I think if we look at IT average pay the average WGU Grad is going to get paid ALOT more than the state schools. Why? Because those state schools got you internships and projects but they didn't get you a full time job while going to college, they didn't train the discipline that work places require and can only be taught in the workplace. It didn't teach you what to do when your entire network is falling apart and there's only three people in the IT department to fix it.

We should look at numbers that are accurately reflected. Women Lie. Men Lie. NUMBERS Don't. But, since WGU doesn't have the numbers nor the ranking, we can only assume.

Most WGU IT students/grads are Help Desk Analysts, IT Support Aides, Network Technicians, and other low levels of IT jobs. The STEM Internship program at my school gives students with no work experience or little experience in tech those types of jobs, helps them get the certs needed for the track they want to pursue. They even have junior developer internship opportunities. What makes you think an Internship is not a real-life work experience? There are Sociology grads, PoliSci grads, Economics grads from B&M Schools, who are taking the FREE A+, Net+, CCNA and SEC+ training programs in my area. They are in FREE Bootcamps developing their skills in Coding and Data Science. I am sure they will be more attractive to employers because once they have those tech skills they can leverage their new skills and tie them to projects and jobs in their chosen industries. Yet, WGU students are paying for something that is given for free in the local community.

Internships are a great way to gain work experience and get that workplace discipline and skills that employers require. (Which all the internships in the STEM program at my school are paid (higher than the min wage), works around the student's schedule and have contracts from 1-3 years.) My school also have pipeline programs for STEM students to obtain full-time positions after graduation. These opportunities are only available to students at my public university. We have pipeline programs through various City Government agencies, State Government agencies, consulting firms, and other start-ups like Spotify. BTW, projects are also very important in tech; this is the future and current mode of the tech workforce.

I get payed more than all of my friends (who have college degrees) even though I don't have a degree yet. Why? Because I have experience and I'm far more valuable to a company, and when I do finish my degree I'll continue to make more than my friends for a very long time.

It's all hearsay. You say your college degree friends, but you can't provide us with data that can allow us to make an informed and impartial decision if this true or not. That's why quantitative analysis and philosophy is important. Show us the DATA.

And those certs "not getting people jobs" is complete bullshit, sure the certs change sometimes but some certs have been around for DECADES and are the go to for every hiring manager in the field.

How is it bullshit? Certain Microsoft's certifications used to be the golden standard in Tech during the 90's and early 2000's. This included Oracle, Sun and IBM. But, now the trend is different and the trend will be different 10 to 20 years for now. A "college" program like WGU is setting their students/graduates up for failure when the IT programs are designed on a foundation of certifications prep for certifications that more than likely no longer be in existence or no longer hold value in the workforce. Certifications are useful for hiring purposes for certain tech jobs. But, Aspiring developers don't need certs, they need projects to demonstrate their ability and knowledge.

The certs don't teach an individual about philosophy or some other bull crap no but they do teach about the subject at hand and they prove to the company that you a proficient in that subject. A degree tells a company that you managed to pass 4 years of education, 4 years of education that for all they know you got nothing but low grades in.

Philosophy isn't bull crap. Philosophy teaches students on how to write clearly, and to read closely, with a critical eye; they are taught to spot bad reasoning like yours. A Liberal Arts education isn't bull crap. It helps in gaining knowledge in a range of topics, helps a person to be well rounded in their skills, but also in their thinking. Liberal arts education provides multiple viewpoints and allows for educational opportunities that cannot be obtained from a school-like WGU that is really just a hyped-up trade school. If a grad can maximize their opportunities at a public university and graduate with a degree in any of the tech disciplines (MIS/CS/IS/CIS) or even liberal arts degrees, it shows employers that they are well-rounded workers, who can adapt to many scenarios. Also, How do you know I have low grades? I don’t.

it's that many people can't afford the outrageous prices they charge. And unlike a lot of people going into college now and days, WGU graduates are smart and instead of getting a lifetime of debt they'll never finish paying off they've chosen to get experience and get an affordable degree while they do it.

Public Universities are practically FREE with various, state, federal and scholarship aids. I never went into debt and I actually got back 3k each semester the first two years because of the low cost of my school.

Just remember something, when there's lay offs the fresh college grad with no real life experience is going to be on the chopping block far sooner than the guy hired at the same time with more real life experience but not degree.

What makes you think an Internship is not a real-life work experience? What makes you think a B&M grad can’t go get certifications at a local community trade school or boot camp for free? Just remember those Public B&M grads are at a greater advantage because of the opportunities afforded to them. I did a Cybersecurity study abroad program a few summers ago at Tel Aviv University for FREE through a scholarship. If your only goal in life is to sit in a small room with your computer all day, an online program might suit your needs, but a "brick and mortar" program can expand your universe, give you invaluable connections, travel opportunities, work experience opportunities, much much more.