Case Western Reserve University campus

University in United States

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH, United States

University profile

About Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a private research university in University Circle, Cleveland, Ohio. It describes itself as a leading national research university, with programs spanning the arts and sciences, engineering, health sciences, law, management and social work. The university has about 6,534 undergraduate students and 5,864 graduate and professional students, 1,188 Board-appointed faculty members and more than 128,000 alumni worldwide; its student body represents 111 countries.

Teaching is organised in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Case School of Engineering, the Weatherhead School of Management, the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, the School of Medicine, the School of Dental Medicine, the School of Law, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and the School of Graduate Studies. Students choose from more than 100 undergraduate degree programs, about 160 graduate and professional options and over 145 dual-degree programs, and 99% of undergraduates take part in experiential learning such as research, internships, co-ops and study abroad.

The campus sits within walking distance of three major hospitals and a dense cluster of cultural institutions, including the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, Severance Music Center, the Cleveland Botanical Garden and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Health sciences students gain clinical experience through partnerships with Cleveland Clinic, Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, MetroHealth Medical Center and University Hospitals, and the Health Education Campus is operated with Cleveland Clinic. Innovation work centres on the 50,000-square-foot Larry Sears and Sally Zlotnick Sears think[box] and the Veale Institute for Entrepreneurship.

Nearly 90 percent of undergraduates live on campus throughout their studies, in first-year residential communities, suite-style second-year housing and later-stage apartment-style options. Residential communities house more than 4,200 students, and dining is operated by Bon Appetit Management Co. with two main dining commons. The university has more than 300 student organisations and competes in NCAA Division III athletics. Cleveland's RTA buses and trains are free for students.

International students make up about 20% of the undergraduate population and come from more than 100 countries; cultural organisations include the African Students Association, Asian American Alliance, Korean Student Association, Middle Eastern Cultural Association and Undergraduate Indian Student Association. Case Western Reserve was formed in 1967 through the federation of Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University, and is a member of the Association of American Universities.

University information

Tuition and costs (2026-27)

Undergraduate tuition is $71,410, with fees of $696 and a matriculation fee of $760. Residential housing is $11,688 and the residential meal plan $8,600 (commuter housing $3,824, commuter meal plan $1,124); books and supplies are $1,200 and personal expenses $1,350. Estimated total cost is $95,704 for residential students and $80,364 for commuters. Nursing students pay an additional $1,450 in fees.

Merit scholarships

All first-year applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships, which are based on academic achievement, leadership, artistic talent and other personal qualities. Named awards include the University Scholarship, Bolton Scholarship (nursing), Michelson-Morley STEM Scholarship, Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship ($25,000 per year for transfer students) and the Austin E. Knowlton Endowed Memorial Scholarship (Ohio students). Scholarship competitions requiring an essay and a complete application by February 15 include the Andrew and Eleanor Squire Scholarship, A.W. Smith Innovation Scholarship, FIRST Scholarship ($10,000, renewable up to $40,000), Louis Stokes Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Scholarship, Milton A. and Roslyn Z. Wolf Scholarship, Leadership Scholarships ($2,000 to $5,000), performing arts scholarships in the amount of tuition and $10,000 Arts Achievement Scholarships. Winners are notified by April 1. International students can enter scholarship competitions unless noted.

Need-based aid

The university meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for admitted students through scholarships, grants, Federal Work-Study and loans. Applicants submit the FAFSA plus the CSS Profile (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) or the CSS Profile alone (non-U.S. residents); CSS Profile code 1105, FAFSA code 003137. Institutional scholarships are limited to eight semesters and need-based grants to ten semesters. More than 80% of students receive some financial assistance, and the university awarded $213 million in institutional aid last year.

International students

Financial aid is available to international students; the university offers a limited amount of need-based aid to first-year and transfer international applicants, and first-year international applicants may apply for scholarship competitions. The CSS Profile is required for need-based institutional grant, loan and campus employment.

Community programs

The Cleveland Scholars Program covers the full cost of attendance for eligible Cleveland-area high school graduates, and the Joan C. Edwards Scholarship covers four years of tuition for Cleveland Metropolitan School District students interested in medicine. The Posse Scholars Program provides full-tuition awards.

Graduate students

Institutional grant assistance, stipends and assistantships are arranged through the individual graduate department or professional school; federal loans are also available.

Details: Undergraduate scholarships and Office of University Financial Aid.

Merit Scholarships for First-Year Students (automatic consideration) →

Need-Based Financial Aid for Undergraduates, including International Students →

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First-year admission

Applications are reviewed holistically; there is no minimum GPA or test score. Applicants apply through the Common Application or the Coalition Application with Scoir. Required materials are an official high school transcript, School Report, counselor recommendation, two teacher recommendations, an application essay and the $75 application fee (fee waivers available). Case Western Reserve is test optional; applicants who submit scores use SAT code 1105 or ACT code 3244. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1440-1520 on the SAT (superscore) and 32-34 on the ACT (superscore), and 40% of students were test optional.

