Western Governors University (WGU) is a private, nonprofit, American university with nearly 30,000 students across the United States and in military bases overseas, as of December 2011. Western Governors University is driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs. WGU has flourished into a national university, serving more than 30,000 students from all 50 states.

The University only accepts students living in the United States and select geographic areas of Canada. (The exceptions are U.S. active-duty military personnel and their families stationed at overseas installations, and individuals living in Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.) There is no minimum high school grade point average for admission, and no minimum score on the SAT or ACT. All applicants must pass an admissions examination administered by the university.

WGU receives grants from state and federal agencies, for-profit corporations, and nonprofit foundations. It is self-sustaining on tuition and does not rely on state or federal funding for its operations. Corporations and foundations supporting WGU include AT&T, Dell, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation for Education, Sun Microsystems, HCA, HP, Microsoft, Qwest, American Express, Simmons Media Group and Zions Bank.

The administration is based in Salt Lake City, Utah and Dr. Robert Mendenhall serves as university president. The University also operates an office in Phoenix, Arizona and Indianapolis, Indiana. All academic operations are virtual. WGU has over 1,200 staff and faculty members located throughout the U.S; many work from virtual offices. In 2010, WGU Indiana , a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Governors University opened to expand access to higher education for Indiana residents , followed by the opening of WGU Washington and WGU Texas in 2011.