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2008-1019-01-Ellensburg01Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0
Colleges in and near Ellensburg

Ellensburg is a college town: 26 of every 100 residents are students

Central Washington University (6,688 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Washington, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town26% of residents are studentsCentral Washington University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Ellensburg. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
6,688 students on campus
Nearest college
0.6 mi
Central Washington University
Residents in college
26%
Above WA (6%)
Nearest community college
28.6 mi
Yakima Valley College · $5,312 tuition
Nearest public university
0.6 mi
Central Washington University · $9,417 in-state
Students on campus in Ellensburg
6,688
next to 21,308 residents

What stands out about college in Ellensburg

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town26 of every 100 Ellensburg residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.A university in EllensburgCentral Washington University has 6,688 students on campus in Ellensburg, 54% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Central Washington UniversityLiving in Washington, Central Washington University charges $9,417 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $27,526. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 28.6 miles awayYakima Valley College in Yakima: tuition and fees $5,312 a year for Washington residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Ellensburg

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

26 of every 100 Ellensburg residents are in college (WA: 6).

6,688students on campus at Central Washington University, next to 21,308 residents (dorm students count as residents)
4,197college students live in Ellensburg households rather than dorms
25.0median age · WA 38.3
53%of residents are women · WA 50% (±1.5 points)
67%of homes rented · WA 36%
$1,340median rent · 24% below the state
EllensburgEllensburg, WA
Cost of living$1,340/mo median rentDSafetyCrime reported to the FBICHealthCDC estimatesB+Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Ellensburg’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 22.5% of Ellensburg residents are below the poverty line, 15.9% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 5 points either way). 45% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living D

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (26% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B+

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Ellensburg’s median age is 25.0 (Washington 38.3), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Ellensburg

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Ellensburg.

5 mi10 mi15 miCentral Washington UniversityEllensburg
University or collegeCommunity college
Central Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 6,688 on campus · In Ellensburg91%admitted$18knet price54%graduate$62kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Ellensburg’s median household income ($55,438) falls.

Central Washington UniversityIn Ellensburg · sticker $28,816$16,022a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Ellensburg: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Central Washington University
Central Washington University54% graduate$62k earnings$20k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Ellensburg

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Central Washington University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 18%Education 14%Psychology 11%Computer science 10%Social sciences 7%Visual & performing arts 6%Everything else 34%

Biggest programs

Psychology, General274 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods211 graduates a year
$60k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations191 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections140 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas116 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services115 graduates a year
$74k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness96 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Computer Science77 graduates a year
$95k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Ellensburg

Is Ellensburg a college town?

Yes. 26 of every 100 Ellensburg residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Washington. Central Washington University has 6,688 students on campus, next to 21,308 residents.

What colleges are in Ellensburg?

Central Washington University is inside the city. Yakima Valley College is 28.6 miles away in Yakima.

Why is Ellensburg’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 22.5% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 15.9% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 5 points).

What is the closest community college to Ellensburg, and what does it cost?

Yakima Valley College in Yakima, 28.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,312 a year for Washington residents; the federal net price, $11,843, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Central Washington University?

Central Washington University admitted 91% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Ellensburg. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →