CWU finds positive takeaways from Fall 2026 enrollment report

Central Washington University has identified a number of positive takeaways from its Fall 2026 enrollment report as part of last week’s annual 10-day census.

Among the highlights, CWU saw a 4.45% increase in newly enrolled transfer students (831, compared to 794 in 2025); a 10.23% increase in graduate students (577, compared to 518); and a 0.9% increase in retention of full-time, first time in college (FTIC) students (74%, compared to 72.7% last fall).

The 74% retention rate year-over-year showed significant improvement from where it was just a few years ago, when only 68% of FTIC students returned from 2020 to 2021. Meanwhile, 84% of students who enrolled last spring have re-enrolled for Fall 2026, which matches the 2025 spring-to-fall re-enrollment rate.

“Seeing our enrollment numbers stabilize — and knowing that we are finding ways to deliver a better educational experience to our students — gives me hope that CWU will meet the many adaptive challenges we are facing and emerge stronger as a result,” CWU President Jim Wohlpart said in an email to campus Tuesday morning.

According to the university’s online dashboard, maintained by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning (IERP), CWU’s overall enrollment numbers are down slightly from a year ago, but by traditional enrollment management standards, the drop of 37 total students — 8,297 versus 8,334— is considered “flat.”

The number of FTICs is also down slightly (1,521 this fall, compared to 1,592 last year), as is the number of degree-seeking students (8,104 compared to 8,167).

Despite some ongoing challenges in the increasingly competitive higher education landscape, Wohlpart is taking an optimistic approach to the university’s current enrollment plateau.

“When we consider the challenging trends in higher education at the state and national levels since the pandemic, CWU has much to celebrate,” he said in his email.