Is WGU a Scam?

If you’re thinking of enrolling in Western Governors University (WGU), you need to know it is a legitimate, credible institution. Is WGU a scam? 

Below, we explain whether WGU is a scam and discuss some steps you can take to improve your safety when enrolling in this online university. 

What Is WGU?

Western Governors University (WGU) is a private non‑profit online university headquartered in Utah. 

Founded in 1997 by 19 state governors who pooled resources to expand access to higher education, the school pioneered competency-based education, which requires students to demonstrate specific skills, allowing experienced learners to accelerate their progress. 

Today, it enrolls over 150,000 learners and offers programs in business, IT, healthcare, and education. 

Because it is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, its courses and degrees are recognized by most employers and other schools. It offers a flat tuition per six‑month term. 

Is WGU a Scam?

No, WGU is not a scam. It’s a legitimate university with regional accreditation. 

Several third-party publications and review sites have reviewed the online university.

For example, Career Karma states that WGU is a reputable, accredited, and affordable online university best suited for self-motivated working adults seeking flexible, career-focused degree programs. 

Fortune’s education ranking listed WGU’s online master’s in cybersecurity as No. 3 in 2022 and noted a 76.82% one-year retention rate.

User reviews of WGU are mixed:

• 2.2 out of 5.0 stars (from 167 reviews) on ConsumerAffairs.
• 2.8 out of 5.0 stars (from 230 reviews) on Yelp.
• 1.74 out of 5.0 stars (from 27 reviews) on Better Business Bureau. 
• 4.2 out of 5.0 stars (from 3,855 reviews) on Trustpilot.
• 3.3 out of 5.0 stars (from 452 reviews) on Google. 

Positive reviews praise the self-paced format, low cost, and mentor support, while negative comments cite poor communication, inconsistent support, and delays in financial aid processing. 

On online forums like Reddit, people report mixed to positive experiences.

There are many happy grads, especially in IT/cyber, HR, business, and teaching, but also some strong complaints about admin hassles and uneven course quality.

For example, one person said they found WGU very worthwhile because it helped them transition from bartending into remote IT jobs paying up to $ 80,000, but the program required being highly self-directed. 

They say WGU works well for independent learners, while those who need active teaching or professor support may struggle.

In a thread titled “What are the cons of WGU?”, people listed things like no fixed class times or weekly deadlines, limited networking opportunities, potential bias against fully online schools (especially outside IT), proctored exams friction, instructions that are a hit-or-miss, and a locked program with little room for exploration. 

The consensus is that working adults, career changers, military personnel, and self-starters who prefer to sprint through what they already know and linger on what they don’t will likely get the most out of WGU. 

Motivated younger students can succeed too, but people caution that it’s harder without life experience/structure.

WGU is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) at the time of writing.

The university has received a total of 89 complaints over the last three years, with 36 of these complaints closed within the past 12 months. Complaints center around a lack of academic support (e.g., instructors are hard to reach and certain classes are poorly taught), financial aid and billing delays, and administrative miscommunication and slow processing. 

WGU regulatory scrutiny 

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Education’s Inspector General audited WGU and concluded that many courses lacked enough instructor interaction, recommending repayment of $713 million in federal aid. 

WGU’s president strongly disagreed with the audit, stating that the university had complied with laws and regulations and that the audit had misinterpreted the faculty’s role at WGU. 

After review, the department concluded that WGU made a good-faith effort to comply and allowed it to retain federal funding, requiring only a $2,600 refund. 

WGU security

In its privacy policy, the university states that it employs “administrative, physical, and technical safeguards” to protect your data, but does not specify what these safeguards entail. 

WGU privacy

WGU explains in its privacy policy the type of data it collects, why it collects it, and with whom it shares it.

It may collect the following personal information: 

• Personal data: Name, mailing address, email address, and phone number. 
• Non-personally identifiable information: Program of study, academic workload, and year in school.
• Sensitive data: Race, ethnic origin, trade union membership, disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, military status, or parental status.
• National or state identifiers: Passport number, state/national identification number, social security number, and other government identification numbers.
• Background information: Academic and professional qualifications, prior education, CV/resume, employment history, and background check data. 
• Financial information: Bank account details, tax information, salary, household income, and other information necessary to calculate the tuition you owe. 
• Website analytics and performance data: How you use and interact with the WGU site, device, and browser type, and geo-location information.
• Social media or account connection information: If you log in via third-party services.

WGU collects this data directly from you, third parties (such as schools and employers), and through automated tracking technologies (e.g., cookies).

The university uses your information to contact you about programs or admissions, evaluate applications and financial aid eligibility, process payments, manage university operations, personalize marketing and website experience, improve programs and website performance, and comply with laws or respond to legal requests.

It may share your data with your consent, WGU-affiliated organizations, service providers who support operations, and comply with legal requirements, as well as for business protection or during institutional changes.

WGU states it does not sell your personal data, but it may share non-personal or aggregated data freely.

The university uses cookies and similar tools to personalize website content, analyze site usage, recognize returning users, and support targeted advertising. WGU notes that third parties (e.g., advertisers, Google Analytics) may also track your activity.

You have certain privacy rights, like the right to access, correct, and delete your data. You can also obtain a copy of your data and appeal a response to a prior request. WGU may deny requests in certain situations (e.g., legal or security reasons).

You can also opt out of emails, calls, texts, or mail. 

When you delete your data, WGU may retain a cached or archived copy of it for a period of time.

The university retains your information unless otherwise required by law or you submit a request to delete it.

FERPA protections apply once you become an enrolled student.

So, Should You Enroll In WGU?

Depends. 

WGU may be a suitable option for self-motivated adults seeking an affordable degree that can be completed quickly, who prefer independent study. 

It may not be a good fit for learners who require regular instructor interaction, a traditional campus experience, or hands-on practicum placements. 

How to Participate In WGU Safely and Privately 

• Stay private when browsing the WGU website. Use a privacy-focused browser, incognito/private mode, and a tracker blocker.
• Use a separate email. Create a dedicated email for university-related accounts to limit long-term data linking.
• Don’t link social media accounts. Instead, use a regular email/password. This prevents cross-platform tracking.
• Create a strong, unique password for your WGU account. And never reuse it elsewhere. 
• Opt out of marketing early. Send an email to unsubscribe@wgu.edu and visit the WGU Preference Center to turn off marketing emails, text messages, and recruitment phone calls. 
• Keep privacy top of mind during proctored exams. You may be recorded, so keep your workspace neutral and private.
• Request data deletion after graduation. Your academic transcripts will be retained (as required by law), but marketing/lead data do not have to be. You can request the deletion of non-educational records. Use WGU’s privacy request form to request deletion of marketing profiles, inquiry records, and website tracking data.