Regional university
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $18,476 a year
Median debt at graduation: $19,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.54%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.70%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.15 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$11,278
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $28,816 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 8,309 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 47% · Women 53% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 40% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 6% |
| Total students | 8,796 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $18,476 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $28,816 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 54% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 57% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 57% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 62% |
| First-year retention | 70% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $61,580 |
| Admission rate | 91% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $60 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,108 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 28% |
Value: Very good · Top 21% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians | |
| Construction Management | |
| Allied health | |
| Computer science | |
| Economics | |
| Mechanical engineering technology | |
| Chemistry | |
| Air Transportation | |
| Accounting | |
| Business administration | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Public relations | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Political science | |
| Sociology | |
| Public health | |
| Secondary education | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Physiology and pathology | |
| Teacher education | |
| Social sciences | |
| Communication studies | |
| Nutrition Sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Family and human development | |
| Psychology | |
| Human services | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Geography | |
| Music | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| History | |
| Film and video | |
| Anthropology | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | |
| English | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Fine arts | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): American Sign Language, Applied mathematics, Area studies, Arts management, Behavioral Sciences, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Biochemistry, Botany/Plant Biology, Business (general), Business operations, Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Construction Engineering Technology/Technician, Counseling and mental health, Culinary arts, Dance, Data Analytics, Data Science, Design, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Education (general), Electrical engineering technology, Energy Systems Technologies/Technicians, Engineering Physics, Entrepreneurship, Ethnic and gender studies, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, Finance, Foods, Nutrition,, General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations, German, Gerontology, Hospitality management, Human resources, Industrial technology, Information technology, Insurance, Interdisciplinary studies, Journalism, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Management information systems, Management science, Managerial economics, Marketing, Mathematics, Mechanical engineering, Medical assisting, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Museology/Museum Studies, Natural Sciences, Other biological and biomedical sciences, Other family and consumer sciences/human sciences, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies, Philosophy, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Physical Sciences, Physics, Pre-health, Pre-law and legal studies, Public Policy Analysis, Religious studies, Romance languages, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Software and media applications, Special education, Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations, Speech-language pathology, Visual and performing arts, Zoology/Animal Biology.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Education | |
| Psychology | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Social sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Town |
| Part-time undergraduates | 13% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 20% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $16,480 |
| Sports | NCAA Division II · Great Northwest Athletic Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 15 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 9%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 65%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $6,398IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 51% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Tri Cities Airport (PSC)About 84 miles away · about 2 hours 15 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)About 89 miles away |
| Town population | 20,874Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | SeattleAbout 95 miles away · about 2 hours 15 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 30°F in January · 72°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Ellensburg Bowers Field, WA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.07 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.02 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.03 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.01 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Central Washington University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Central Washington University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $18,476 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Central Washington University?
- Central Washington University admitted 91% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Central Washington University’s graduates do?
- 54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $61,580; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 234827
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
- Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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