WGU Accreditation

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Western Governors University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of the major accrediting commissions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Northwest Commission is also responsible for the accreditation of other major institutions such as the University of Washington, University of Oregon, Gonzaga University, University of Utah, University of Idaho, and BYU, to name just a few. Although regional accreditation is considered the highest form of accreditation, WGU is also nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).

Regional accreditation means that WGU's competency-based programs meet the same educational standards for performance, integrity, and quality as those found at other more traditional universities, from large state schools to Ivy League universities. A team of evaluators representing four associations made on-site visits to WGU over a period of two years to review WGU's operations. Based on the reviews and the visiting team's report to the accrediting commissions, WGU was granted regional accreditation. We went through a similar process for our national accreditation by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).

NCATE Accreditation

In October 2006, the WGU Teachers College became the first exclusively online provider of teacher education to receive accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The NCATE accrediting team extensively reviewed the entire WGU Teachers College curriculum to ensure “that candidates have the knowledge and skills to be effective in helping all students learn.” NCATE is the premier specialized accrediting body for teacher preparation and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. It accredits colleges of education that produce over two-thirds of the nation's new teacher graduates annually.

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WGU received the 2008
award for Best Practices in Distance Learning from the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA).

Featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams in their “What Works” segment, WGU is the recipient of the USDLA 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning for 2008, awarded in recognition of our success in expanding access to higher education. TIME Magazine also called WGU “the best relatively cheap university you’ve never heard of”.

Western Governors University is an online university that is regionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, one of the major accrediting commissions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. WGU is also nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).

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