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Central Washington University: cost, admission and results

Central Washington University is a public college in Ellensburg, Washington. It has about 7,833 undergraduate students. It admits 91% of applicants. The average net price for students with federal aid is $21,201 a year.

At a glance

  • 91%Admission rate
  • $21,201Net price a year
  • 51%Graduation rate
  • $65,578Median earnings, 10 years on
Location
Ellensburg, Washington 98926
Type
Public
Degrees
Mostly bachelor's degrees (four-year)
Setting
Town some way from a city
Undergraduate students
7,833
Graduate students
494
Students per teacher
15 to 1
Accredited by
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Website
cwu.edu

Getting in

Central Washington University admits 91% of those who apply, which makes it open to most applicants. The median admission rate of colleges on this site that report one is 77%.

What it costs

Tuition and fees, students from Washington$9,655
Tuition and fees, students from elsewhere$28,362
Room and meals on campus$16,814
Books and supplies$900
Average full cost of a year (tuition, living, books), before aid$32,722
Average net price after grants and scholarships$21,201

The net price is what students who got federal aid paid on average for a year after grants and scholarships were taken off (for a public college, students from inside the state). It is 11% above the median net price of colleges in Washington on this site ($19,020). International students are normally charged the out-of-state tuition and do not receive US federal aid.

Net price by family income

Family income a yearAverage net price
Up to $30,000$15,410
$30,001 to $48,000$15,245
$48,001 to $75,000$18,026
$75,001 to $110,000$24,509
Above $110,000$29,759

For students who received federal aid. A negative figure means grants were larger than the cost counted.

For an estimate that fits your own family, use the college's net price calculator.

Results

MeasureThis collegeWA medianUS median
Students who come back for a second year70%78%73%
Students who finish their degree (within one and a half times the normal length)51%39%49%
Median earnings 10 years after starting$65,578$56,341$53,132
Median federal loan debt of those who finish$19,170$14,790$19,994

Medians are the middle value of the colleges on this site in Washington and in the whole country. Completion and return rates count first-time, full-time students. Earnings and debt count students who received federal aid.

The students

31% of undergraduates receive a Pell Grant, the federal grant for students from lower-income families. 28% take a federal student loan. The undergraduate body is 53% women and 47% men. By undergraduate numbers it is number 4 of the 56 colleges in Washington on this site that report a size; the middle-sized one has 2,390.

Other colleges in Washington of a similar size

Common questions

What is the acceptance rate of Central Washington University?

Central Washington University admits 91% of applicants, according to the College Scorecard.

How much is tuition at Central Washington University?

Published tuition and fees are $9,655 a year for students from Washington and $28,362 for others. Most students with aid pay less: see the net price.

What is the graduation rate of Central Washington University?

51% of first-time, full-time students finish within one and a half times the normal length of the course.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.

All colleges in Washington How to read these figures