Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Central Washington University, University of Hawaii-West Oahu, Sonoma State University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Central WashingtonEllensburg, WA | Hawaii-West OahuKapolei, HI | Sonoma StateRohnert Park, CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 90.6% | 95.3% | 93.4% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedCentral Washington University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 931–1103 | Not reportedSonoma State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. |
| Average net price | $18,47628.3% on Pell grants | $10,32732.1% on Pell grants | $12,88535.9% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $9,417 in-state · $27,526 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $7,584 in-state · $20,544 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $8,624 in-state · $21,224 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 53.6% | 49.5% | 57.6% |
| First-year retention | 70.0% | 78.0% | 79.2% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 28.3% | 32.1% | 35.9% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $61,580 | $52,075 | $65,986 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $19,500 | $14,500 | $16,705 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 17:1 | 16:1 | 15:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,833 | 2,519 | 5,166 |
| Consensus percentile | 27Lower is better | 27Lower is better | 28Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 17 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 52 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 23 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Central Washington | Hawaii-West Oahu | Sonoma State |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #35 of 118Regional univ. (West)Regional Universities (West) · 2026 | #10 of 104Regional colleges (West)Regional Colleges (West) · 2026 | #25 of 118Regional univ. (West)Regional Universities (West) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #221 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #254 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #921 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #364 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #895 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #286 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #545 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Central Washington University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Hawaii-West Oahu on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Sonoma State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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