B
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    B
  2. Value
    B+
  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
    C+
  12. Safety
    B
View Full Report Card
Central Washington University is ...
Public
Athletic Division
NCAA Division II (with football)
Athletic Conference
Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Address
400 East University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926
Website
cwu.edu

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
82%
Application Deadline
Rolling Admissions
SAT Range
850-1100
ACT Range
17-25
Application Fee
$50
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Will You Get In?

Test Scores and GPA for Central Washington University

Cost

Net Price
$15,189/ year
National
$15,403
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $9,388/ year
  • $30-48k
    $11,297/ year
  • $49-75k
    $16,084/ year
  • $76-110k
    $19,269/ year
  • $110k+
    $20,724/ year

Academics

Professors
B+
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
20:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
73%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.103 responses
59%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.102 responses
58%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.102 responses

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Business Administration and Management
    198 Graduates
  • Criminal Justice and Safety Studies
    197 Graduates
  • Elementary Education
    161 Graduates
  • Accounting
    151 Graduates
  • Psychology
    147 Graduates
  • Social Sciences
    144 Graduates
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management
    123 Graduates
  • Marketing
    95 Graduates
  • Finance
    65 Graduates
  • Public Relations
    64 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
9,103Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
16%
Pell Grant
36%
Varsity Athletes
5%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 59 responses
Report
  • Washintonian (native to washington)
    42%
  • Kind
    22%
  • Coastie (Seattle area natives)
    17%
  • Open. Willing to try new things/meet new people.
    10%
  • Conservsative
    3%
  • Diverse
    3%
  • Selfish
    2%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
—
Poll
74%
of students say they don't have Greek life.91 responses
Poll
50%
of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.127 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 69 responses
Report
  • Great for education majors
    33%
  • Diverse
    22%
  • Affordable
    20%
  • Involved. There's a place for everyone here
    10%
  • 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
48%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
91%
National
83%
87%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.71 responses
Colleges like Central Washington University
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Central Washington University Reviews

1,314 reviews
All Categories
What I really like about CWU is that it's a really nice environment and it makes you feel welcome and at home once you, for example, take a tour on campus or go through the events of the first 5 days here after moving in. It's also a very diverse and a very spirited university, everyone is really spirited even the upperclassmen here. College is hard but it's also fun and interesting and you get to explore around your majors and academics and go to events, see your interests in clubs, etc. I hope whoever reads this has the time to go through a tour here at Central and hopefully feels determined to come here and enjoy the excitement this university shows proudly. If not, it's okay!
Review Central Washington University
My Central Washington University experience has been great! The staff are great people who help out whenever you're in need of it. The professors are also great who get the material across in an understandable manner. They're are quick to respond to your emails and to find them in their office hours for extra help. All resources are easy to access around campus. They're are many programs to help out students whether they are first year or senior students. Central Washington continues to grow and I continue to having a great experience with this University.
This university was the perfect fit for me! Ellensburg is far enough from the city, but not too secluded. So I always feel like there's something to do. CWU has the perfect class sizes for people who enjoy getting to know their professors. I think my largest class had 80 people in it, and my smallest had 15. I work as an RA in the residence halls. So I can tell you that they are fantastic places to meet new people. My only complaint about this university is that there is not much school pride. But, the university is working hard to change that.