Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublic

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington·Public, 4-year or above·Far West·cwu.edu
6-yr Graduation
54%
-4.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
10,811
peer median 10,493
Avg net price
$18,476
+$3.9k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
8,919
8,919 candidates competed
Admitted
8,082
90.6% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,619
20.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
54%-4.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
36%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
54%
Full-time retention
70%

Pell equity

13.4pp gap
Pell recipients
45%243 of 540
Non-Pell (all)
58%573 of 982
Subsidized loan, no Pell
57%118 of 207
No Federal Aid
59%455 of 775

Non-Pell students graduate at a 13.4-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 146 Title IV programs, 47 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 98 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
146
Passing
47
32.2% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
0.7% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.7%
+0.1pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

146programs
  • Passing47 · 32.2%
  • No Data98 · 67.1%
  • Failing1 · 0.7%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
8
Safe
37
No data
98

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

48
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-13.5%
$33,800 vs $39,073
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+3.0%
$40,251 vs $39,073
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+7.4%
$41,971 vs $39,073
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+10.3%
$43,101 vs $39,073
Parks Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+11.3%
$43,480 vs $39,073
Anthropology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+12.8%
$44,089 vs $39,073
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+15.6%
$45,152 vs $39,073
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Master's Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
+17.3%
$62,984 vs $53,672

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+3.0%
+$1,178

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

43
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
75%
$25,500 debt · $33,800 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
58%
$23,488 debt · $40,251 earn
Parks Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
53%
$23,050 debt · $43,480 earn
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
53%
$26,999 debt · $51,008 earn
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
50%
$25,250 debt · $50,776 earn
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
47%
$19,865 debt · $41,971 earn
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
47%
$21,000 debt · $45,152 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Master's Degree · Education
41%
$33,223 debt · $81,827 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Accredited since 1918Next review Oct 2025

Programmatic accreditations · 5

Action history · 9

  1. Apr 2025Voluntary Withdrawal Received
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
  2. Apr 2025Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
  3. Nov 2024Voluntary Withdrawal Received
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
  4. Jul 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  5. Jul 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$11,846
$30–48k$13,942
$48–75k$16,022
$75–110k$21,682
$110k+$26,719

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$18,476
+$3,883vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $14,594
Federal loans
31.3%
In-state tuition
$9,417
Out-of-state
$27,526

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 3,538 students received $20.4M in Pell grants, alongside $40.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
3,538
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$20.4M
$20,440,098 total
Direct Loans
$40.0M
5,840 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

4k
’20
4k
’21
3k
’22
3k
’23
4k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$9.1M
2,246 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$10.5M
2,420 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$4.0M
268 loan awards
Parent PLUS$15.8M
860 loan awards
Grad PLUS$756K
46 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 3,061 borrowers who entered repayment, 58 (1.8%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.8%
-0.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
3,061
Defaulted
58
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
5.8%
2017
6.9%
2018
5.2%
2019
1.8%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Central Washington

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs122
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,996 total completions
01Business
40520.3%
02Education
39819.9%
03Computer Sciences
27313.7%
04Psychology
24812.4%
05Visual/Performing Arts
1768.8%
06Social Sciences
1577.9%
07Parks/Recreation
1085.4%
08Security/Protective
1065.3%
09English Language
633.2%
10Biological Sciences
623.1%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
10,811
12-mo unduplicated
24,383
Undergraduate
23,522
Graduate
861

Gender split

Men
45%10,943
Women
55%13,440

Race / ethnicity composition

White
55.5%
Hispanic
23.0%
Two or more
8.2%
Black
4.7%
Asian
4.3%
Non-resident
2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.9%
Unknown
0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.5%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
415
235 M · 180 W
Women athletes
43.4%
Athletic aid
$2.9M
Total student aid
Budget
$10.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.7M
$1.2M
Recruiting expense
$38K
$25K
Head-coach salaries
$78K
$76K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 8

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
36 M · 81 W
$875K
Football
116 M · —
$2.2M
Other Sports
46 M · 36 W
$1.0M
Baseball
33 M · —
$436K
Soccer
— · 32 W
$492K
Basketball
16 M · 14 W
$1.3M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.82
16 offenses · 8,796 students

3-year trend

1.772 yrs ago2.701 yr ago1.82Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
59
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
54
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
8
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
5

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
7
Burglary
3
Fondling
3
Aggravated assault
2
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

16total
  • On campus16

Includes 14 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

8
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
12
Stalking
20 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race2

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons01
Drugs211
Liquor257

Residence-hall fires

  • Barto Hall1 fire
    OtherDamage $0-$99

Data quality: 4 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
15.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
393

Central Washington vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Central Washington selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectCentral Washington University
54%—10,811$18,476Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Eastern Washington University
43%90.7%10,492$13,886Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Western Washington University
65%93.2%14,710$21,193Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
65%90.6%6,058$12,319Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
63%82.5%4,965$10,163Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Alaska Anchorage
28%66.5%10,493$15,301Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median59%90.6%10,493$14,594

Institutions like Central Washington

Explore the federal data for institutions in Central Washington's comparison group.

IPEDS

Central Washington Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning (IERP)
Phone
(509) 963-1111
Address
400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA 98926

Through collaboration with campus partners and data stewards, Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning (IERP) provides accurate and timely information about the university’s students, faculty, and staff to inform strategic decisions by the university’s executive leadership and other academic and administrative units.

Visit IR office page

Common Data Set

Central Washington's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
93.5%
Accessible
Yield
20.4%
of admitted students enroll
Student–faculty ratio
16.6 to 1
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
8,442
Admitted
7,894
Enrolled
1,612

8,442 applied → 7,894 admitted (93.5%) → 1,612 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
93.5%

Accessible — 93.5% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
Men89.3%
Women91.6%

Admit rates are similar across genders (Men 89.3%, Women 91.6%).

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important1
Academic Grade Point Average (GPA)
Considered3
Rigor of secondary school recordRecommendationsApplication essay
Not Considered14
Class rankStandardized test scoresInterviewExtracurricular activitiesTalent/abilityCharacter/personal qualitiesFirst generationAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceState residencyReligious affiliation/commitmentVolunteer workWork experienceLevel of applicant's interest

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Where grant aid comes from

H1
State51.5%
Federal41.7%
Institutional6.4%
External0.4%

6% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
55%
Avg debt
$23,255

55% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $23,255 on average.

03

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2 - 9 students72
10 - 19 students199
20 - 29 students185
30 - 39 students102
40 - 49 students38
50 - 59 students18
100+ students7

0% of classes have under 20 students; 1% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
16.6 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
27%
Women faculty
47%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Business/marketing18.03%
Education14.37%
Psychology11.06%
Computer and information sciences8.75%
Social sciences7.95%
Homeland Security, law enforcement, firefighting, and protective services5.48%
Visual and performing arts5.31%
Engineering technologies3.27%

STEM-dominant: ~17% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

04

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
1,666
Admitted
1,407
Enrolled
782

1,666 transfer applicants → 1,407 admitted (84.5%) → 782 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Central Washington University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Central Washington.

What is the graduation rate at Central Washington University?

Central Washington University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 54% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Central Washington University?

Central Washington University reports a total enrollment of 10,811 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Central Washington University?

The average net price at Central Washington University is $18,476 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Central Washington University?

Central Washington University's yield rate is 20.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Central Washington University located?

Central Washington University is located in Ellensburg, Washington 98926.

Who runs Institutional Research at Central Washington University?

Central Washington University's IR work is done by the Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning (IERP).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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