Central Washington University
Public College in Ellensburg, WA. Six-year graduation rate 54%. Median 10-year earnings $61,580.
A decade after enrolling, the median Central Washington University student earns $61,580 — comfortably above what the typical bachelor's-granting institution returns. 54% finish within six years — respectable, though a meaningful share still leave without a credential. Graduates carry a median of $19,500 in debt — in line with the national norm.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ Debt-to-income ratio 0.32 — healthy (below the 0.40 threshold)
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
With an acceptance rate of 91%, Central Washington University takes nearly everyone who applies. 8,919 applications came in, enough to make the rates below reasonably stable year to year. Yield sits at 20% — the remainder of admitted students enroll elsewhere or not at all.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | — | — |
| SAT Math | — | |
| ACT Composite | — | — |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at Central Washington University →Academics
Six-year completion sits at 54%, meaning about one in two students who enroll leave without finishing. Retention of 70% means a meaningful slice of each entering class does not return. Retention and completion are close, which places the gap between entering and finishing almost entirely in year one. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 52% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled. A 15:1 ratio points to small classes and accessible faculty.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 8,191 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Average net price after grant aid is $19,898 a year — mid-range for a four-year institution. Net price swings hard on family income here, from $11,846 at the $0–30k band to $26,719 at $110k+. Grant aid reaches 71% of students at an average of $9,436. 39% of students take federal loans, a middling borrowing rate.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 1,489 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,846 |
| $30–48k | $13,942 |
| $48–75k | $16,022 |
| $75–110k | $21,682 |
| $110k+ | $26,719 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 3,154 of these 8,191 students, totalling $20,040,366 — an average of $6,354 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Kittitas County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)