# Central Washington University (CWU)

Public college in Ellensburg, WA. IPEDS ID 234827.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/central-washington-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/central-washington-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 91% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $18,476 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 54%; beats 69% of WA colleges and 49% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $61,580; beats 73% of WA colleges and 73% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $13,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,846 |
| 30-48k | $13,942 |
| 48-75k | $16,022 |
| 75-110k | $21,682 |
| 110k+ | $26,719 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.43 years on average (32% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $61,580 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $40,219 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,846 | $52,478 | 2.5 years |
| 30-48k | $13,942 | $61,763 | 2.9 years |
| 48-75k | $16,022 | $70,977 | 3.3 years |
| 75-110k | $21,682 | $96,051 | 4.5 years |
| 110k+ | $26,719 | $118,365 | 5.5 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $28,816 in-state; about $46,925 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $9,417 in-state, $27,526 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $16,314; books: $900

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 6,829 applicants, 6,161 admitted, 1,568 enrolled; test scores not considered
- Fall 2024: acceptance 91%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 90%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (113 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies / Technicians | $77,500 | $97,869 | $25,833 |
| Construction Management | $81,666 | $97,651 | $26,999 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | $97,263 | not reported |
| Computer Science | $52,362 | $95,368 | $19,467 |
| Economics | $52,129 | $88,799 | $15,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians | $65,871 | $84,871 | $22,380 |
| Chemistry | not reported | $75,905 | $24,607 |
| Air Transportation | $40,025 | $74,997 | $19,500 |
| Accounting | $55,215 | $74,442 | $17,650 |
| Business Administration | $49,791 | $73,036 | $20,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $56,049 | $72,838 | $24,408 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $40,976 | $66,538 | $23,342 |
| Apparel and Textiles | $51,494 | $65,815 | $19,444 |
| Political Science | $39,220 | $64,361 | $16,936 |
| Sociology | $36,466 | $63,608 | $25,000 |
| Public Health | $42,137 | $62,435 | $20,326 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $49,177 | $61,604 | $23,377 |
| Criminal Justice | $44,172 | $60,761 | $21,954 |
| Physiology | $30,340 | $60,299 | $20,500 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $47,359 | $59,659 | $20,205 |
| Social Sciences | $42,332 | $58,680 | $26,181 |
| Communications | $35,820 | $56,862 | $18,572 |
| Nutrition Science | $30,113 | $56,735 | $23,285 |
| Biology | $36,401 | $56,154 | $25,790 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $27,006 | $54,858 | $21,000 |
| Psychology | $36,964 | $54,530 | $19,500 |
| Human Services | $36,644 | $54,318 | $19,893 |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | $53,987 | not reported |
| Geography | $23,553 | $53,081 | not reported |
| Music | $25,532 | $51,008 | $26,000 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $29,725 | $50,776 | $20,000 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | $32,808 | $50,318 | $22,975 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $35,268 | $47,979 | $17,848 |
| History | $35,747 | $45,990 | $25,250 |
| Film and Photography | $23,126 | $45,152 | $23,000 |
| Anthropology | $20,318 | $44,089 | $22,500 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | $28,140 | $43,480 | $23,333 |
| English | not reported | $43,101 | not reported |
| Writing | $27,832 | $41,971 | $23,224 |
| Studio Art | $26,123 | $40,251 | $25,000 |
| Theatre | $24,674 | $33,800 | $24,752 |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Journalism | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Software and Media Applications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Information Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Construction Engineering Technology / Technician | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Engineering Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Energy Systems Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| American Sign Language | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Legal Studies / Paralegal | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Botany / Plant Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Zoology / Animal Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Gerontology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Museology / Museum Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Behavioral Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Natural Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Data Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Data Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Arts and Entertainment Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pre-Med / Pre-Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dietetics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Operations Support and Assistant Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Finance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Hospitality Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Resources | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Information Systems | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Science / Analytics | $81,377 | not reported | not reported |
| Marketing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Insurance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage not reported (metro), $109,170 (WA), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer: median wage not reported (metro), $166,540 (WA), $135,980 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).