Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington · Also known as CWU · Website
$61,580
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$61,580
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Central Washington University is a public 4-year college in Ellensburg, Washington with 7,833 undergraduates and 494 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $18,476 a year (tuition and fees $9,417 in-state, $27,526 out-of-state). It admits 91% of applicants and 54% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $61,580 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $19,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$18,476
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$9,417
Out-of-state $27,526
Admission rate
91%
US median 78%
Completion rate
54%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$19,500
About $207 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$61,580
Rank 703 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $18,476
- Tuition in-state
- $9,417
- Tuition out-of-state
- $27,526
- Cost of attendance
- $28,816
- Students with a need-based grant
- 28%
- Students with federal loans
- 31%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,846
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $13,942
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $16,022
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $21,682
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $26,719
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $8,688 in 2015-16 to $9,417 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 91%
- Undergraduates
- 7,833
- Graduate students
- 494
- Part-time students
- 13%
- Women
- 53%
- Students per teacher
- 15
- Completion rate
- 54%
- Retention rate
- 70%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 189
- Endowment
- $60.2M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 703 of 5,094 US colleges and 22 of 87 in Washington (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | WA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $18,476 | $14,091 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $9,417 | $8,256 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 91% | 83% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 54% | 50% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 70% | 80% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $19,500 | $13,653 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $49,398 | $42,696 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $61,580 | $47,869 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 62% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 76% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
189 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 274 | $18,834 | $36,964 | $54,530 | $50,706 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 211 | $20,205 | $47,359 | $59,659 | $47,382 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 191 | $18,500 | $49,791 | $73,036 | $68,257 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 140 | $19,500 | $44,172 | $60,761 | $55,378 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 116 | $22,068 | $49,177 | $61,604 | $51,389 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 115 | $16,500 | $55,215 | $74,442 | $76,194 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 96 | $13,000 | $35,268 | $47,979 | $54,562 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 77 | $19,435 | $52,362 | $95,368 | $107,009 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 74 | $21,950 | $36,466 | $63,608 | $52,657 |
| Education, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 68 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $65,824 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 67 | $20,036 | $27,832 | $41,971 | $48,471 |
| Air TransportationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 67 | $20,000 | $40,025 | $74,997 | $85,825 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 53 | $20,137 | $56,049 | $72,838 | $92,374 |
| Social Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $18,584 | $42,332 | $58,680 | $53,366 |
| Human Services, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 43 | $17,523 | $36,644 | $54,318 | $48,597 |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 39 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 33 | $20,326 | $42,137 | $62,435 | $58,808 |
| Construction ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $24,120 | $81,666 | $97,651 | $95,124 |
| MusicBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | $26,000 | $25,532 | $51,008 | $42,892 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's | Bachelor's | 28 | $22,190 | $65,871 | $84,871 | $82,073 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessMaster's | Master's | 28 | $23,950 | $61,551 | $69,174 | $62,033 |
| Film/Video and Photographic ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $22,118 | $23,126 | $45,152 | $43,765 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | Withheld | Withheld | $53,987 | $60,190 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $14,385 | $39,220 | $64,361 | $63,293 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Ellensburg and Washington on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Washington
- Homes: Homes for sale in Washington
Questions and answers
How much does Central Washington University cost?
$18,476 a year is the average net price at Central Washington University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $9,417 for in-state students and $27,526 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $28,816. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,846 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Central Washington University?
91% of applicants are admitted to Central Washington University. The median admission rate of colleges in Washington is 83%.
How much do Central Washington University graduates earn?
$61,580 a year is the median pay of former Central Washington University students who work, 10 years after they started ($49,398 after 6 years). That ranks 703 of 5,094 US colleges and 22 of 87 in Washington. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Construction Management (Bachelor's) at $81,666.
How much student debt do Central Washington University graduates have?
$19,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Central Washington University graduates, about $207 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 31% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Central Washington University?
54% of first-time, full-time students at Central Washington University finish within 6 years. 70% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Central Washington University?
Psychology, General (274 bachelor's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (211 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (191 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 189 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.