Western Governors University Online Nursing Programs Earn Top Ten Ranking from GetEducated.com

WGU's online master's degree programs selected for affordability and credibility

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Online education consumer group GetEducated.com, www.geteducated.com, has included Western Governors University's master's degrees in nursing in its list of the most affordable accredited online nursing schools. The reviewers ranked WGU as one of the top ten most affordable programs for graduate students seeking to further their nursing education online. Tuition and fees for students enrolling in non-profit WGU's Master of Science in Nursing Education and Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Management are approximately $13,180.

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"This innovative, non-profit school, which awards degrees based on demonstrated competencies rather than time spent sitting in a classroom seat, is among the Top 20 most affordable online university systems in the nation," said Vicky Phillips, GetEducated.com's Chief Online Education Analyst. WGU has four times earned "Best Buy" ranking award seals from GetEducated.com. The university offers some of America's most affordable online degrees—master's in Education, master's in Nursing, MBA, and bachelor's in Business—when compared to their regionally accredited peers nationwide.

"Anyone wanting a peek at the bright future of higher education need only look at WGU. This innovative online school excels as a model that allows older working students to achieve their college degrees more quickly, more economically, and with greater student satisfaction levels than a traditional residential college."

WGU's School of Health Professions has more than 1,100 students and offers an RN to BSN program as well as two master's degree programs. Accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), WGU's nursing programs are designed to meet the needs of working nurses. Rather than attending traditional classes and earning credit hours, students are required to demonstrate their knowledge and competency by writing papers, completing assignments, and taking exams. Degree requirements have been developed in collaboration with healthcare industry experts to ensure that nursing graduates are skilled in patient care, nurse education, or nurse leadership. In addition, to help ensure student success, each student is assigned a mentor, who acts as a coach and guide throughout the degree program. Terms are six months in length and can start the first of any month. For more information, go to http://www.wgu.edu/nursing or call 1.866.225.5948.

About Western Governors University (WGU)

"[WGU is] the best relatively cheap university you've never heard of."– TIME magazine

Featured on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, WGU is the only university in the U.S. offering competency-based degree programs and the only non-profit, fully online university with students in all 50 states. WGU offers degree programs in Business, Education, Information Technology, and Healthcare Professions, including Nursing. Since its inception in 1997, WGU has grown into a national institution, serving more than 20,000 students. WGU is self-sustaining on tuition, and does not rely on state or national support to fund its operations.  

WGU is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). WGU nursing programs have been accredited by the Commission for Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). WGU's Teachers College is the first and only exclusively online provider of teacher education to receive accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

The university has earned the support of more than 20 leading corporations and foundations. They include institutions such as AT&T, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dell, the Eli Lilly Foundation, HCA, Hewlett-Packard, Lumina Foundation, Microsoft, Oracle, Qwest, SunGard Higher Education, and Zions Bank. More information is available at www.wgu.edu.

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SOURCE Western Governors University