10-yr median earnings
$60,615
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Salt Lake City, Utah
Western Governors University
Western Governors University is a private nonprofit institution in Salt Lake City, Utah. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $60,615
- 10-yr median earnings
- $12,548
- Avg net price / yr
- 48.1%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Western Governors University posts top-quartile former-student earnings.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 15%
- former-student earnings, US
- 48.1%
- 150%-time completion
- -13%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Large
Carnegie: Master's (L)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Western Governors University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C+
College Value Score
61/100
Western Governors University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A-
$60,615
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price B-
$12,548
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
48.1%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt C+
$11,116
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
70.6%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
64.6%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$12,548
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
48.1%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 48.1%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Western Governors University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Western Governors University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Western Governors University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$60,615 Top 15% higher than 85% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Western Governors University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $60,615 | #765 of 5103 | 85th |
| Average net price | $12,548 | #1608 of 5020 | 68th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 48.1% | #3115 of 4858 | 36th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 155,088 | #2 of 5462 | 100th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
155,088
Undergraduate enrollment
-
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
48.1%
150%-time completion
$60,615
10-yr median earnings
64.6%
First-year retention
How Western Governors University ranks in Utah
State rank among 48 reporting Utah colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Western Governors University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $60,615 | #6 of 48 | 88th |
| Average net price | $12,548 | #12 of 47 | 74th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 48.1% | #45 of 52 | 13th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 155,088 | #1 of 56 | 98th |
Highest former-student earnings in Utah
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Neumont College of Computer Science | $97,827 | $35,205 |
| 2 | Brigham Young University | $75,790 | $15,564 |
| 3 | University of Utah | $67,170 | $16,200 |
| 4 | Westminster University | $66,215 | $27,094 |
| 5 | Galen Health Institutes-Salt Lake City | $61,480 | $28,324 |
| 6 | Western Governors UniversityThis school | $60,615 | $12,548 |
| 7 | Weber State University | $56,287 | $10,258 |
| 8 | Utah Valley University | $55,486 | $6,376 |
| 9 | Utah State University | $54,022 | $14,936 |
| 10 | Ensign College | $50,630 | $10,824 |
| 11 | Southern Utah University | $50,296 | $10,462 |
| 12 | Joyce University of Nursing and Health Sciences | $49,841 | $28,039 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Western Governors University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$12,064 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$12,436 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$12,578 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$12,734 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Western Governors University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $8,658 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $8,658 |
| Average Net Price | $12,548 |
39.4%
Pell Grant Rate
43.2%
Federal Loan Rate
$11,116
Median Debt
$118/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Western Governors University swings rather than trends
Across 9 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $9,805 to $12,349 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as -15.4%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$9,805
Highest year
$12,349
Most recent (2023)
$10,442
9 reported years (years the source did not report are left as gaps). Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $12,3492023 · $10,442
Over the same years, enrollment went +282.7% (35,493 → 135,822 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
69.0%
Female
47.1%
First Generation
Outcomes
64.6%
Retention Rate
$69,572
Median Earnings (6yr)
70.6%
Earning Over $25K
70.6%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 48.1% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 64.6% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $69,572 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $60,615 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 70.6% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 70.6% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $11,116 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $118/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 15 | 20,045 | $87,014 | $131,198 | $14,705 |
| Master's | 14 | 16,847 | $92,770 | $144,205 | $11,520 |
| Level 99 | 4 | 0 | $71,767 | $99,453 | - |
Top programs at Western Governors University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Computer/Information Techn…
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
$144,205 median earnings
- Computer Software and Medi…
Computer Software and Media Applications
$131,198 median earnings
- Computer Software and Medi…
Computer Software and Media Applications
$129,737 median earnings
- Computer/Information Techn…
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
$129,303 median earnings
- Management Information Sys…
Management Information Systems and Services
$125,944 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$111,688 median earnings
- Health and Medical Adminis…
Health and Medical Administrative Services
$111,643 median earnings
- Computer and Information S…
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$108,836 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Nearby Schools
Fortis College-Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City, UT
383 students
Midwives College of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
234 students
Paul Mitchell the School-Salt Lake City
Holladay, UT
287 students
Skinworks School of Advanced Skincare
Salt Lake City, UT
117 students
Cameo College of Essential Beauty
Murray, UT
257 students
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the admissions statistics for Western Governors University? ▼
Western Governors University is a private nonprofit institution in Salt Lake City, Utah. Undergraduate enrollment is 155,088 students.
How much do Western Governors University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Western Governors University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $60,615 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $69,572.
How much does Western Governors University cost? ▼
The average net price at Western Governors University is $12,548. In-state tuition is $8,658 and out-of-state tuition is $8,658. Median student debt at graduation is $11,116.
What is the graduation rate at Western Governors University? ▼
Western Governors University has a 48.1% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 64.6%.
Is Western Governors University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Western Governors University is $11,116, while former students earn a median of $60,615 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 18% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 70.6% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $118.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Western Governors University
- Compare Western Governors University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Utah side by side.Browse Utah
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.