Central Washington University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Central Washington University, a public university in Washington, reports a 91% acceptance rate and sits in the accessible band. In practice that means it admits most qualified applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Central Washington University weighs, where it ranks among Washington schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1120, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Central Washington University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Central Washington University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Central Washington University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Central Washington University?
Your odds at Central Washington University are not the same as its 91% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Central Washington University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Central Washington University hard to get into?
Central Washington University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 91% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Central Washington University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Central Washington University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Central Washington University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for Central Washington University?
Central Washington University does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 1120. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at Central Washington University.
Your chances at Central Washington University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Central Washington University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Central Washington University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1060 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1060 SAT, the middle of Central Washington University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1120 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/central-washington-university.
How to get into Central Washington University
Built from Central Washington University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Central Washington University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Central Washington University carries about a 3.00 core GPA and a 1070 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
Central Washington University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Central Washington University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.cwu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Central Washington University, and how many get in?
Central Washington University admitted 6,161 of the 6,829 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 90.2%. 1,568 enrolled. Only about 25% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Central Washington University enrolls about 7,833 undergraduates in total, 53% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Central Washington University?
Central Washington University reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores, so admission turns on your transcript, rigor, and the rest of the file.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Central Washington University looks for
What Central Washington University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Central Washington University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Central Washington University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Central Washington University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Central Washington University cost after financial aid?
Central Washington University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $28,816 per year. Tuition and fees are $9,417 for WA residents and $27,526 for out-of-state students, a $18,109 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $18,476 a year, and it ranges from $11,846 for families earning under $30,000 to $26,719 for families earning over $110,000. 28% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Central Washington University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Central Washington University student who received federal aid earns $61,580 a year, up from $49,398 at six years. 54% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 70% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $19,500; 31% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Central Washington University compares in Washington
Central Washington University ranks #13 most selective of 15 schools in Washington in our database.
Among the 15 Washington schools we track, Central Washington University ranks #13 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Whitman College (38%) and University of Washington (39%) sit nearby, which makes Washington a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Central Washington University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Central Washington University often weigh Cal State Fullerton, Cleveland State University, and Eastern Washington University, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Central Washington University's acceptance rate?
Central Washington University admitted 6,161 of 6,829 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 90.2% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 25% of admitted students enrolled.
Is Central Washington University test-optional?
Central Washington University reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores.
How much does Central Washington University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Central Washington University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $18,476 a year against a sticker price of about $28,816. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $11,846 on average.
What do Central Washington University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Central Washington University are $61,580 a year among students who received federal aid, and 54% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Central Washington University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Central Washington University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Central Washington University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Central Washington University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Central Washington University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Central Washington University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Central Washington University?
Central Washington University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.