Open University vs Western Governors University:Which is searched more?

Name: Open University vs Western Governors University: Which is searched more?
Creator: Brandwave
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In September 2026, Open University had more branded searches than Western Governors University among university online degrees worldwide. Open University had about 450,000 branded searches, while Western Governors University had 165,000. Open University made up 9.2% of all university online degree searches we track, and Western Governors University accounted for 3.4%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of searches among university online degrees worldwide in September 2026Is Open University or Western Governors University more popular in search?

Open University9.2%450K searches

vs

Western Governors University3.4%165K searches

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Is Open University or Western Governors University more popular in search?

Compare the university online degrees schools and universities use. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

Open University and Western Governors University among university online degrees worldwide, by month

Month	Coursera	University of Phoenix	Open University	edX	Western Governors University	Udacity	University of Florida Online	Arizona State University Online	SNHU
Oct 2025	68.6%	9.2%	7.5%	9.2%	2.8%	2.3%	0.2%	0.11%	0.05%
Nov 2025	65.8%	8.8%	8.8%	10.8%	3.2%	2.2%	0.16%	0.11%	0.05%
Dec 2025	69.5%	7.6%	6.2%	9.3%	4.2%	2.8%	0.17%	0.11%	0.06%
Jan 2026	68%	9.1%	7.5%	9.1%	4.1%	1.8%	0.2%	0.11%	0.07%
Feb 2026	67.1%	9%	7.4%	11%	3.3%	1.8%	0.24%	0.11%	0.06%
Mar 2026	64.9%	10.7%	7.1%	10.7%	3.9%	2.1%	0.43%	0.13%	0.06%
Apr 2026	67.4%	11.1%	7.4%	7.4%	4%	2.2%	0.24%	0.13%	0.09%
May 2026	67.6%	11.1%	7.4%	7.4%	4.1%	1.8%	0.3%	0.16%	0.06%
Jun 2026	69.4%	11.4%	6.2%	7.6%	3.4%	1.5%	0.17%	0.11%	0.05%
Jul 2026	67.6%	11.1%	9.1%	7.4%	3.3%	1.2%	0.13%	0.11%	0.05%
Aug 2026	68.2%	11.2%	7.5%	7.5%	4.1%	1.2%	0.16%	0.13%	0.05%
Sep 2026	68.5%	11.2%	9.2%	6.2%	3.4%	1.2%	0.13%	0.11%	0.05%

How has the Open University and Western Governors University comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

Open University was ahead of Western Governors University in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Open University’s share of searches among university online degrees worldwide moved from 7.5% to 9.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 450K.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Western Governors University’s share of searches among university online degrees worldwide moved from 2.8% to 3.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 165K.

How did search popularity change for university online degrees worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

In September 2026, Open University overtook edX to rank 3rd among university online degrees worldwide, with 9.2% of the searches.
In September 2026, Western Governors University lost share of searches among university online degrees worldwide, from 4.1% to 3.4%.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Open University’s and Western Governors University’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.