Record graduating class for online university WGU

The typically high cost of college tuition, job losses from the recession and our busy lives are a formula for success at a fast growing online university. Western Governors University – Washington saw a record graduating class over the weekend.

The non-profit, online university handed out more than 1,000 bachelor’s and master’s degrees, almost twice as many as last year – not bad for its third year of operation.

Just one-third of graduates attended commencement at McCaw Hall Saturday because so many students log on from across the country, though the largest concentration is here in Washington. The university boasts 6,000 students.

Chancellor Jean Floten said WGU has something most colleges don’t: portability. Some offer online courses, but WGU is all online.

“Because we are online, you can take us anywhere and we have no hours so if you look at when students log on, generally it’s late at night, early in the morning or on weekends.”

Students are often jobless, or looking for a new career, married, with children. They need flexibility and brick and mortar schools don’t have enough slots anyway, said Floten.

“Especially at the upper division level, junior and senior years, that lead toward a bachelor’s degree so I think we have some pent up demand in the state.”

WGU is the only state-endorsed online university. Still, Floten recognizes the need for third party validation to establish credibility for its career-focused degrees, many in science, math and technology. They use national assessment tests and survey employers about their satisfaction with students, publishing the results each year. She said evaluations are extremely high.

“The lowest I’ve ever seen is 95 percent, 100 percent this last year said they’d hire another graduate,” said Floten.

Most appealing of all might be the cost. For most programs, tuition at WGU Washington, including course materials, is a flat $6,000 a year.