The Debate is Over
By WGU Team
Higher education should be the surest path to opportunity.听Instead, it鈥檚 a risky path听that leads to success for some and financial straits for many others.听It鈥檚 time for accountability in higher education.
Our higher education system produces听听per year. It also produces听.听Why does this situation persist? In part, it鈥檚听because we don鈥檛 ask institutions to do better for their students.听We don鈥檛 hold institutions accountable for outcomes.听听
In fact,听as a nation, we don鈥檛 even have robust听strategies for collecting data on student outcomes,听particularly for non-traditional students.听Outcomes data should be used to hold institutions accountable, but it should also be transparent to students. They听should听have a sense of听the听job and salary听outcomes they can expect prior to making major educational investment decisions.听
Much of our public debate has focused on the cost of college鈥攁nd indeed, it has become increasingly unaffordable. But we need to focus attention not just on the price, but on the product itself: too many students听, or with an education that听.听听
The 鈥渁verage鈥� outcomes of college are troubling鈥�40%听of students don鈥檛 earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree within six years of enrolling鈥攂ut听the disparities along racial and class lines are unacceptable: minority student completion rates are far lower, and the burden of student loan defaults听.听
At WGU, we听measure our success by that of our students. We are focused on completion, return on investment, and equity听in access and attainment.听We have spent 24听years听creating听and improving an听online,听competency-based听education听model that听opens clear pathways to career success and financial viability for our 124,500听current听students and more than 201,200 graduates.听
Time to Degree. On average, WGU students earn their degrees in听two and a half听years compared to a national average of six years.
Cost of a Degree. WGU students pay, on average, $17,000 for a bachelor鈥檚 degree. The national average cost is $91,304.听
Student Loan Default Rate. Thanks to WGU鈥檚 Responsible Borrowing Initiative, students graduate with half the debt of their national peers and are听half as likely to default on student loans.
An accessible, equitable, affordable higher education system that prepares students to succeed in the workforce is essential to our national competitiveness, and to the equality of opportunity听on which the American Dream rests.听
Higher education policy should be centered around students.听It鈥檚 time to hold institutions accountable for student outcomes, and to make outcomes data transparent to students.听
