States
Source: http://www.wgu.edu/about/governance/states.html
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:21
States
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UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE
WGU and States
Contact Us
The WGU Model
Originally founded by state governors, Western Governors University is the largest nonprofit university in the U.S. We lead education and workforce innovation across the country. Part of this important work is to build state partnerships that remove financial barriers for students, supplement public higher education offerings, and help meet state workforce goals.
191,819
total current students at WGU from across the United States
-December 31st, 2025
472,753
total graduates from WGU across the United States
-December 31st, 2025
Learn More About Our Students
Support for Students and the Workforce
WGU encourages bipartisan support for education and works with state leaders to meet education needs. Every state has it own specific goals and challenges and, through close partnerships, WGU helps state policymakers find ways to serve states' entire populations. In establishing state-specific partnerships, students can become eligible for state grand funding and gain access to scholarships. State partnerships also give students an easier path to transfer local state or community college credits to WGU, allowing them to complete their programs more quickly.
Skilled Workers, Satisfied Employers
78%
WGU students who say they acquired job- or work- related skills, compared to 57% nationally.
Source: 2025 National Survey of Student Engagement
86%
Employers who said WGU graduates were "very" or "extremely" prepared for their jobs.
Source: 2024 Harris Poll Employers Study
94%
Employers who said WGU graduates meet or exceed expectations (61% said "exceed").
Source: 2024 Harris Poll Employers Study
State Partnerships
Colorado
Established in 2023
Arizona
Established in 2023
Nebraska
Established in 2022
Montana
Established in 2021
Utah
Established in 2021
Idaho
Established in 2021
Ohio
Established in 2018
North Carolina
Established in 2017
Nevada
Established in 2015
Missouri
Established in 2013
Tennessee
Established in 2013
Washington
Established in 2011
Texas*
Established in 2011
Indiana
Established in 2010
*Western Governors University (“WGU”) is not regulated under Chapter 132 of the Texas Education Code. WGU’s primary federal regulator is the United States Department of Education. In addition, WGU is a participant of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA). Pursuant to SARA, WGU maintains postsecondary education authorization from its home state of Utah through the Utah Division of Consumer Protection. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Students experiencing unresolved issues should refer to
WGU’s Student Complaint and Grievance Policy
. Individuals may also find information on contacting or submitting complaints at the
United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights
,
NC-SARA
, or the
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
.
State Level Leadership and Advisory Boards
Alison Bell, WGU Regional Vice President, Central
Advisory Board:
Barb Smoot
Scott Dutey
Ken Tietz
Kashif Smiley
Lisa Gray
Gen. Mark Bartman
Dan Molina
Darla Cade
Kim Estep, WGU Regional Vice President, Southeast
Dr. Ben Coulter, Regional Director, Southeast
Advisory Board:
Dr. Lisa Chapman
Lt. Gen. Walter Gaskin, USMC (Ret.)
Gov. Beverly Perdue
Mr. Gregg Sinders
Dr. Monique Perry-Graves
Dr. Angela Hinson Quick
Mr. Jon Armke
Richard Benbow, Regional Vice President, West Region
Bob Benson, Regional Director, West Region
Kim Estep, WGU Regional Vice President, Southeast
Dr. Ben Coulter, Regional Director, Southeast
Advisory Board:
John R. Ingram
Shannon A. Brown
Mark Cate
David A. Golden
Bobbie J. Murphy
Ralph J. Schulz
Dr. Michael Torrence
Kyle Barron
Tonya Drake, Ph.D., Regional Vice President, Northwest Region
Ismar Vallecillos, M.Ed., Northwest Regional Director, Western Governors University
Linda Garza Battles, WGU Regional Vice President, South
Rene Candelaria, WGU Regional Director, South
Advisory Board:
Andres Alcantar
Patricia Diaz Dennis
John Fitzpatrick
George V. Grainger
William Serrata
Cristie Remmel
Alison Bell, WGU Regional Vice President, Central
More About WGU's Public Policy Advocacy
State Policy Playbook
Federal Policy Efforts
Subscribe to the IgnitED Newsletter
Sage Advice Podcast
Read our Policy Blog
The University
About Us
Accessibility
Accreditation
Newsroom
Careers
WGU Store
For Students
Student Portal
Admissions
Catalog
Title IX
Alumni Services
Achievement Wallet
Most Visited Links
Business Programs
Bachelor's Degrees
Student Experience
Online Degrees
Scholarships
Support
Military
Scholarships
Financial Aid
Faculty
Testimonials
Student Communities
Privacy Policy
|
Cookie Policy
|
Contact Us
|
Sitemap
©2026 WGU. All rights reserved.
