WGU Named "Best Value School" by University Research & Review for Second Consecutive Year

SALT LAKE CITY, April 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the second consecutive year, nonprofit online Western Governors University (WGU) has been recognized by University Research & Review (UR&R) as a "Best Value School," one of only 13 universities to receive the award this year.   

According to UR&R's founders, the Best Value School Award is "not a ranking system" and is designed to recognize institutions that provide a great value for their students. Awardees are chosen by a selection committee made up of academicians and entrepreneurs, who consider nominees on a case-by-case basis rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all metrics system.

"When we originally learned about WGU, we were impressed with the many positive comments from its students," said L. Joseph Schmoke, UR&R founder and CEO. "As we dug deeper and learned more about the university, we soon saw the reason for the high praise: the affordability, innovative model using competency-based education, and support for its students. These reasons, among others, are why UR&R named WGU a Best Value School again this year."

More than 17 years ago, WGU pioneered competency-based education, which focuses on measuring learning rather than time. Instead of logging hours in classes with set times, students can move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. As a result, many students are able to accelerate their time to graduation—the average time to complete a bachelor's degree at WGU is less than three years.

And acceleration not only saves students time; it also saves them money: Tuition at WGU, which hasn't increased since 2008, is charged at an affordable flat rate of $3,000 per six-month term for most programs, regardless of the number of courses taken, so students who move more quickly through their programs spend less. 

Many of the positive comments from students and alumni evaluated by UR&R recognized the support students receive while earning their degrees. WGU is a student-centered university focused on ensuring that students succeed and graduate. As a result, WGU has received high marks in a number of national surveys. The 2014 National Survey of Student Engagement found that WGU's students ranked the university higher than the national average on a number of key satisfaction indicators, including:

• Quality of interactions with faculty: 20% higher
• Quality of academic support: 23% higher
• Challenging coursework: 14% higher
• Acquisition of job-related knowledge and skills: 13% higher
• Would attend the same institution again: 25% higher
• Rating of entire educational experience: 16% higher

In addition, WGU regularly surveys its students and graduates to gauge satisfaction and drive continued improvement. In a survey conducted last year, 96% of WGU students expressed satisfaction with their experience, with 54% saying they were "very satisfied."

WGU offers more than 50 accredited bachelor's and master's degree programs in the high-demand fields of business, information technology, K–12 education, and healthcare, including nursing. For more information about WGU, visit www.wgu.edu. For more information about the Best Value Award, visit www.bestvaluecolleges.org.

About WGU
Established in 1997 by a bipartisan group of U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, WGU has been recognized by the White House as what works in post-secondary education. The online university has more than 57,000 students and 43,000 graduates in all 50 states and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and its teacher education programs accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). WGU has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies and featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. 

WGU has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations, including AT&T, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lilly Endowment, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu or by calling 866.225.5948.

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