Basic Information

Type Public
Geographical Reach Regional
Location Ellensburg, WA
Population 55,000
Map of the United States

Weather

Comfortable Days 125 (91% 😎) very dry
Sunshine Hours 2,660 (59%)
Days Without Precipitation 252 (59%)

Honors College

Name William O. Douglas Honors College
Students 400 (5%)

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 7,395
Men / Women 47% / 53%
From State 94%
From Region 2%
Athletes 6.7%

Racial/Ethnic

White 55%
Hispanic 24%
Mixed 8%
Black 5%
Asian 4%
International 2%
Native American 1%

Schools & Majors

Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
Central Washington University 2,017 43% / 57% 3% $56,281 60 93%
Computer Science 58 90% / 10% 9% $97,978 97 100%
Data Science 1 100% / 0% 100% $79,608 89
Information Technology 155 +2 60% / 40% 6% $67,687 79 90%
Applied Mathematics 4 +2 25% / 75% 0% $75,673 86
Chemistry 15 +2 60% / 40% 0% $55,072 57 100%
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences 2 0% / 100% 0% $51,127 46 95%
Geosciences 21 67% / 33% 0% $51,127 46 95%
Mathematics 1 100% / 0% 0% $75,606 86 100%
Physics 11 73% / 27% 0% $51,872 49 94%
Biology 60 +1 33% / 67% 2% $46,972 34 92%
Culinary Arts and Related Services $49,669 42
Environmental Studies 12 33% / 67% 0% $41,261 18 100%
Nutrition Sciences 15 13% / 87% 0% $49,803 43 94%
Emergency Medical Technology/Technician (EMT Paramedic) 15 73% / 27% 0% $98,850 98 100%
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 52 52% / 48% 0% $39,775 15 100%
Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician 11 82% / 18% 0% $85,158 93 100%
Public Health 27 4% / 96% 7% $50,903 46 93%
Public Health Education and Promotion $50,903 46
Sign Language Interpretation and Translation 2 0% / 100% 0% $53,002 52
Accounting 67 +3 42% / 58% 7% $67,372 79 94%
Actuarial Science 4 75% / 25% 25% $108,254 99 100%
Apparel and Textile Marketing Management 8 12% / 88% 12% $43,930 25 94%
Business Management and Administration 237 +15 50% / 50% 7% $60,483 68 92%
Economics 13 +5 85% / 15% 8% $66,635 78 86%
Entrepreneurship 13 +2 46% / 54% 8% $57,206 62
Financial Planning and Services 2 100% / 0% 0% $72,995 84
Hospitality Management 22 9% / 91% 14% $46,374 32
Logistics 1 0% / 100% 0% $60,483 68 92%
Risk Management and Insurance 2 50% / 50% 0% $81,272 90
Special Products Marketing Operations 6 50% / 50% 17% $57,434 62
Sports Management 28 +1 61% / 39% 7% $39,775 15 100%
Anthropology 21 +4 38% / 62% 0% $33,691 7 85%
Behavioral Sciences 3 +1 33% / 67% 0% $44,084 26
Communication 22 55% / 45% 0% $48,777 40 91%
Creative Writing 43 +1 30% / 70% 2% $37,736 11 95%
English 7 29% / 71% 0% $39,245 14 87%
Family Systems 10 0% / 100% 0% $49,322 41 94%
Family and Consumer Sciences 1 0% / 100% 0% $48,195 38
French 2 50% / 50% 0% $52,151 49 92%
Geography 14 57% / 43% 0% $47,673 36 92%
History 21 67% / 33% 0% $41,349 18 100%
Human Services 35 11% / 89% 0% $39,683 15 85%
Interdisciplinary Studies 1 100% / 0% 0% $38,694 13 83%
Japanese 2 +2 50% / 50% 0% $50,651 45
Pacific Area/Pacific Rim Studies 2 +1 50% / 50% 0% $45,325 29
Philosophy and Religious Studies 9 +1 78% / 22% 0% $44,623 27
Political Science 17 +5 59% / 41% 0% $56,321 60 97%
Psychology 223 +17 24% / 76% 1% $46,138 31 90%
Public Policy 2 +3 0% / 100% 0% $54,541 56
Public Relations 5 60% / 40% 0% $50,807 46 94%
Russian 2 0% / 100% 0% $51,349 47
Social Sciences 46 35% / 65% 0% $55,512 58 89%
Sociology 30 +2 27% / 73% 0% $52,332 50 94%
Spanish 7 +4 29% / 71% 0% $52,151 49 92%
Women's Studies 2 +1 0% / 100% 0% $47,214 35
Early Childhood Education 6 0% / 100% 0% $57,172 62 90%
Education 9 11% / 89% 0% $58,349 64
Elementary Education 145 6% / 94% 0% $57,172 62 90%
English Education 14 29% / 71% 0% $57,724 63 98%
Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education 1 0% / 100% 0% $57,724 63 98%
General Education 3 0% / 100% 33% $48,427 38
History Teacher Education 23 +1 57% / 43% 0% $57,724 63 98%
Mathematics Teacher Education 13 +15 54% / 46% 0% $57,724 63 98%
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 23 61% / 39% 0% $57,724 63 98%
Sales and Marketing Teacher Education 1 0% / 100% 0% $57,724 63
Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education +3 $57,724 63 98%
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods 19 +9 47% / 53% 0% $57,172 62 90%
Special Education 6 0% / 100% 0% $58,927 65 97%
Trade and Industrial Teacher Education $57,724 63 98%
Acting 5 40% / 60% 0% $30,226 4 87%
Art Education 8 0% / 100% 0% $57,724 63 98%
Art History 1 0% / 100% 0% $33,868 7 90%
Dance 3 0% / 100% 0% $33,461 7
Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 6 0% / 100% 0% $45,240 29 100%
Fashion Merchandising $49,499 42
Film Studies 23 78% / 22% 0% $38,169 12 100%
Fine Arts 15 20% / 80% 0% $33,868 7 90%
Fine/Studio Arts 28 25% / 75% 0% $33,868 7 90%
Graphic Design $45,524 30
Keyboard Instruments $32,807 6
Music 26 +1 65% / 35% 4% $32,807 6 100%
Music Education 20 +7 80% / 20% 0% $57,724 63 98%
Music Performance $32,807 6
Music Theory and Composition 2 100% / 0% 0% $32,807 6 100%
Musical Theatre 3 33% / 67% 0% $30,226 4 87%
Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology 10 10% / 90% 0% $30,226 4 87%
Theater 6 17% / 83% 0% $30,226 4 87%
Voice and Opera $32,807 6
Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew 27 78% / 22% 0% $79,680 89 90%
Aviation/Airway Management and Operations 34 79% / 21% 6% $79,680 89 90%
Construction Management 14 93% / 7% 0% $94,982 97 100%
Criminal Justice 95 +5 43% / 57% 1% $56,604 61 93%
Electrical Engineering Technology 16 81% / 19% 6% $102,096 98 100%
Energy Systems Technology/Technician 2 50% / 50% 0% $88,917 94
Industrial Technology/Technician 5 80% / 20% 0% $88,295 94
Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician 13 62% / 38% 0% $76,469 87 100%

