Small Town, Big Results
Surrounded by golden, rolling hills and basalt outcroppings, the EWU campus is an ideal place for learning. Our immersive student-faculty community is designed to keep you focused and supported.
Explore Eastern
Visit EWU
Our 300-acre campus is gorgeous. Come see why 88% of visiting students choose Eastern.
Schedule a TourUniversity Leadership
Expanding opportunities for personal transformation through excellence in learning.
Meet the TeamGeneral Facts
Founded: April 3, 1882
Campus: Cheney, Washington
Campus Acreage: 300
Academic Calendar: Quarters
Mascot: Swoop the Eagle
School Colors: Red and White
Student Facts
Enrollment: 10,892 (fall 2021)
Diversity: 29%
Average GPA: 3.27
First-Generation College Students 35%
Tuition: $2,368/quarter
Financial Aid Distributed: $116.5 million
Alumni Facts
Alumni population: 112,000+
Washington state: 84,000+
Spokane County: 41,000+
Alumni who have jobs related to their major: 71%
Campus Events
Campus Safety
EWU is one of the safest public university campuses in Washington, and one of the top 100 safest campuses in the United States.* In fact, local families love to visit campus for picnics, childcare and even for trick-or-treating. The biggest contributor to such a safe campus is the shared commitment of faculty, staff and students.
*According to the National Council for Home Safety and Security
Campus Police
We have our own police force on campus. The campus police officers are a friendly team that work closely with the local police and fire departments. Be sure to say “Hi” if you see them on your campus tour or at a special event.
Safety Information
The Annual Safety and Fire Report is provided in accordance with the Jeanne Clery Act of 1998 and the associated amendments including the recently adopted Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. Per Federal Regulations (34 CFR Part 668), it is required that a copy of Eastern Washington University’s Clery Act Report, otherwise known as the Annual Security and Fire Report, be provided to each employee and student. This report includes statistical information for three previous calendar years concerning reported crimes which occurred on EWU’s campus; certain off-campus buildings or properties owned or controlled by EWU and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from EWU’s campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security issues, such as policies and or procedures concerning sexual assault , alcohol use, the Drug-Free Schools Act and other matters. The report may be accessed on the EWU Police website. The Eastern Washington University Police Department will provide a paper copy of the this report upon request. To request the report, call 509.359.6310.
History
In 1882, the Benjamin P. Cheney Academy opened its doors to more than 200 enrolling students. A generous contribution of $10,000 from Benjamin P. Cheney, a wealthy transportation industrialist, had at last fulfilled the dreams of Cheney citizens who had long desired an institute for higher learning in their community.
The academy became the State Normal School at Cheney in 1889, the same year in which Washington was given its statehood. The school was proudly designated as an institution “for the purpose of instruction of persons, both male and female, in the art of teaching the various branches that pertain to a good common school.”
By the time it became Eastern Washington College of Education in 1937, Eastern was already a fully accredited four-year, degree-granting institution, offering majors in numerous subjects.
The campus grew rapidly in size and program offerings in the decades following World War II. In 1961, the name was again changed, this time to Eastern Washington State College. It was increasingly evident that the region needed professionals in many fields; in response, Eastern added a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Finally, in 1977, the state Legislature changed the school’s name to Eastern Washington University.