Fodor's Expert Review Central Washington University

Roughly 12,500 students learn and in many cases reside on this pleasant, tree-shaded campus marked by formidable redbrick architecture and located on the north side of downtown. University Way contains several handsome buildings dating from the university's founding in 1891 as the State Normal School. Attractions near the center of campus include a serene Japanese garden and the Sarah Spurgeon Gallery, which features the work of regional and national artists.