Colleges / Central Washington University
College · Public · Ellensburg, WA · Town
CWU

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA

Address400 East University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926
Websitewww.cwu.edu
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate91%
6-yr median pay$49k
Net price / yr$18k
Undergrad size7,833
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $18k/yr for a shot at a $49k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of 91% means this is workable if your grades and essays are solid.

If you get in

7,833 undergrads. Small. You will know your cohort.

Where you live

Town setting — self-contained, social life mostly on campus.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $29k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $18k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$115k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$74k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$41k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback1.5x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$9.4k
Tuition · out-of-state
$27.5k
Room & board
$16.5k
Books & supplies
$900

How students pay for it.

Pell grants28%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans31%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$20k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $9k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention70%
Watch this number.
Graduation · 6 yr54%
A meaningful chunk do not finish — ask why.
6-yr median pay$49k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$62k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out0%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
Town
Control
Public
Undergrad size
7,833
Location
Ellensburg, WA
Region
Far West (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)
Carnegie class
Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Size & setting
Four-year · medium · primarily residential
Undergrad program
Four-year · full-time, inclusive, higher transfer-in
Accreditor
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Also known as
CWU
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White56%
  • Hispanic23%
  • Two or more races8%
  • Black5%
  • Asian4%
  • International2%
  • Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander1%
  • Unknown1%
  • American Indian / Alaska Native1%
First-gen students40%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time13%
Mixed full-time and part-time.
Veterans1%
Share using veteran education benefits.
Median family income$42k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 113

What you can study.

Colleges / Central Washington University
College · Public · Ellensburg, WA · Town
CWU

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, WA

Address400 East University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926
Websitewww.cwu.edu
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate91%
6-yr median pay$49k
Net price / yr$18k
Undergrad size7,833
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $18k/yr for a shot at a $49k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of 91% means this is workable if your grades and essays are solid.

If you get in

7,833 undergrads. Small. You will know your cohort.

Where you live

Town setting — self-contained, social life mostly on campus.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $29k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $18k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$115k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$74k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$41k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback1.5x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$9.4k
Tuition · out-of-state
$27.5k
Room & board
$16.5k
Books & supplies
$900

How students pay for it.

Pell grants28%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans31%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$20k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $9k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention70%
Watch this number.
Graduation · 6 yr54%
A meaningful chunk do not finish — ask why.
6-yr median pay$49k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$62k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out0%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
Town
Control
Public
Undergrad size
7,833
Location
Ellensburg, WA
Region
Far West (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)
Carnegie class
Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Size & setting
Four-year · medium · primarily residential
Undergrad program
Four-year · full-time, inclusive, higher transfer-in
Accreditor
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Also known as
CWU
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White56%
  • Hispanic23%
  • Two or more races8%
  • Black5%
  • Asian4%
  • International2%
  • Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander1%
  • Unknown1%
  • American Indian / Alaska Native1%
First-gen students40%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time13%
Mixed full-time and part-time.
Veterans1%
Share using veteran education benefits.
Median family income$42k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 113

What you can study.