Case Western Reserve University — College Profile

About

Case Western Reserve University is a top-tier research institution widely renowned for its powerhouse programs in biomedical engineering, nursing, pre-medicine, and traditional engineering. Located in Cleveland’s cultural hub of University Circle, the campus fosters a collaborative, intellectually curious culture anchored by massive hands-on resources like the seven-story Sears think[box] makerspace. Undergraduates benefit immensely from direct research and clinical integration with neighboring world-class institutions, including the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. Setting the university apart is its flexible "single-door" admission policy, which allows students to freely explore, double major, or cross disciplines across any undergraduate school without jumping through internal application hurdles.

Wikipedia:Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It was federated in 1967 by a merger between Western Reserve University, founded in 1826 by the Presbyterian Church, and the Case Institute of Technology, founded in 1880. In 2024, the university enrolled 12,475 students from all 50 U.S. states and 106 countries, and employed more than 1,182 full-time faculty members.

Location

Cleveland, OH, 44106 · City campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

CLE · Cleveland

14 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

YoursEveryone

Tuition & fees$66,608

Housing & food (on campus)$18,762

Books & supplies$1,200

Cost of attendance$85,851

Average net price$41,190

Same price for all students

Tuition & fees$66,608

Housing & food (on campus)$18,762

Books & supplies$1,200

Cost of attendance$85,851

Average net price$41,190

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · 2023-24

$0–30k

$19,025

$30–48k

$18,506

$48–75k

$20,849

$75–110k

$26,159

$110k+

$53,061

Your family's actual price → Case Western Reserve University net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2025-26

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$32,560

Share of first-years who get one40%

Source: Case Western Reserve University's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

87%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

73%

Back for yr 2

92%

Transferred

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

86% graduated · 9% transferred · 5% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$75,613

10 yrs after entry$87,989

Debt

Median at graduation$24,000

Monthly payment$254

Middle 50% owe$12.6k–$29.9k

90th percentile$34,500

Green marks a figure above the typical Doctoral University: 70% graduate within 6 yrs, $63,395 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

37%

Test policy

Test optional

Per College Scorecard

SAT average

1513

R 700–760 · M 730–780

ACT midpoint

Comp 32–34 · E 33–35 · M 31–35

SAT middle 50%: 1430–1540

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

How much essays count at Case Western Reserve University: Important (one of four levels: very important · important · considered · not considered)

Source: Case Western Reserve University's Common Data Set for 2025-26 — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

If Case Western Reserve University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 52%Women 48%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

9 : 1

Pell grant

18%

First-gen

11%

Family income

$94,000

Independent

Age at entry

19.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

34%

Hispanic

12%

Black

Asian

30%

Two or more

Non-resident

11%

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division III with football · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Cross Country
Men's · Women's
Football
Men's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Swimming and Diving (combined)
Men's · Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field (Indoor)
Men's · Women's
Track and Field (Outdoor)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's
Wrestling
Men's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$75,613

After 10 yrs

$87,989

Computer Science149

Biology, General114

Mechanical Engineering106

Psychology, General105

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing102

Biomedical/Medical Engineering95

Economics85

Finance and Financial Management Services57

Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology56

Chemical Engineering50

Cognitive Science48

Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering45

Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering41

Accounting and Related Services39

Business Administration, Management and Operations34

Neurobiology and Neurosciences33

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$2.4B

Full-time faculty

75%

Faculty salary

$13,338/mo

Teaching spend

$35,710

per student

Federal loans

47%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral University

Research activity

R1 — very high research

$643M research spending · 213 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, more selective admissions