extended WGU's accreditation through June 2024. In 2011, WGU's B.S. in Health Informatics degree received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). In 2018, the WGU College of Business was accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). Colleges WGU offers online bachelor's and master's degree programs through the following colleges: Rankings WGU is listed as "Unranked" in the category "Regional University - West" in U.S. News & World Reports 2020 rankings of colleges and universities. In the category, "Most Innovative Schools", WGU was tied for 12th among western regional universities. In February 2020 the Military Friendly Schools list ranked WGU as the top school for veterans, members of the armed forces, and their dependents. In 2015, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) rated WGU's secondary teaching program scored highest in best value in teacher education and the National League for Nursing named WGU's College of Health Professions a Center of Excellence. In 2014, U.S. News & World Report, in its academic rankings of teacher education programs in conjunction with NCTQ, ranked WGU #1 in the nation for secondary teacher education among both online and traditional universities. In 2013, WGU was named one of the 50 most innovative organizations in Fast Companys Most Innovative Companies Issue, ranking #28. WGU has also received the 21st Century Award for Best Practices in Distance Learning from the United States Distance Learning Association on multiple occasions. Research In July 2018, WGU launched the Center for Applied Learning Science (CALS), a laboratory which focuses on innovation. In October 2018, Carnegie Mellon University and WGU's CALS teamed up to work on an artificial intelligence professional development project. The partnership was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Competency-based education WGU has competency-based programs for completing course, degree and certificate requirements. Competency-based programs measure acquired skills and learning rather than time on task. Students progress through courses as soon as they can prove they’ve mastered the material, rather than advancing only when the semester or term ends. Competency-based programs allow students to demonstrate through multiple writing-based or test-based assessments that they have acquired the set of competencies (levels of knowledge, skill, or ability) required to pass specific course within their degree program. Additionally, WGU competencies are geared toward understanding the course material at a level equivalent to a 3.0 (on a 4.0) GPA scale.