Is WGU a Good School: What Most People Get Wrong

You've probably seen the ads or heard some guy on Reddit bragging about how he finished a four-year computer science degree in six months. It sounds like a scam, right? Or at least some kind of "degree mill" where you pay your money and get a piece of paper. Honestly, when I first looked into Western Governors University, I thought the same thing. It just seemed too good to be true for anyone used to the soul-crushing grind of traditional semester-based college.

But here's the thing: WGU isn't just "good" or "bad." It’s basically a tool. If you know how to use it, it’s arguably the most efficient way to get a degree in 2026. If you don't? Well, you'll probably join the 49% who don't actually make it to graduation.

Is WGU a good school for the average person?

The answer depends entirely on your discipline. If you’re the type of person who needs a professor to remind you when homework is due, stay away. Far away. WGU is a competency-based school. That's a fancy way of saying they don't care how much time you spend in a seat; they only care if you know the stuff.

Think about it like this: if you’ve been a bookkeeper for ten years and decide to get an accounting degree, why should you have to sit through sixteen weeks of "Intro to Excel"? At WGU, you take a "Pre-Assessment." If you pass it with flying colors, you schedule the "Objective Assessment" (the final exam), pass that, and boom—the course is done. You could finish a class in two days. People do it all the time.

But that’s where the "degree mill" accusations come from. Critics see people "accelerating" and think the curriculum must be easy. It’s not. Most WGU IT programs, for example, require you to pass actual industry-standard certifications like the CompTIA A+ or Network+ just to pass a single course. These aren't "WGU tests"—they’re the same exams professionals take worldwide.

The Accreditation Reality Check

Let’s kill the "is it real?" debate right now. WGU is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). That is the exact same body that accredits the University of Washington and the University of Oregon. It is regionally accredited, which is the "gold standard" in the U.S.

If you want to go to law school or get a PhD later, a WGU degree will generally get you through the door. I say "generally" because WGU uses a pass/fail system. When you pass a class, it shows up on your transcript as a 3.0 GPA. For most employers and grad schools, that's totally fine. But if you’re trying to get into a top-tier Ivy League medical school that demands a 4.0, that 3.0 might be a hurdle.

What it actually costs (The flat-rate secret)

WGU doesn't charge by the credit hour. This is the part that usually confuses people. You pay for a "term," which is six months long. As of 2026, for most undergraduate programs, that’s roughly $3,800 to $4,500 per term depending on the college (IT, Business, Health, or Teaching).

During those six months, you have to complete at least 12 units (usually 3-4 classes). But—and this is the huge part—you can add as many extra classes as you want for zero extra dollars.

If you’re a machine and you knock out 15 classes in one term, your degree just cost you $4,000. If you take the slow road and finish in four years (eight terms), you’re looking at around $32,000. Still cheaper than most state schools, but the "value" is really in your own speed.

The "Mentor" Situation: Support or Annoyance?

When you enroll, you’re assigned a Program Mentor. You have to talk to them on the phone. A lot. Especially at first. For some people, these mentors are life-savers who help them navigate burnout. For others, they feel like a middle-school principal checking your homework.

• The Good: They help you unlock classes and manage your "degree plan."
• The Bad: If you get a mentor who is overly "hands-on" and you just want to be left alone to study, it can be a bit of a friction point.
• The Reality: You can request a new one if your personalities clash. Don’t be afraid to do that.

Social Life? What Social Life?

If you’re looking for football games, Greek life, or meeting your future spouse in a coffee shop on the quad, WGU is going to be a lonely experience. You are alone in a room with a laptop. There are Slack channels and Discord groups (the WGU subreddits are actually incredibly active), but you’re not going to "college" in the traditional sense. You’re completing a series of tasks.

Why the Graduation Rate is so weird

You might see that WGU’s graduation rate hovers around 50%. In a vacuum, that looks bad. But look at the demographic. WGU isn't full of 18-year-olds whose only job is to go to class. It’s full of 35-year-old single moms, active-duty military, and people working 50 hours a week in tech.

Life happens. People get busy, they drop out, or they take a break and never come back. According to a 2024 Harris Poll, 98% of employers said WGU grads met or exceeded their expectations. If the school were "bad," those numbers wouldn't exist. Employers like Jane Chung, Managing Director at Deloitte, have publicly praised the discipline it takes to finish a self-paced program. It proves you have "grit," which is a word HR managers love to throw around.

The "Scandal" Everyone Brings Up

Back in 2017, the Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General went after WGU. They claimed the school was more of a "correspondence course" than "distance education" because they didn't think the faculty was "substantive" enough. They actually suggested WGU should pay back $713 million in federal aid.

It was a huge mess. But in 2019, the feds basically said, "Actually, our rules are outdated and WGU is doing fine." They cleared the school completely. In fact, that whole ordeal led to new federal regulations that actually made it easier for other schools to adopt the WGU model. So, if someone tries to tell you WGU is under investigation—they’re about nine years behind the news.

Should you actually enroll?

Look, WGU is a fantastic school if you are a "functional" adult. If you can sit down at 9:00 PM after the kids are in bed and focus on a textbook for three hours without someone breathing down your neck, you will thrive.

WGU is a good fit if:

1. You already have some work experience in your field.
2. You’re trying to check a box for a promotion.
3. You’re paying out of pocket and want to save $50k.
4. You hate sitting through boring lectures.

WGU is a bad fit if:

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1. You struggle with procrastination.
2. You need a 4.0 GPA for a specific medical or law school.
3. You want the "college experience."
4. You don't have a quiet place to take proctored exams (which are recorded and can be pretty intense).

Your Next Steps

Before you sign anything or talk to an enrollment counselor, do these three things:

• Check the Transfer Guidelines: Go to the WGU transfer portal. They are surprisingly generous with credits from sites like Study.com or Sophia.org. You might be able to knock out 30% of your degree for a few hundred bucks before you even start your first WGU term.
• Audit Your Schedule: Be honest. Do you actually have 15-20 hours a week to give? If not, you’re just throwing $4,000 away.
• Talk to Your Boss: Many companies (like Amazon and Target) have partnerships with WGU where they pay the full tuition. Don't pay for it yourself if you don't have to.

WGU isn't a shortcut; it's a fast lane. If you have the engine to handle it, there isn't a more practical school in the country. Just don't expect it to be easy.