Western Governors University: A Comprehensive Overview of Rankings and Academic Strengths

Western Governors University (WGU) is an online university dedicated to making higher education accessible. Everything at WGU is aimed at increasing accessibility and opportunity for each student, regardless of their background, motivations, or life situation. This focus helps produce success for over 300,000 graduates. People appreciate their WGU experience.

National and Global Ranking

EduRank's Western Governors University ranking, updated in March 02, 2025, positions the university at 894th in the United States and 3450th globally out of 14,131 institutions. In North America, it holds the 962nd position out of 2,597. Within Utah, WGU is ranked 7th out of 20 universities and 2nd in Salt Lake City out of 7. These rankings are based on research output, non-academic reputation, and the impact of notable alumni.

World Rank: #3450 of 14,131
North America Rank: #962 of 2,597
United States Rank: #894 of 2,496
Utah Rank: #7 of 20
Salt Lake City Rank: #2 of 7

College Factual recognizes the best colleges and universities in its annual rankings. These rankings include categories for best overall colleges, best colleges for each major, best value schools, and much more. WGU landed the #66 spot in College Factual's ranking of best overall colleges in the United States. The higher ed experts analyzed 2,152 colleges and universities across the nation to determine this ranking. This lands it a coveted spot in the top 5% of all colleges and universities in the country. This is an improvement over the previous year, when WGU held the #146 spot on the Best Overall Colleges list.

Key Ranking Factors

WGU's ranking is influenced by several factors:

Research Output: EduRank's index includes 428 academic publications and 4,388 citations attributed to the university.
Non-Academic Reputation: The university's standing among professionals and the general public contributes to its overall ranking.
Alumni Impact: The success and contributions of WGU's alumni in their respective fields play a significant role.

A large number of university rankings include surveys among academics on reputation. In our meta ranking of 108 university rankings Western Governors University ranks #2 among universities and #671 among universities. In our meta ranking Western Governors University ranks #671 among all universities and Stanford University ranks #1.

Topical Rankings

WGU performs variably across different academic disciplines. Here’s a detailed look at its rankings in specific areas:

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

Western Governors University ranked 1196th for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in the United States and 5389th in the World with 338 publications made and 3,692 citations received. Main research topics: Political Science, Law, Sociology, Philosophy, Education Majors.

United States Rank: #1196 of 1,761
North America Rank: #1274 of 1,852
World Rank: #5389 of 7,081

Psychology

Western Governors University ranked 1035th for Psychology in the United States and 4502nd in the World with 228 publications made and 3,571 citations received. Main research topics: Education Majors, Social Psychology.

United States Rank: #1035 of 1,558
North America Rank: #1106 of 1,645
World Rank: #4502 of 6,645

Computer Science

Western Governors University ranked 1103rd for Computer Science in the United States and 5352nd in the World with 203 publications made and 2,867 citations received. Main research topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Management Information Systems.

United States Rank: #1103 of 1,612
North America Rank: #1178 of 1,698
World Rank: #5352 of 6,845

Medicine

Western Governors University ranked 1204th for Medicine in the United States and 5431st in the World with 192 publications made and 2,102 citations received. Main research topics: Health Science, Nursing.

Read also: CWRU Tuition and Fees

United States Rank: #1204 of 1,600
North America Rank: #1276 of 1,685
World Rank: #5431 of 6,775

Medicine Subfields:

Health Science: United States Rank #580, North America Rank #627, World Rank #1959
Nursing: United States Rank #827, North America Rank #892, World Rank #3181

Business

Western Governors University ranked 984th for Business in the United States and 4793rd in the World with 162 publications made and 2,029 citations received. Main research topics: Management, Management Information Systems.

United States Rank: #984 of 1,377
North America Rank: #1059 of 1,460
World Rank: #4793 of 6,339

Mathematics

Western Governors University ranked 921st for Mathematics in the United States and 4671st in the World with 155 publications made and 2,960 citations received. Main research topics: Math Teachers, Statistics.

United States Rank: #921 of 1,410
North America Rank: #991 of 1,491
World Rank: #4671 of 6,418

Mathematics Subfields:

Math Teachers: United States Rank #664, North America Rank #717, World Rank #2266
Statistics: United States Rank #997, North America Rank #1068, World Rank #5070

Economics

Western Governors University ranked 978th for Economics in the United States and 4606th in the World with 134 publications made and 1,840 citations received. Main research topic: Development Studies.

United States Rank: #978 of 1,355
North America Rank: #1050 of 1,438
World Rank: #4606 of 6,167

Economics Subfields:

Development Studies: United States Rank #989, North America Rank #1060, World Rank #4401

Environmental Science

Western Governors University ranked 1274th for Environmental Science in the United States and 6010th in the World with 114 publications made and 1,508 citations received. Main research topics: Geography and Cartography, Geology.

United States Rank: #1274 of 1,631
North America Rank: #1354 of 1,721
World Rank: #6010 of 6,876

Acceptance Rate and Admissions

Western Governors University has an open admissions policy. This means that you'll only have to submit basic materials, which may include proof that you completed high school or an equivalent program.

Read also: Growth and Community at WOU

Student-to-Faculty Ratio

At Western Governors University, this rate is 42 to 1, which is high when compared to the national average of 15 to 1. The full-time faculty percentage at Western Governors University is 73%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.

Retention and Graduation Rates

The freshmen retention rate tells us what percentage of first-year, full-time students choose to continue on to their sophomore year at a particular school. The rate at Western Governors University is 65%, which is about average when compared to the national rate of 68%.

Cost and Financial Aid

The overall average net price of WGU is $10,580. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group.

$0-30K: $8,708
$30K-48K: $9,661
$48-75K: $10,939
$75-110K: $13,060
$110K +: $13,827

Location and Campus

Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, Western Governors University is a private not-for-profit institution.

Online Learning

Online learning options are becoming more and more popular at American colleges and universities. Online classes are great for students who have busy schedules or for those who just want to study on their own time. In 2022-2023, 156,935 students took at least one online class at Western Governors University.

Popular Majors and Programs

WGU is known for its programs in business, education, and healthcare. A business administration or business management degree is a top choice for many students who want to pursue a career in business, with featured coursework of marketing, accounting, finance, project management, human resources, supply chain management, healthcare management, operations management, and more are all typical parts of business administration curriculum.

The most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make:

Nursing: 10,410 students, average salary of graduates $85,861
Business Administration & Management: 6,585 students, average salary of graduates $66,432
Health & Medical Administrative Services: 3,014 students, average salary of graduates $66,651
Teacher Education Grade Specific: 2,826 students
Information Technology: 2,543 students, average salary of graduates $92,416
Curriculum & Instruction: 2,461 students
Instructional Media Design: 1,962 students
Educational Assessment: 1,843 students
Teacher Education Subject Specific: 1,541 students, average salary of graduates $44,958
Accounting: 1,490 students, average salary of graduates $58,784

Additional Recognition

WGU has received the Military Friendly School designation for the 13th consecutive year and has been ranked as the #1 online school by Military Friendly for 2023-2024.

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