Quad

Head-to-head

U. Colorado Colorado Springs
Central Washington

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Central Washington graduates 15 pts more of its students than U. Colorado Colorado Springs (62% vs. 47%)

    Graduation rate
  2. 2

    Central Washington has 9 pts more first-gen students than U. Colorado Colorado Springs (40% vs. 31%)

    First-generation students
  3. 3

    Central Washington's yield is 7 pts higher than U. Colorado Colorado Springs's

    Yield rate
  4. 4

    Central Washington grads earn $6.9K more ten years out than U. Colorado Colorado Springs's ($61,580 vs. $54,659)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  5. 5

    Central Washington's grants cover 24% of its full price on average, vs. 19% at U. Colorado Colorado Springs

    Aid generosity
  6. 6

    Central Washington is more diverse (index 0.63 vs. 0.60)

    Diversity index

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Central Washington admits 91%, U. Colorado Colorado Springs 97%; Central Washington's yield is higher, at 20%.

Acceptance rate
U. Colorado Colorado Springs97%
Central Washington91%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. Colorado Colorado SpringsOpen
  • Central WashingtonOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
U. Colorado Colorado Springs
1010–1220
Central WashingtonTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. Colorado Colorado SpringsGPA required
  • Central WashingtonGPA and rank required

Who's on each campus

U. Colorado Colorado Springs is a bit larger than Central Washington (8,697 vs. 7,833 undergrads); Central Washington has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. Colorado Colorado Springs8.7K
Central Washington7.8K
Pell Grant share
U. Colorado Colorado Springs27%
Central Washington28%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at both; both have 15 students per faculty member.

Students per faculty member
U. Colorado Colorado Springs15 to 1
Central Washington15 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. Colorado Colorado SpringsBusiness Administration and Management, General16%
  • Central WashingtonBusiness Administration and Management, General12%

What each costs

U. Colorado Colorado Springs and Central Washington cost about the same a year on average; Central Washington's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. Colorado Colorado Springs$24.5K
Central Washington$24.2K
Aid generosity
U. Colorado Colorado Springs19%
Central Washington24%

What each pays off

Central Washington's former students earn more, a median $61.6K ten years after enrolling.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. Colorado Colorado Springs$54.7K
Central Washington$61.6K
Graduation rate
U. Colorado Colorado Springs47%
Central Washington62%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. Colorado Colorado SpringsGrowing+72%
  • Central WashingtonGrowing+116%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why