YAKIMA — Student enrollment at Central Washington University increased nearly 2 percent this fall over last year — a factor university officials attribute to outreach efforts and the college’s rising status among students and their parents.
“We’ve been discovered,” said Richard Moreno, CWU director of content development in the college’s department of public affairs.
Long seen as a sleepy college on the other side of the mountains, Central Washington University is now viewed as a viable option for students all over the state, Moreno said. It’s not that far from many Central and Eastern Washington communities, and it’s a great alternative to attending larger schools, such as University of Washington or other West Coast institutions.
The university also is receiving more attention from parents noticing its rising ratings as the No. 1 bang-for-your-buck school in Washington, Moreno said.
Those and other factors contributed to a total enrollment at the Ellensburg-based college of 12,208 this fall, according to data released by CWU. That’s up 1.8 percent from 11,993 in 2016.
Other fall enrollment statistics:
• Students of color comprise 31.7 percent of this year’s fall enrollment, up from 29.3 percent in 2016. Hispanic students make up 15.5 percent of the school’s student body — an increase from 14.1 percent last year.
• About 80 percent of students — both undergraduate and graduate — are enrolled at the Ellensburg campus. The remainder attend classes at CWU’s six university centers, such as at Des Moines, Lynnwood, Pierce County and Yakima.
• The university saw more freshmen enrolling for the first time this fall. The number rose from 1,897 last year to 2,115 this fall, an increase of about 11.5 percent, Moreno said.
Those numbers also are due to efforts of faculty members who do a tremendous amount of outreach to high school students and possible transfer students who may be interested in the university’s programs, Moreno said. Increased revenue also has allowed CWU to increase its marketing budget, he noted.
Fall enrollment numbers for most colleges and universities around the state have not yet been released. Enrollment data for the current quarter at Yakima Valley College won’t be available until the end of January. Heritage University in Toppenish wouldn’t provide its fall enrollment statistics.