Skip to content
Skip to Chat
UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE
WGU and States
Contact Us
The WGU Model
Originally founded by state governors, Western Governors University is the largest nonprofit university in the U.S. We lead education and workforce innovation across the country. Part of this important work is to build state partnerships that remove financial barriers for students, supplement public higher education offerings, and help meet state workforce goals.
191,819
total current students at WGU from across the United States
-December 31st, 2025
472,753
total graduates from WGU across the United States
-December 31st, 2025
Learn More About Our Students
Support for Students and the Workforce
WGU encourages bipartisan support for education and works with state leaders to meet education needs. Every state has it own specific goals and challenges and, through close partnerships, WGU helps state policymakers find ways to serve states' entire populations. In establishing state-specific partnerships, students can become eligible for state grand funding and gain access to scholarships. State partnerships also give students an easier path to transfer local state or community college credits to WGU, allowing them to complete their programs more quickly.
Skilled Workers, Satisfied Employers
78%
WGU students who say they acquired job- or work- related skills, compared to 57% nationally.
Source: 2025 National Survey of Student Engagement
86%
Employers who said WGU graduates were "very" or "extremely" prepared for their jobs.
Source: 2024 Harris Poll Employers Study
94%
Employers who said WGU graduates meet or exceed expectations (61% said "exceed").
Source: 2024 Harris Poll Employers Study
State Partnerships
Colorado
Established in 2023
Arizona
Established in 2023
Nebraska
Established in 2022
Montana
Established in 2021
Utah
Established in 2021
Idaho
Established in 2021
Ohio
Established in 2018
North Carolina
Established in 2017
Nevada
Established in 2015
Missouri
Established in 2013
Tennessee
Established in 2013
Washington
Established in 2011
Texas*
Established in 2011
Indiana
Established in 2010
*Western Governors University (“WGU”) is not regulated under Chapter 132 of the Texas Education Code. WGU’s primary federal regulator is the United States Department of Education. In addition, WGU is a participant of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA). Pursuant to SARA, WGU maintains postsecondary education authorization from its home state of Utah through the Utah Division of Consumer Protection. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Students experiencing unresolved issues should refer to
WGU’s Student Complaint and Grievance Policy
. Individuals may also find information on contacting or submitting complaints at the
United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights
,
NC-SARA
, or the
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
.
State Level Leadership and Advisory Boards
Alison Bell, WGU Regional Vice President, Central
Advisory Board:
Barb Smoot
Scott Dutey
Ken Tietz
Kashif Smiley
Lisa Gray
Gen. Mark Bartman
Dan Molina
Darla Cade
Kim Estep, WGU Regional Vice President, Southeast
Dr. Ben Coulter, Regional Director, Southeast
Advisory Board:
Dr. Lisa Chapman
Lt. Gen. Walter Gaskin, USMC (Ret.)
Gov. Beverly Perdue
Mr. Gregg Sinders
Dr. Monique Perry-Graves
Dr. Angela Hinson Quick
Mr. Jon Armke
Richard Benbow, Regional Vice President, West Region
Bob Benson, Regional Director, West Region
Kim Estep, WGU Regional Vice President, Southeast
Dr. Ben Coulter, Regional Director, Southeast
Advisory Board:
John R. Ingram
Shannon A. Brown
Mark Cate
David A. Golden
Bobbie J. Murphy
Ralph J. Schulz
Dr. Michael Torrence
Kyle Barron
Tonya Drake, Ph.D., Regional Vice President, Northwest Region
Ismar Vallecillos, M.Ed., Northwest Regional Director, Western Governors University
Linda Garza Battles, WGU Regional Vice President, South
Rene Candelaria, WGU Regional Director, South
Advisory Board:
Andres Alcantar
Patricia Diaz Dennis
John Fitzpatrick
George V. Grainger
William Serrata
Cristie Remmel
Alison Bell, WGU Regional Vice President, Central
More About WGU's Public Policy Advocacy
State Policy Playbook
Federal Policy Efforts
Subscribe to the IgnitED Newsletter
Sage Advice Podcast
Read our Policy Blog
The University
About Us
Accessibility
Accreditation
Newsroom
Careers
WGU Store
For Students
Student Portal
Admissions
Catalog
Title IX
Alumni Services
Achievement Wallet
Most Visited Links
Business Programs
Bachelor's Degrees
Student Experience
Online Degrees
Scholarships
Support
Military
Scholarships
Financial Aid
Faculty
Testimonials
Student Communities
Privacy Policy
|
Cookie Policy
|
Contact Us
|
Sitemap
©2026 WGU. All rights reserved.