's an excellent choice for online higher education. With hundreds of independent reviews, Western Governors University has a rating of “excellent" on TrustPilot. Start your back-to-school journey today. See why WGU is called the University of You—a school dedicated to making hundreds of students like you excited about education and their futures.
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Best School for Non-Traditional Students
This was the best online schooling experience for people who work full time in addition to going to school.
Made easy for adult students
WGU made receiving my BS achievable with flexible schedules and testing. It was easy to talk to a professor when needed or work quickly through material when needed.
I was able to accelerate my degree…
I was able to accelerate my degree based on my own motivation and determination, which was amazing! That said, the course material and resources for the finance program still needs alot of fine tuning. I did feel like a guinea pig with some of my final classes.
Top Notch Independent Learning
I loved that I was able to go at my own pace and didn't need to wait for the next online or in person meeting before moving on. My program mentor was wonderful and having access to all instructors insured that my questions would be addressed in a timely manner
Easy transition to online learning.
My experience was better than expected. WGU made on-line learning easier than it has been in years. They provide you with a mentor that helps you move through each step of the process from onboarding to graduation. My mentor Susan H. really made a difference in the speed of my degree completion and graduation.
Very successful at accomplishing what it promises: an education at your own speed
WGU's main appeal to most students is the 'accelerated learning' system, in which you bypass traditional in-class lessons in favor of performance demonstrated in performance and objective assessments taken after your own personal learning on the topics. This is ultimately what WGU must be judged on - whether they help students to accomplish their goals in this way, whether they actually fulfill the accelerated learning system, and whether this system is a viable alternative to traditional systems. As a student in the IT department, I felt that all of these criteria were met in WGU's program. The emphasis on performance assessments, on actual completed projects that demonstrated knowledge, felt in many ways to be a better reflection of understanding than traditional tests, as students are required to 'actually build something' that could be shown to others, while the rubric challenges give students an understanding of briefs, and attention to detail in how they finish projects. The courses themselves are not always perfectly constructed, there is very little deviation allowed in terms of electives taken, or other material that students can cover in the process of finishing their degree programs, but these are not the reasons one would go to WGU, and it makes as little sense to rate WGU's progress on those grounds as it would be to rate a traditional institution on how well it allows you to accelerate your progress. With that said, it would be advisable to do research on what WGU emphasizes and what its limitations are, as many learners would be ill-suited to WGU's emphases. For those who are looking for the ability to use the knowledge that they've already gained, and to bypass traditional restrictions on learning both in time and cost, WGU is definitely a five-star experience.
The school design was meant for me
The school design was meant for me. A full-time dad, employee, and husband left me with the choice to go to school at my leisure.
Great experience w WGU
I had a great support team from WGU while I was enrolled and working towards my degree. Happy with the outcome of this school and the way they let you set your own pace to achieve your goal.
You are in control
WGU is a great school to get your degree. I received my undergrad from a non accredited university and couldn’t get into ASU to attend their Instructional Design program. WGU accepted my courses and I was able to get my M.Ed in Learning Technology and Instructional Design. Overall the experience was great and you can definitely get the work done quickly to save on cost. I would do it again and recommend this school especially if your focus is just to get a degree to satisfy a job requirement or promotion. It’s at your own pace and can be completed within a year if you are focused.
WGU program mentoring is the Best!
At WGU, the program is self-paced, and the program mentor I had was so good and always there for me even at odd times, to give me all the necessary support I needed to finish my program.
WGU made completing an MBA program easy…
WGU made completing an MBA program easy -- not because you don't have to work but because it's tailored to your individual schedule and knowledge. The competency-based model is perfect for someone going back to school years after completing a bachelor's degree.
No-nonesense education...
I am a Gen Xer who had not been in school since completing my AA in the early 90's. I recently completed my degree in May receiving a BS in Business Administration, Human Resource Management. I was able to accelerate my courses & finish a year early. I found the enrollment process quick & efficient. My transcripts from my small junior college were received quickly & I was able to apply a couple credits from my AA towards my program. Once enrolled, my only difficulty was getting familiar with the process to submit the payment voucher from my employer every term. Once I got a handle on the process, it was fairly quick & painless. Each student is assigned a program mentor that guides you through your program. During the first term you will need to have weekly calls with your mentor. My mentor was great, and I really enjoyed our conversations. I am an independent student and do not really require a lot of check-ins, but I understand why this is the policy. This may be off-putting to some people, but after you complete your first term, you can set the schedule that works best for you. The other item I would like to mention is the “work at your own pace” notion. Yes, you can work the courses at your own pace within certain guidelines. For example, at the start of each term, you must complete either the pre-assessment or submit a paper (whichever is required for the course) within the first 45 days. Once you do that, the rest of the courses can be completed at your own pace. Keep in mind when you set up each term, there will be assigned completion dates for each course to help keep you on track. These completion dates can be revised as needed by speaking with your mentor. My interactions with the course instructors were also positive. During my program, I only needed assistance for one course. Mostly, I just used the course text & online resources. The live & recorded cohorts for most courses were the key to the material and for passing the course. I work best independently & didn’t require interaction with the instructors but appreciated the fact they were there for assistance if needed. My instructors always send me a welcome email with tips & resources for the class, and would periodically send emails to check in. I felt no pressure to respond unless I needed assistance. They always sent a congratulatory message when I completed a test or paper, and when I complete the course. It is worthwhile to know that the course instructors are not the ones who grade your papers or tests. That is done by a third party to ensure the integrity of the exams. The other item I found annoying was that you are not able to see the answers for your Objective Assessment (final exam). You get your results very quickly & see your results for each segment, but you can’t see the questions that were answered incorrectly. Again, this is to protect the integrity of the exam, but as a student I find it really annoying & wish there were a way to see the wrong answers if only for a limited time right after the test is completed. The Objective Assessments are administered via WebEx with a third-party proctor. At first taking tests while being watched over webcam was a little weird, and getting used to rules & communicating with the proctors was irritating at times, but once you get used to the process it isn’t that big of a deal. However, if at any time you don’t feel good about the proctor, you can ask to reschedule your exam and start fresh with someone else. Keep in mind WGU is a competency-based program which means you don’t get a letter grade. You do get a coaching report after each test. The minimum passing rating is Competent which is equivalent to a B-grade. This competency-based scoring may be an issue if you are transferring to another school, so you want to check into that before you start. I have read the negative reviews here & can only say that my experience with WGU was 100% positive. For me & my program, I found most courses interesting and learned something from each one. Although this is not a traditional brick-and-mortar university, there are still processes & requirements to follow. It seems like from reading some of the negative reviews, some people feel they can do what they want how they want because this is an online university. No organization is perfect, and there are some genuine gripes, but for the most part, the experience you get is directly related to your level of input. I recommend WGU to those who are able to work on their own and want a straight-forward, no-nonsense education at a reasonable price.
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There are Countless WGU Success Stories: Here are Just a Few
At WGU, we pride ourselves on putting the student first in everything we do, from enrollment to graduation. Student success is our main driver, and the stories our students and alumni share with us inspire us.