Financial

In-State Tuition & Fees $9,893
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees $29,284
Est. In-State Cost $12,798
Est. Out-of-State Cost $37,882
ROI Percentile 60th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 70%
4-Year Graduation Rate 36%
6-Year Graduation Rate 54%
Transfer-Out Rate 0%

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Academics

% Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
Humanities & Social Sciences 26.1% 527 31% / 69% 1% $46,125 31 91%
Business & Economics 20.0% 403 48% / 52% 8% $59,778 67 93%
Education 13.0% 263 22% / 78% 0% $57,310 62 93%
Computer Science 10.6% 214 68% / 32% 7% $75,952 87 92%
Professional 10.2% 206 62% / 38% 2% $71,915 83 94%
Arts 7.7% 156 44% / 56% 1% $38,463 13 94%
Health Sciences 5.3% 107 45% / 55% 2% $55,777 59 98%
Life & Natural Sciences 3.0% 60 33% / 67% 2% $46,972 34 92%
Physical Sciences & Math 2.7% 54 61% / 39% 0% $54,646 56 96%
Agriculture & Food Science 1.3% 27 22% / 78% 0% $46,007 31 97%

Research R3

Research $ Rank Federal Industry $ PhDs Rank PhD students Postdocs
Physical Sciences & Math $1.9M #299 78% $0
Life & Natural Sciences $0.3M #424 8% $0
Humanities & Social Sciences $0.2M #449 19% $0.0M
Computer Science $0.1M #389 96% $0.0M
Business & Economics $0.1M #366 0% $0
Health Sciences $0.1M #381 63% $0
Agriculture & Food Science $0.0M #272 20% $0
Education $0.0M #409 78% $0
Engineering $0.0M #437 0% $0
Total $2.8M #457 61% $0.0M

Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.

Admissions

Uses Common App Yes
Acceptance Rate 85%
Yield (Unbound) 19%
Regular Decision Jan 1

Acceptance Rates

In-State Out-of-State International
Regular Decision 85% 85% 85%

Standardized Tests

Test Policy optional