Western Governors University

Western Governors University is a nonprofit online university founded in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors. It delivers competency-based, career-aligned degrees designed for working adults, and describes itself as the nation's largest nonprofit online university. The institution serves more than 300,000 students across all 50 U.S. states.

The university's model measures mastery of material rather than time spent in a classroom. Students are charged flat-rate tuition for each six-month term instead of per credit hour, a structure intended to reduce cost and permit faster graduation for those who progress quickly. Flexible scheduling and one-on-one faculty mentorship support learners combining study with employment.

Degree programmes span four areas: Business, Education, Information Technology, and Health Professions including Nursing. Bachelor's and master's qualifications in each were developed with input from industry experts, aligning curricula with employer requirements in the university's core verticals of higher education, business, education, information technology and health.

Technical work at the university centres on competency-based learning, online education, education technology and information technology, reflecting both its delivery model and one of its principal academic disciplines.