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Admissions & selectivity

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# Central Washington University Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/central-washington-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/central-washington-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/central-washington-university/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/central-washington-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/central-washington-university/similar/)

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## What is the acceptance rate at Central Washington University?

Central Washington University’s reported acceptance rate is 90.6%.

**Acceptance rate · Fall 2024**
90.6%

Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle.

How to interpret the acceptance rate

At Central Washington University, the admission rate of 90.6% indicates that admission was available to a large share of the reported applicant pool. That rate is above the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Applicants should use the reported rate as one context point when building an application list.

## What SAT and ACT scores do Central Washington University students report?

SAT and ACT ranges are not available for Central Washington University in the data shown here. Missing scores do not establish whether tests are required, optional or excluded from review.

Figures cover fall 2024.

## Who enrolls at Central Washington University?

**Pell Grant recipients**
28.3%

**Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group**
37.7%

**First-year retention**
70.1%

Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention.

About these student measures

The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns.

Central Washington University serves an undergraduate body that includes federal grant recipients and people continuing college work begun elsewhere. Undergraduate enrollment is 7,833, and 28.3% receive Pell Grants, a financial-access measure.

The estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group is 37.7%, suggesting that the campus includes both direct entrants and students arriving with prior college coursework. These figures describe the undergraduate mix rather than admission priorities.

At Central Washington University, six-year completion is stronger than the comparable-institution midpoint even though first-year continuation is lower. The first-time, full-time cohort posts a 53.6% [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/), compared with 49.1% at comparable institutions; that peer median is the middle value for the same type and size.

Pell recipients in this cohort complete within six years at 57.3%, above the overall rate by 3.7 percentage points. The first-year retention rate for full-time, bachelor's-seeking entrants is 70.0%, versus a peer median of 73.7%.

Enrolled students can expect completion to compare favorably with peer institutions, alongside a first-year return rate that falls below the peer midpoint.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).