WGU Named "Best Value School" for Fourth Consecutive Year

Known to be "the best way for students of all ages to find reasonably priced and academically excellent colleges and universities," URR's award highlights WGU's ability to provide students with the affordable, quality education that they need. According to L. Joseph Schmoke, URR founder and chair, only institutions that provide a great value for their students are considered for this award.

"WGU's competency-based model and innovative approach to education enable students to accelerate their studies while getting the one-on-one faculty support they need, providing real value to adult learners," Schmoke said.

Many of the positive comments from students and alumni evaluated by URR cite the support students receive while earning their degrees. According to the 2016 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), WGU students ranked the university higher than the national average on a number of key satisfaction indicators, including:

• Quality of interactions with faculty: 12 percentage points higher
• Quality of academic support: 10 percentage points higher
• Challenged to do their best work: 15 percentage points higher
• Acquisition of job-related knowledge and skills: 11 percentage points higher
• Would attend the same institution again: 11 percentage points higher

In addition, WGU regularly surveys its students and graduates to gauge satisfaction and drive continued improvement. In an internal survey conducted last year, 96% of WGU students expressed satisfaction with their experience. In another survey conducted by Gallup last year, 93% of students said WGU was the perfect fit for them, and 91% said their education was worth the cost.

WGU pioneered competency-based education, which focuses on measuring learning rather than time. Instead of logging hours in classes with set times, students can study and learn on schedules that fit their lives, applying prior learning and experience to move quickly through material they already know so they can focus on what they still need to learn. Faculty work with students individually, providing personalized instruction, guidance, and support. For many students, this means they can accelerate their time to a degree and graduate sooner, saving both time and money. Tuition at WGU, which has not 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.

*The organization being designated a "Best Value School" has met certain criteria based on URR Findings, including affordability, assessment by current and former students, unique qualities, debt levels upon graduation, time required to graduate, and job prospects, among other characteristics.  Your experiences may vary. The Findings are proprietary to URR and have not been influenced by the subject school or its representatives. For more details, visit bestvaluecolleges.org.

About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves 81,000 students and has 82,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation's leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 20 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families through education. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, and was featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.

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