Western Oregon University vs CWU-Ellensburg

Western Oregon University and Central Washington University, both esteemed institutions in the Pacific Northwest, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Oregon, nestled in the Willamette Valley, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Central Washington, situated in the heart of Washington state, stands out with its diverse student body, reflecting a rich tapestry of cultures and backgrounds. While Western Oregon excels in the fields of education and nursing, Central Washington shines in business and engineering programs. Both universities share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, but their unique strengths and characteristics may appeal to different individuals. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into the details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Central Washington University	Western Oregon University
Overview
Location	Ellensburg, Washington	Monmouth, Oregon
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Quarter	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	69.0%	65.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	88.4%	91.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75	$60
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	10,767	2,798
Total number of admissions given out	9,523	2,562
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,371	544
Yield rate	14.4%	21.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,248 Out of state: $38,776	In state: $24,075 Out of state: $43,515
Average net price	$17,645	$15,181
Tuition	In state: $6,656 Out of state: $23,184	In state: $8,460 Out of state: $27,900
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,645 Meal plan: $7,957	Room/dormitory: $9,002 Meal plan: $2,250
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	80.0% Average amount $7,378	98.0% Average amount $7,891
Students receiving federal student loan	41.0% Average amount $4,834	93.0% Average amount $4,049
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $14,197	6.0% Average amount $13,398

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,566 Men 47.0% Women 53.0%	3,615 Men 32.6% Women 67.4%
Graduate students	610 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%	414 Men 30.2% Women 69.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	6.7%	17.9%
International students	2.7%	3.0%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	3,755	1,333
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Washington California Oregon Hawaii Arkansas	Oregon California Washington Hawaii Alaska

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Social Sciences Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts	Education Multidisciplinary Studies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	53.6%	48.3%
Dropout rate	44.0%	49.1%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $72,482 Year 3: $86,230 Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,538 Year 2: $71,168 Year 3: $82,194 Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,024 Year 2: $65,486 Year 3: $79,944 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,531 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $77,665 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,052 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $69,645 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,580 Year 2: $56,979 Year 3: $69,564 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $55,151 Year 3: $62,577 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $61,531 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,008 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $58,391 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,842 Year 2: $50,606 Year 3: $58,240	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,160 Year 2: $52,607 Year 3: $59,453 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,118 Year 2: $48,667 Year 3: $49,493 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,328 Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $47,168 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,952 Year 2: $32,467 Year 3: $45,939 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,943 Year 2: $38,529 Year 3: $45,374 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,778 Year 2: $47,327 Year 3: $42,815 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,362 Year 2: $38,505 Year 3: $42,630 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,319 Year 2: $36,382 Year 3: $40,832 Gerontology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,454 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $39,879 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,493 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $38,433

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