Senior Data Analyst - Institutional Research

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
 

Grade: Professional 310

Pay Range: $88,300.00 - $132,400.00

Job Description

The Institutional Analytics and Research (IAR) team supports and enables most university teams, departments, and colleges to make data-informed decisions that lead to better student outcomes. Our analysts, scientists, researchers, and managers are distributed across several teams: Institutional Research, Outreach Analytics, Faculty Analytics, Curriculum Analytics, and Student Success Analytics. 

About the Role

As a Senior Data Analyst on our Institutional Research team, you’ll lead the charge in delivering accurate, actionable data to both external accrediting bodies and internal compliance stakeholders. Your work will directly support WGU’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement in higher education.

This is a high-visibility role where you’ll turn complex data into insights that inform executive decision-making, drive institutional reporting, and help ensure compliance with evolving accreditation standards.

What You’ll Do

• Submit accurate, timely institutional data to accrediting bodies (e.g., IPEDS) related to enrollment, outcomes, HR, and financial aid
• Partner with internal stakeholders to meet compliance and accreditation data needs
• Interpret new compliance requirements and ensure internal alignment
• Build dynamic data visualizations and compelling narratives that drive action
• Investigate and resolve data quality issues to ensure integrity and consistency
• Collaborate with Data Engineering and BI teams to promote analytics standards
• Manage complex tasks and mini-projects with autonomy and reliability

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (or equivalent experience)
• 5+ years in data analysis, BI, or institutional research
• Strong SQL skills—joins, window functions, CTEs, performance tuning
• Expertise in Tableau, Power BI, and other data visualization tools
• Experience applying descriptive and inferential statistics
• Familiarity with project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, SDLC)
• Strong command of Excel and the full MS Office suite
• Proven ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and take initiative

Bonus Points For

• Experience working in higher education analytics
• Familiarity with IPEDS and other compliance or accreditation reporting standards

Work Location: 

• This is a full-time, in-office position at WGU’s headquarters in Salt Lake City, UT. You’ll work side-by-side with a multidisciplinary team of analysts, researchers, and educators committed to data-informed innovation.

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Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is