Central Washington University

Central Washington University is a public university located in Ellensburg, Washington. Founded in 1891, it began as a teacher training institution and has grown into a comprehensive regional university offering undergraduate and graduate degrees across a wide range of disciplines. The university includes colleges dedicated to the sciences, business, the arts and humanities, and education, among other fields. Central Washington University serves students at its main Ellensburg campus as well as through additional instructional sites across Washington state and online programs. It is known for programs in business, education, law and justice, aviation, and the sciences. Students are often drawn to its combination of applied learning opportunities, regional engagement, and access to outdoor recreation in central Washington.

Central Washington University was founded in 1891 as the Washington State Normal School in Ellensburg, Washington, with a primary mission of training teachers for the state’s public schools. The institution opened its first classes in September 1891 and constructed Barge Hall in 1893, named after its first principal, Benjamin Franklin Barge. In 1937, the Washington Legislature renamed the school Central Washington College of Education to reflect its expanding academic role. As degree offerings broadened beyond teacher preparation, it became Central Washington State College in 1961. Continued growth in graduate programs and academic departments led to its designation as Central Washington University in 1977. Over the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Central Washington University expanded campus facilities, academic programs, and regional instructional centers, evolving into a comprehensive public university serving students across Washington state.