diff --git a/app/controllers/api/v1/user_groups_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/v1/user_groups_controller.rb
index 08a3dc48e..1234d486b 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/v1/user_groups_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/v1/user_groups_controller.rb
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ class Api::V1::UserGroupsController < Api::ApiController
 
   alias_method :user_group, :controlled_resource
 
-  allowed_params :create, :name, :display_name, links: [ users: [] ]
-  allowed_params :update, :name, :display_name
+  allowed_params :create, :name, :display_name, :stats_visibility, links: [users: []]
+  allowed_params :update, :name, :stats_visibility, :display_name
 
   search_by do |name, query|
     query.search_name(name.join(" "))
diff --git a/app/models/user_group.rb b/app/models/user_group.rb
index 9d51da007..a9a81882b 100644
--- a/app/models/user_group.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_group.rb
@@ -31,13 +31,18 @@ class UserGroup < ApplicationRecord
   #
   # public_show_all: Anyone can view aggregate stats of the user group and can view individual stats of the user group.
   ##
-  enum stats_visibility: {
+  STATS_VISIBILITY_LEVELS = {
     private_agg_only: 0,
     private_show_agg_and_ind: 1,
     public_agg_only: 2,
     public_agg_show_ind_if_member: 3,
     public_show_all: 4
-  }
+  }.freeze
+  enum stats_visibility: STATS_VISIBILITY_LEVELS
+
+  validate do
+    errors.add(:stats_visibility, "Not valid stats_visibility type, please select from the list: #{STATS_VISIBILITY_LEVELS.keys}") if @invalid_stats_visibility
+  end
 
   validates :display_name, presence: true
   validates :name, presence: true,
@@ -86,6 +91,14 @@ def verify_join_token(token_to_verify)
     join_token.present? && join_token == token_to_verify
   end
 
+  def stats_visibility=(value)
+    if STATS_VISIBILITY_LEVELS.stringify_keys.keys.exclude?(value) && STATS_VISIBILITY_LEVELS.values.exclude?(value)
+      @invalid_stats_visibility = true
+    else
+      super value
+    end
+  end
+
   private
 
   def default_display_name
diff --git a/spec/controllers/api/v1/user_groups_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/api/v1/user_groups_controller_spec.rb
index 3b22a6d43..a1c22ce26 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/api/v1/user_groups_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/api/v1/user_groups_controller_spec.rb
@@ -69,6 +69,60 @@
     end
 
     it_behaves_like 'is updatable'
+
+    describe 'updating stats_visibility' do
+      let(:params) {
+        {
+          id: resource.id,
+          user_groups: {
+            display_name: 'A-Different-Name',
+            stats_visibility: 'public_agg_only'
+          }
+        }
+      }
+
+      describe 'as group_admin' do
+        it 'updates stats_visibility' do
+          default_request scopes: scopes, user_id: authorized_user.id
+          put :update, params: params
+          expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+
+          group = UserGroup.find(resource.id)
+          expect(group.stats_visibility).to eq('public_agg_only')
+        end
+
+        it 'does not update user_group if invalid stats_visibility' do
+          default_request scopes: scopes, user_id: authorized_user.id
+          user_groups = {
+            display_name: 'A-Different-Name',
+            stats_visibility: 'fake_stats_visibility'
+          }
+          params[:user_groups] = user_groups
+          put :update, params: params
+          expect(response.status).to eq(400)
+        end
+      end
+
+      describe 'as admin' do
+        it 'updates user_group_stats_visibility' do
+          admin_user = create(:user, admin: true)
+          default_request scopes: scopes, user_id: admin_user.id
+          params[:admin] = true
+          put :update, params: params
+          expect(response.status).to eq(200)
+        end
+      end
+
+      describe 'as group_member' do
+        it 'does not update user_group stats_visibility' do
+          group_member_user = create(:user)
+          create(:membership, user: group_member_user, user_group: resource, roles: ['group_member'])
+          default_request scopes: scopes, user_id: group_member_user.id
+          put :update, params: params
+          expect(response.status).to eq(404)
+        end
+      end
+    end
   end
 
   describe '#show' do
@@ -120,6 +174,35 @@
       end
     end
 
+    describe 'setting stats_visibility' do
+      describe 'as group_admin' do
+        it 'sets the stats_visiblity when sending in stats_visiblity as string' do
+          default_request scopes: scopes, user_id: authorized_user.id
+          post :create, params: { user_groups: { name: 'GalaxyZoo', stats_visibility: 'public_agg_show_ind_if_member' } }
+          expect(response.status).to eq(201)
+          group = UserGroup.find(created_instance_id('user_groups'))
+
+          expect(group.stats_visibility).to eq('public_agg_show_ind_if_member')
+        end
+
+        it 'sets the stats_visibility when sending related integer corresponding to visibility level' do
+          default_request scopes: scopes, user_id: authorized_user.id
+          post :create, params: { user_groups: { name: 'GalaxyZoo', stats_visibility: 3 } }
+          expect(response.status).to eq(201)
+
+          # see app/models/user_group.rb L22-L40 for explanations of stats_visibliity levels
+          group = UserGroup.find(created_instance_id('user_groups'))
+          expect(group.stats_visibility).to eq('public_agg_show_ind_if_member')
+        end
+
+        it 'does not create group if stats_visibility is invalid' do
+          default_request scopes: scopes, user_id: authorized_user.id
+          post :create, params: { user_groups: { name: 'GalaxyZoo', stats_visibility: 7 } }
+          expect(response.status).to eq(400)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
     describe 'when only a name is provided' do
       it 'sets the display name' do
         default_request scopes: scopes, user_id: authorized_user.id
diff --git a/spec/models/user_group_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_group_spec.rb
index 350cbbad4..6b8b847d9 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_group_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_group_spec.rb
@@ -71,6 +71,32 @@
     end
   end
 
+  describe '#stats_visibility' do
+    it 'validates that it is one of the STATS_VISIBILITY levels' do
+      ug = build(:user_group, name: 'abc')
+      ug.stats_visibility = 'public_agg_only'
+      expect(ug).to be_valid
+    end
+
+    it 'allows stats_visibility to be integer corresponding to STATS_VISIBILITY level' do
+      ug = build(:user_group, name: 'abc')
+      ug.stats_visibility = 4
+      expect(ug).to be_valid
+    end
+
+    it 'does not allow stats_visibility to be outside STATS_VISIBILITY levels' do
+      ug = build(:user_group, name: 'abc')
+      ug.stats_visibility = 'fake_stats_level'
+      expect(ug).not_to be_valid
+    end
+
+    it 'does not allow stats_visibility to be outside STATS_VISIBILITY range' do
+      ug = build(:user_group, name: 'abc')
+      ug.stats_visibility = 9
+      expect(ug).not_to be_valid
+    end
+  end
+
   describe "#users" do
     let(:user_group) { create(:user_group_with_users) }