Required high school coursework: English 4 years, mathematics 3 years, science 3 years (2 laboratory), social studies 3 years and foreign language 2 years. An additional year of mathematics and laboratory science is recommended for engineering and science; an additional year of social studies and foreign language for the liberal arts. Music and music education majors, and Arts Achievement Scholarship candidates in music or art studio, submit an Arts Supplement due 15 days after the application deadline. Homeschooled applicants without a transcript provide a syllabus of topics and books plus at least two letters of recommendation from outside instructors or employers.

Deadlines (first-year)

  • Early Action: November 1 (financial aid documents November 15; notification December 19; enroll by May 1)
  • Early Decision I: November 1 (aid documents November 15; notification December 5; enroll by December 12)
  • Pre-Professional Scholars Program: December 1 (conditional admission to the School of Medicine or School of Dental Medicine; finalist interview in late March)
  • Early Decision II: January 15 (notification February 6)
  • Regular Decision: January 15 (aid documents February 1; notification March 20; enroll by May 1)
  • Spring entry: November 15; later applications considered on a space-available basis

Transfer admission

Applicants who have graduated from high school and enrolled in college courses are considered transfer students. Materials: official transcripts from all colleges attended, a recommendation from a college instructor, a transfer College Report showing good standing, the $75 application fee and an official high school transcript (waived for some applicants with an associate degree or 45 credit hours and two years since high school graduation). Deadlines: fall Early Plan March 15, fall 3/2 Engineering February 15, fall Regular Plan July 1, spring November 15. The 3/2 Engineering program lets students complete three years at one of more than 50 partner liberal arts colleges and two years at CWRU; it requires a minimum 3.00 overall GPA and 3.00 in mathematics and science and 90 semester hours (135 quarter hours) completed.

International applicants

International applicants follow the same deadlines and process as domestic students, with English translations of academic records and recommendations where applicable. Applicants whose first language is not English submit one of the following minimums: Duolingo English Test 115, IELTS 7, PTE Academic 61, or TOEFL iBT 4.5 for exams taken on or after January 21, 2026 (90 internet-based or 577 paper-based for exams on or before January 20, 2026). The requirement is waived for applicants who attended a school with English as the language of instruction for two years by graduation, score 630 or higher on the SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing section, or score 26 or higher on the ACT English exam. Visa and I-20 processing is handled by the Visa & Immigration Services & Advisors office after admission is accepted. Students seeking need-based aid as non-U.S. residents submit the CSS Profile (code 1105).

Graduate admission

Applications to the School of Graduate Studies are made through the online application system, and each program recommends admission of its new students. Full standing requires a good academic record (for example a B average or upper third of the graduating class), the undergraduate prerequisites for the field and, ordinarily, a bachelor's degree. Letters of recommendation are required, and some departments require the GRE, Miller Analogies Test or GMAT. Unofficial transcripts are uploaded at application; official transcripts and test scores (ETS institutional code 1105) are required only after admission. International graduate applicants need the equivalent of a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree and minimum scores of TOEFL iBT 5.0 (4.5 for Course Focused Engineering master's programs) for exams from January 21, 2026 (90, or 80, for earlier exams), IELTS 7.0 (6.5 for Course Focused Engineering master's), or PTE Academic 61; some departments require higher scores and Duolingo is not accepted. Language requirements are waived for degrees taught primarily in English and for U.S. permanent residents. Deadlines vary by department; where a program uses the standard dates for a 2027 term, the priority deadline is March 1, 2027 and the final deadline June 1, 2027.

The main campus is at 10900 Euclid Avenue in University Circle, Cleveland, Ohio.

  • Main campus, University Circle, Cleveland: the College of Arts and Sciences, Case School of Engineering, Weatherhead School of Management, School of Law, Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, School of Graduate Studies (Tomlinson Hall) and undergraduate residential communities.
  • Health Education Campus of Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic (opened 2019): medical, dental and nursing education, including a dental clinic.

Libraries: Kelvin Smith Library (more than 3.3 million print and digital resources), the Judge Ben C. Green Law Library (a federal depository library), the Lillian & Milford Harris Library at the Mandel School (founded 1916, the oldest social work library in the United States), and the Cleveland Health Sciences Library with the Allen Memorial Medical Library and a Health Education Campus branch.

Facilities: the Sears think[box] innovation centre (50,000 square feet), the Tinkham Veale University Center, the Maltz Performing Arts Center and Eldred Theater, a fitness centre in residential housing, and the University Farm supplying produce to campus dining. First-year housing is organised as residential colleges; later-year options include the Murray Hill suites, Triangle Towers, the South Residential Village and Greek chapter housing.

Explore Study Programmes

Study programmes offered at Case Western Reserve University.

BA Ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian Studies
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 
BA Anthropology
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 
BA Art History
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 
BA Artificial Intelligence
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 
BA Astronomy
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 
BA Biochemistry
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 
BA Biology
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 
BA Chemical Biology
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 
BA Chemistry
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 
BA Chinese
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 
BA Classics
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 
BA Cognitive Science
Bachelor'sUnited StatesIntake : First-year entry in the fall semester (Early Action, Early Decision I and II, Regular Decision) and
 

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