Public · University
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington · Fringe town
- 90.8%
- Admit rate
- $13,886
- Avg net price
- 43%
- Graduation rate
- $57,897
- Median earnings
Eastern Washington University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Cheney, Washington (fringe town setting), enrolling 6,222 undergraduates.
About Cheney, Washington
Cheney is a city in Spokane County, Washington, United States. Named for Boston railroad tycoon Benjamin Pierce Cheney, Cheney was officially incorporated on November 28, 1883. Cheney Rodeo Days is held the second weekend in July each year and has been a major annual event for the community since 1967. The event is put on by the Cheney Rodeo Association and includes three days of rodeo competition held at the rodeo grounds just north of Cheney. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Fringe town
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 14 miles to Spokane, WA
- To the ocean
- 217 miles
- Nearest airport
- 9 miles to Spokane (GEG) · major hub
How Eastern Washington University compares
More selective than 22% · #18 most selective of 21 in Washington
Higher than 29% · #23 of 25 in Washington
Higher than 25%
Higher than 62% · #19 of 27 in Washington
Cheaper than 77% · #3 cheapest of 25 in Washington
Lower than 78%
Lower than 18%
Larger than 81%
Percentiles compare Eastern Washington University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Washington.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate6,22264%
- Graduate3,54036%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women3,57858%
- Men2,64442%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White60%
- Black4.6%
- Hispanic20%
- Asian2.9%
- Other or multiracial12%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 6,222
- Graduate enrollment
- 3,540
- Student–faculty ratio
- 18 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 35%
- First-generation students
- 36%
- Students over 25
- 15%
- Median family income
- $38,218
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $95,787
- Endowment
- $48,340,888
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 1,354 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Washington92%
- Other U.S. states8.3%
Most first-years stay in state — Eastern Washington University draws overwhelmingly from Washington.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 90.8%
- Test scores
- Not considered
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- —
- SAT average
- —
- SAT reading
- —
- SAT math
- —
- ACT composite
- —
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $8,586
- Out-of-state tuition
- $25,959
- Room & board
- $15,574
- Books & supplies
- $798
- Total cost of attendance
- $24,478
- Average net price
- $13,886
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 43%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 28%
- First-year retention
- 67%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $46,469
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $57,897
- Median debt at graduation
- $19,500
- Students with federal loans
- 35%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 57%
About 16% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 1,788
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 29%
- Housing charge (year)
- $8,854
- Meal plan (year)
- $6,026
- Application fee
- $60
- Athletics
- NCAA Division I-FCS
- Football conference
- Big Sky Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 434 (238 men · 196 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (7)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.9 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 33
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 27
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (10,492 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$12,292/year × about 4.5 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 73% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,403. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,338 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $57,897
- Typical debt at graduation
- $19,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 34%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 64%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $10,777 (20%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 84°F
- Winter low
- 21°F
- Annual rain
- 18.3″
- Annual snow
- 45.4″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Spokane 17 Ssw, WA US station (5.7 mi from campus).
What Eastern Washington University graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Eastern Washington University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Eastern Washington University side by side →
University of Houston-Clear Lake
Houston, Texas · Midsize city · 20 mi to Houston
- Students
- 6,078
- Admission
- 91%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1060
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $59k
The University of Texas at Tyler
Tyler, Texas · Midsize city · 89 mi to Shreveport
- Students
- 7,440
- Admission
- 94%
- Net price
- $13k
- SAT
- 1114
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $57k
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin · Small city · 43 mi to Green Bay
- Students
- 6,877
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 1090
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $56k
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota · Small city · 59 mi to Minneapolis
- Students
- 5,088
- Admission
- 95%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 1092
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $56k
Radford University
Radford, Virginia · Fringe town · 35 mi to Roanoke
- Students
- 6,038
- Admission
- 90%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1060
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $54k
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa · Small city · 55 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 7,529
- Admission
- 93%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1122
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $55k
Colleges near Eastern Washington University
International Beauty Education Center
Spokane, WA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 146 students
Spokane Falls Community College
Spokane, WA · Public · Associate · 3,199 students
Gonzaga University
Spokane, WA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 5,198 students
Northwest HVAC/R Training Center
Spokane, WA · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 50 students
Great Northern University
Spokane, WA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 48 students
Spokane Community College
Spokane, WA · Public · Associate · 4,533 students
Studio Beauty School
Spokane Valley, WA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 81 students
Carrington College-Spokane
Spokane, WA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 352 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













