Record Freshman Streak Ends but Central Washington University Keeps Growing

Although this school year is the first in three years in which Central Washington University isn’t projecting a record number of incoming freshmen, administrators say the university’s enrollment numbers are right where they want them to be: On par with last year’s.

“It’s like inflating a balloon; we’ve been on inflation mode and at this point we’re continuing to keep that balloon as high as it is,” said Sharon O’Hare, vice president of enrollment management. “This is in response to Central becoming more known and the parents saying, ‘This is where we want our kids to go.’”

Classes at the university started Wednesday, and enrollment projections for the 2018-19 school year show little change from the previous school year. Administrators are predicting about 2,100 freshmen will attend the university this year, which is slightly down from the 2,136 last year. As for total enrollment — which includes transfer, undergraduate and graduate students, as well as those who attend classes at the university’s various satellite centers and instructional sites around the state — administrators predict little change from last year’s 12,185 students.

Read the article in its entirety online at the Yakima-Herald Republic.