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Western Governors University

Salt Lake City, UT 155,088 Undergrads 51.7% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$16,728
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$12,548
After Aid
Median Earnings
$87,445
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$12,548
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$87,445
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+44%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$60,615
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate51.7%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age34.7
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients37.4%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time100.0%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS86.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$747k
+$280k
+$263k
Median Cost$13k/yr
+$702k
+$235k
+$218k
Full Cost$17k/yr
+$687k
+$220k
+$203k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
27
∞
Median Cost$13k/yr
30
482%
Full Cost$17k/yr
31
336%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return733%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return173%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$15,915
Earnings (4yr)
$75,767
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$128k
Median Debt
$14,816
Earnings (4yr)
$83,654
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$189k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,784
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$16,625
Earnings (4yr)
$108,836
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$381k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$7,044
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $107,009
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$12,566
Earnings (4yr)
$131,198
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
+$550k
Median Debt
$10,110
Earnings (4yr)
$129,303
Natl Median: $85,063
Lifetime Value Added
+$535k
Education, General
BachCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$15,546
Earnings (4yr)
$49,646
Natl Median: $49,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Median Debt
$20,671
Earnings (4yr)
$107,585
Natl Median: $75,399
Lifetime Value Added
+$371k
Median Debt
$14,909
Earnings (4yr)
$82,644
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
+$181k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,290
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$12,929
Earnings (4yr)
$71,431
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$95k
Median Debt
$20,346
Earnings (4yr)
$89,625
Natl Median: $73,739
Lifetime Value Added
+$234k
Median Debt
$9,470
Earnings (4yr)
$97,114
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$291k
Median Debt
$17,937
Earnings (4yr)
$52,090
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$59k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$43,489
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$138k
Median Debt
$16,991
Earnings (4yr)
$52,284
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k

Post-Baccalaureate Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $128,842
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,623
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,752
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$12,750
Earnings (4yr)
$92,442
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$151k
Median Debt
$13,165
Earnings (4yr)
$98,950
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$208k
Median Debt
$12,718
Earnings (4yr)
$129,737
Natl Median: $120,083
Lifetime Value Added
+$476k
Median Debt
$11,526
Earnings (4yr)
$144,205
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
+$601k
Median Debt
$9,341
Earnings (4yr)
$69,935
Natl Median: $63,399
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Education, General
MastCIP: 1301
Median Debt
$12,532
Earnings (4yr)
$56,657
Natl Median: $65,824
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
$12,772
Earnings (4yr)
$84,521
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
+$82k
Median Debt
$7,989
Earnings (4yr)
$71,469
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
-$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $97,366
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,527
Earnings (4yr)
$111,643
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$319k
Median Debt
$12,696
Earnings (4yr)
$125,944
Natl Median: $106,092
Lifetime Value Added
+$443k
Marketing
MastCIP: 5214
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,106
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,665
Earnings (4yr)
$111,688
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$319k
Median Debt
$10,318
Earnings (4yr)
$63,218
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$10,414
Earnings (4yr)
$65,801
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$83k
Median Debt
$7,860
Earnings (4yr)
$72,564
Natl Median: $65,767
Lifetime Value Added
-$23k

Other Programs

Education, General
DegCIP: 1301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,424
Natl Median: $62,645
Lifetime Value Added
-$303k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$99,453
Natl Median: $90,560
Lifetime Value Added
+$45k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,093
Natl Median: $59,347
Lifetime Value Added
-$257k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$75,099
Natl Median: $58,231
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.