Skip to Main Content
© Mapbox / © OpenStreetMap
College

Central Washington University

#6 in Top Public Universities in Washington
  • B
    Overall Grade
  • 4 Year
  • Ellensburg, WA
  • 1,361 reviews
B
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    B
  2. Value
    A-
  3. Diversity
    A-
  4. Campus
    B
  5. Athletics
    B
  6. Party Scene
    B-
  7. Professors
    B
  8. Location
    B-
  9. Dorms
    B-
  10. Campus Food
    B
  11. Student Life
    B
  12. Safety
    B
View Full Report Card
Central Washington is an above-average public university located in Ellensburg, Washington. It is a mid-size institution with an enrollment of 9,482 undergraduate students. Admissions is somewhat competitive as the Central Washington acceptance rate is 80%. Popular majors include Business Administration and Management, Criminal Justice and Safety Studies, and Psychology. Graduating 52% of students, Central Washington alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $34,900.
About Central Washington University...
Athletic Division
NCAA Division II (with football)
Athletic Conference
Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Address
400 East University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926
Website
cwu.edu
Work Here? Claim Your College

Central Washington University Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Admissions

Acceptance Rate
80%
Application Deadline
Rolling Admissions
SAT Range
960-1150
ACT Range
18-24
Application Fee
$50
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
No
Improve Your SAT/ACT Scores with Test Prep

Cost

Net Price
$14,080/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $8,693/ year
  • $30-48k
    $10,095/ year
  • $49-75k
    $14,386/ year
  • $76-110k
    $18,987/ year
  • $110k+
    $20,199/ year
Student Loan Options from Lenders
Learn More
  • Simple, straightforward student loans with an easy application
  • Flexible repayment options, and strong borrower protections
Niche may be compensated by the third party lenders and others who place ads on the website. Niche is not a lender and does not endorse the products of these advertisers. Fees that Niche receives for ads do not affect the terms you may be offered by the lender you choose. There are many additional borrowing options available.

Academics

Professors
B
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
18:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
73%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.103 responses
60%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.106 responses
58%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.106 responses
Do You Work at Central Washington University? Claim Your College Today!
Claim your free account to keep your college's data up-to-date and get insights on user activity for your profile.

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Business Administration and Management
    235 Graduates
  • Criminal Justice and Safety Studies
    189 Graduates
  • Psychology
    175 Graduates
  • Elementary Education
    155 Graduates
  • Social Sciences
    135 Graduates
  • Accounting
    133 Graduates
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management
    106 Graduates
  • Marketing
    93 Graduates
  • Finance
    75 Graduates
  • Exercise Physiology
    71 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
9,482Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
14%
Pell Grant
38%
Varsity Athletes
5%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 63 responses
Report
  • Washintonian (native to washington)
    40%
  • Kind
    22%
  • Coastie (Seattle area natives)
    17%
  • Open. Willing to try new things/meet new people.
    10%
  • Diverse
    6%
  • Conservsative
    3%
  • Selfish
    2%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
—
Poll
74%
of students say they don't have Greek life.95 responses
Poll
49%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.131 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 73 responses
Report
  • Great for education majors
    32%
  • Diverse
    22%
  • Affordable
    19%
  • Involved. There's a place for everyone here
    14%
  • Distinguished
    7%
  • Cliquy and high school
    1%
  • Great baseball program
    1%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$44,900/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
52%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
92%
National
83%
87%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.71 responses
Colleges like Central Washington University
More

Central Washington University Reviews

1,361 reviews
All Categories
What I loved about Central Washington University the most is that our campus is very focused on making Central feel like home and that everybody deserves to be treated with the same respect despite color, creed, religion or sexual orientation. Everybody has a place where they can fit in while also getting along with others who are different from them. Our campus is also very active! Something is always going on somewhere. Central really pushes for a 4 year graduation but also encourages you to move at your own pace while enjoying college while you can.
Start Your Review of Central Washington University
Rate It!
Central is an amazing school! So far, I've only been attending for two quarters but all the professors are amazing! They teach very well and are always willing to help out with anything! Central and the local town of Ellensburg are always coming together to get all the students, as well as the community together in local events and on campus gatherings, such as the Ellensburg rodeo and the various holiday dinners hosted in the SURC cafeteria. Diversity is also celebrated widely here. We have a diversity club that almost every week puts on a show/ skit or puts on an event. Just last week they put together a flash mob in the student recreation center. The diversity club as well as many other students preformed the song and dance "We're all in this together" from high school musical to welcome everyone to our school.
The faculty is willing to work with you on any issues you come across. My mom passed away earlier this month, and housing was willing to let me keep my apartment, even though I wasn't taking the required 7 credits for an apartment. A counselor got in touch with me very quickly as well to offer bereavement support. My adviser has been very flexible with meeting with me. Very nice people!