Central Washington University

Public · Moderately Selective · WA

Photo: Steven Pavlov (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationWA · West

SettingRural

Undergrads7,833

Student:faculty15:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate36.5%

6-yr grad rate53.6%

Drop-out rate30%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$9k

Out-of-state tuition$28k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity44.5%

Gender diversity53.5%

International2%

Identity—

Overview

Central Washington University, in Ellensburg, is a public university on the dry, sunny side of the Cascades, serving as a regional hub between the Seattle metro area and the agricultural interior of the state. Its identity blends a classic small-college-town feel with programs that reach well beyond its size, particularly in teacher education and aviation.

Academics

Teacher education is the historic core, tracing back to the university's founding as a normal school, and it remains one of the region's steadier pipelines into public school classrooms. Aviation, music, and accounting are also recognized strengths, an unusual combination that gives Central a broader academic profile than its regional-university label might suggest. Its primate research program, built around chimpanzees taught sign language, is a distinctive research asset tied to the psychology department and known well beyond the campus itself.

Campus & student life

Ellensburg is a small town, and campus life is correspondingly close-knit, with a strong sense of place shaped by the surrounding ranch land, the Yakima River canyon nearby, and near-constant wind that is something of a local running joke. Wildcat athletics compete at the Division II level, and the small-town setting makes campus itself the center of social life rather than an off-campus city scene.

Getting in

Admission is accessible, with the university positioning itself as a solid, affordable option for Washington residents, particularly those drawn to teacher preparation or its other named strengths.

Worth knowing

The proximity to both the Seattle side of the state and serious outdoor recreation — climbing, skiing, and rivers — gives Central a geographic advantage that its size alone would not suggest, and the primate research center is a genuine point of national visibility for a university of its scale.

cwu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate90.6%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying