Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA
90.6%
Acceptance Rate
$9,417
Avg Cost (In-State)
$27,526
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
51.6%
Graduation Rate
7,833
Total Enrollment
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
Rolling admissions
Common App
No
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
0
Letters of Rec
0
Application Fee
$60
Interview
Not required
Essays: No essay required for standard admission
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$49,398
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$61,580
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
52%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | $49,791 | $73,036 | 401 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General. | $56,049 | $72,838 | 234 |
| Psychology, General. | $36,964 | $54,530 | 201 |
| Accounting and Related Services. | $55,215 | $74,442 | 163 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections. | $44,172 | $60,761 | 157 |
| Biology, General. | $36,401 | $56,154 | 85 |
| Social Sciences, General. | $42,332 | $58,680 | 78 |
| Sociology. | $36,466 | $63,608 | 65 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
WA College Bound Scholarship
~$30k valueWashington pays full tuition + $500 book stipend at WA publics for low-income kids who sign the pledge in 7th-8th grade and stay on track.
Who it helps: Low-income WA 7th-8th graders. Must enroll before HS.
How to use: Enroll at readysetgrad.wa.gov by end of 8th grade. File FAFSA senior year.
Source ↗Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Washington College Bound Scholarship
Full tuition + $500/books at public WA colleges
stateWA students who sign up in 7th or 8th grade, graduate high school, and have family income at or below 65% of state MFI.
Deadline: June 30 of 8th grade year (sign-up)
Learn more ↗WSU Cougar Award
$2,500-$10,000/year
universityTop WSU incoming freshmen via tiered automatic merit grid.
Deadline: January 31
Learn more ↗WA Passport to College Promise (Foster Care)
Up to $4,500/year
stateWA former foster youth attending WA postsecondary institutions.
Deadline: FAFSA/WASFA
Learn more ↗WA State Need Grant (Tier 2)
Varies
stateWA residents with family income 65-100% MFI; partial WCG award.
Deadline: FAFSA/WASFA
Learn more ↗UW Husky Promise
Full tuition + fees for low-income WA residents
universityWA residents at or below federal Pell level admitted to UW Seattle.
Deadline: FAFSA + admission
Learn more ↗UW Stamps Leadership Scholarship
Full cost of attendance + summer enrichment
universityTop ~5 UW freshmen via competitive Stamps process.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Whitman College Distinguished Scholarship
$10,000-$20,000/year
universityTop Whitman freshmen via competitive merit-based review.
Deadline: January 1
Learn more ↗Seattle Foundation Scholarships
$500-$5,000+
localKing County / Seattle area students.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗U Washington Costco Diversity Scholarship
$2,500-$10,000/year + Costco internship
universityUnderrepresented WA students at UW with academic merit.
Deadline: January 15
Learn more ↗Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 90.6% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
90.62%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
33.0%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
36.0%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
95.0%
% in-state
Residents of the college's home state
25.0%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
30.0%
Yield rate
Share of admitted students who enroll
72.0%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
53.0%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Demonstrated interest
Considered
Visiting, attending info sessions and opening admissions emails meaningfully helps your chances. Track your touchpoints.
Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
Missouri State University-Springfield
Springfield, MO
90.5% acceptance
Both admit around 91% of applicants, with 13k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
University of California-Merced
Merced, CA
90.5% acceptance
Both admit around 91% of applicants, with 8k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
Georgia State University-Perimeter College
Atlanta, GA
90.8% acceptance
Both admit around 91% of applicants, with 14k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
91.3% acceptance
Similar selectivity (91% vs 91%) but out-of-state cost runs $20k — meaningfully less than $28k.
California State University-Fresno
Fresno, CA
95.3% acceptance
Similar selectivity (95% vs 91%) but out-of-state cost runs $20k — meaningfully less than $28k.
California State University-Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA
93.3% acceptance
Similar selectivity (93% vs 91%) but out-of-state cost runs $20k — meaningfully less than $28k.
Reaches above this college
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR
77.3% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but more selective (77% vs 91%) — a stretch target if Central Washington University is already on your list.
University of Idaho
Moscow, ID
75.5% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but more selective (76% vs 91%) — a stretch target if Central Washington University is already on your list.
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT
67.8% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but more selective (68% vs 91%) — a stretch target if Central Washington University is already on your list.
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