Regional university
Western Governors University
Salt Lake City, UT · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $12,548 a year
Median debt at graduation: $11,116 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.46%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.65%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.42 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$2,776
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $16,728 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 135,822 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 44% · Women 56% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 47% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 96% |
| Total students | 185,015 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $12,548 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $16,728 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $11,116 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 46% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 44% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 48% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 54% |
| First-year retention | 65% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $60,615 |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $65 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,456 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 39% |
Value: Exceptional · Top 3% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Software and media applications | |
| Information technology | |
| Computing and information science | |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | |
| Nursing | |
| Medical Illustration and Informatics | |
| Business administration | |
| Health administration | |
| Accounting | |
| Marketing | |
| Secondary education | |
| Special education | |
| Education (general) |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Business/Corporate Communications, Computer engineering, Computer science, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research, Health sciences, Human resources, Management information systems, Networking, Programming, Teacher education.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Health professions | |
| Business | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Education | |
| Engineering |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 84% |
| Students per faculty member | 42 to 1 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 75%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $14IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)About 9 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Town population | 208,007Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | North Las VegasAbout 350 miles away · about 6 hours 55 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 31°F in January · 78°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Salt Lake City East Bench, UT, about 5 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Western Governors University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Western Governors University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $12,548 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How do Western Governors University’s graduates do?
- 46% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $60,615; the median federal debt at graduation is $11,116.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 433387
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: Western Governors vs American Public University System · Western Governors vs Southern New Hampshire · Western Governors vs University of Phoenix-Arizona
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