_
U.S. News Rankings
| Ranking score and category | |||||
|
|||||
Summary
Central Washington University is a public institution that was founded in 1891. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 11,052, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 380 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. Central Washington University's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities (West), 44. Its in-state tuition and fees are $7,827 (2011-12); out-of-state tuition and fees are $18,597 (2011-12).
Nearly all students who attend Central Washington University (CWU), a public school in Ellensburg, are state residents. In fact, just about 5 percent of freshmen are from outside the state. CWU has about 30 clubs and organizations for students to check out, from the Rodeo Club to the Trombone Studio. Students can also get involved in several academic hubs on campus, including the Center for Excellence in Leadership and the Center for Student Empowerment. On the sports fields, the CWU Wildcats compete in the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). Graduate students can complete degrees through the Central Washington University Department of Art, among other departments. Notable alumni of Central Washington University include Dallas Cowboys quarterback Jon Kitna, who led the Wildcats to a national football championship while at CWU, and Doug Wood, chief operating officer of clothing manufacturer Tommy Bahama.
| School mission (as provided by the school): | |
|
Central Washington University places a premium on teaching and creating opportunities for faculty and students to learn and discover together. Small classes and faculty passionate about teaching enable CWU to focus on one student at a time. The largest classroom at CWU holds 80 students, but the average class size is just 25. Real professors, not teaching assistants, teach all of our classes. CWU's devotion to discovery and individual attention takes students beyond books. Students get to do what they're studying in real-world settings. Musicians perform at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. Athletes compete at the 67,000-seat Qwest Field. Construction management students build a real house. Geology students site earthquake-monitoring stations on Mt. St. Helens. Future teachers work with students in a real high school classroom on campus. CWU uses research to ignite curious young minds and to enhance the learning relationship among professors and students. Putting knowledge to work in real-world settings makes learning exciting and relevant, and uniquely prepares CWU graduates for a host of careers. Learning isn't just a classroom activity, it's also the way students live: Living Learning Communities bring together in residence halls students who share interests, from music to Latin culture and more. CWU offers a wide variety of baccalaureate degrees in applied and professional fields that are based upon a strong core of arts and sciences. The CWU College of Business is one of only 5 percent in the world accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The Global Wine Studies program is the only program on the West Coast that prepares students for the business side of wine, from marketing and importing to tasting and sales. CWU also offers one of the only degree programs in aviation on the West Coast. The College of Education is the sixth largest college of education in the nation and one of the best, placed in the top 1 percent nationally in a recent national review. Fully accredited by NCATE, the College of Education offers high-demand programs in teaching special education and middle-level math and science. The Department of Music is the Northwest's premier music program, recognized regionally and nationally in everything from opera and jazz, to symphonic, band and choral studies. The Jerilyn S. McIntyre music building has earned four national awards for acoustic and design excellence. The Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute is the only program in America studying and promoting communication between humans and non-humans. The geology department operates 500 GPS stations from California to Canada, predicting where earthquakes will strike and protecting the safety of highways, dams and ferry piers. Funded by NSF, NASA, and the US Geological Survey, the network is the sole provider of this expertise in the Pacific Northwest. Renewable energy and sustainable technology programs draw upon the region's plentiful sunshine, bio-mass, and wind to prepare students for careers in clean energy. The new Hogue Hall is a state-of the-art facility for education that teaches students "green construction" technology and promotes Central's century-old campus is both welcoming and beautiful featuring historic buildings, state-of-the art science facilities and a student union and recreation building second to none. The campus is a short walk from historic down-town Ellensburg, where students will find eclectic shops and restaurants and a thriving farmers' market. Set in the heart of the beautiful Kittitas Valley near the Stuart Mountain range, CWU is close to excellent skiing and mountain biking. The nearby Yakima River offers some of the finest fly-fishing in the western United States. The Columbia River, 45 minutes east of campus, is a wonderful setting for concerts and for exploring the natural wonders of one of the world's largest rivers. |
General Information
| School type | public, coed college |
| Year founded | 1891 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | quarter |
| Setting | rural |
| 2010 Endowment | $14,562,583 |
Applying
When applying to Central Washington University, it's important to note the application deadline is April 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due May 1. The application fee at Central Washington University is $55. It is selective, with an acceptance rate of 81.4 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | selective |
| Fall 2010 acceptance rate | 81% |
| Application deadline | April 1 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | May 1 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Central Washington University is 21:1, and the school has 39.5 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Central Washington University include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Education; Social Sciences; Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services; and Visual and Performing Arts. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 76.2 percent.
| Class sizes | |||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
| Student-faculty ratio | 21:1 | ||||||||||
| 4-year graduation rate | 27% - Medium | ||||||||||
| Five most popular majors for 2010 graduates | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Student Life
Central Washington University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 11,052, with a gender distribution of 49.6 percent male students and 50.4 percent female students. 34.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 66.0 percent of students live off campus. Central Washington University is part of the NCAA II athletic conference.
| Total enrollment | 11,614 |
| Student gender distribution | |
|
|
|
| Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity | |
|
|
|
| Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority | |
|
|
|
| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA II |
Campus Info & Services
Central Washington University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. Central Washington University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Central Washington University.
| Students who have cars on campus | N/A |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Central Washington University, 70.9 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $7,438.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| In-state tuition and fees | $7,827 (2011-12) |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $18,597 (2011-12) |
| Room and board | $9,000 (2011-12) - Medium |
| Financial aid statistics | |
|
|
|
* Overview details based on 2010 data
