$52,131
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Cleveland State University is a public 4-year college in Cleveland, Ohio with 8,969 undergraduates and 4,592 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $14,764 a year (tuition and fees $12,988 in-state, $18,510 out-of-state). It admits 91% of applicants and 51% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $52,131 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,797 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$14,764
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$12,988
Out-of-state $18,510
Admission rate
91%
US median 78%
Completion rate
51%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,797
About $231 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$52,131
Rank 1,307 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $14,764
- Tuition in-state
- $12,988
- Tuition out-of-state
- $18,510
- Cost of attendance
- $27,159
- Students with a need-based grant
- 41%
- Students with federal loans
- 74%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,958
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $13,561
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $14,727
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $15,690
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $20,378
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $9,696 in 2015-16 to $12,988 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 91%
- SAT reading, middle
- 520
- SAT math, middle
- 515
- ACT, middle
- 23
- Undergraduates
- 8,969
- Graduate students
- 4,592
- Part-time students
- 17%
- Women
- 54%
- Students per teacher
- 16
- Completion rate
- 51%
- Retention rate
- 70%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 151
- Endowment
- $117.8M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,307 of 5,094 US colleges and 60 of 243 in Ohio (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | OH median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $14,764 | $17,906 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $12,988 | $15,202 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 91% | 78% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 51% | 59% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 70% | 74% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,797 | $14,211 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $44,625 | $36,744 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $52,131 | $41,273 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 47% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 72% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
151 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Science/StudiesMaster's | Master's | 300 | Withheld | $71,030 | Withheld | $112,705 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 211 | $24,590 | $66,764 | $82,201 | $88,910 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 210 | $20,000 | $30,949 | $46,090 | $50,706 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 201 | $30,750 | $75,668 | $101,635 | $103,485 |
| Computer ScienceMaster's | Master's | 155 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 142 | $21,950 | $35,443 | $55,038 | $75,975 |
| LawProfessional | Professional | 119 | $71,500 | $64,805 | $91,229 | $107,773 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 117 | $37,500 | $47,766 | $58,916 | $65,123 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 99 | $21,500 | $38,027 | $55,174 | $63,560 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 91 | $23,492 | $46,708 | $58,930 | $68,257 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 85 | $20,750 | $29,440 | $53,898 | $57,214 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 83 | $23,000 | $65,531 | $85,184 | $92,135 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 79 | $22,750 | $43,706 | $61,829 | $69,303 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsProfessional | Professional | 77 | $71,872 | $69,262 | $74,579 | $81,641 |
| Film/Video and Photographic ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 72 | $26,000 | $22,263 | $37,745 | $43,765 |
| CriminologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 69 | $22,750 | $32,393 | $52,713 | $55,556 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 68 | $22,115 | $68,280 | $100,385 | $107,009 |
| Civil EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 66 | $26,117 | $66,295 | $73,575 | $86,517 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 65 | $24,125 | $32,823 | $43,424 | $47,382 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 63 | $25,000 | $35,869 | $48,571 | $51,790 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 63 | $21,875 | $49,425 | $73,669 | $83,343 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 60 | $20,661 | $54,088 | $73,476 | $76,194 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 57 | Withheld | $94,207 | $115,285 | $133,654 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesMaster's | Master's | 48 | $50,999 | $47,850 | $54,706 | $60,111 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 45 | $22,000 | $29,618 | $48,688 | $56,359 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Cleveland and Ohio on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Ohio
- Homes: Homes for sale in Ohio
Questions and answers
How much does Cleveland State University cost?
$14,764 a year is the average net price at Cleveland State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $12,988 for in-state students and $18,510 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $27,159. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,958 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Cleveland State University?
91% of applicants are admitted to Cleveland State University. The median admission rate of colleges in Ohio is 78%.
How much do Cleveland State University graduates earn?
$52,131 a year is the median pay of former Cleveland State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($44,625 after 6 years). That ranks 1,307 of 5,094 US colleges and 60 of 243 in Ohio. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Master's) at $94,207.
How much student debt do Cleveland State University graduates have?
$21,797 is the median federal student loan debt of Cleveland State University graduates, about $231 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 74% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Cleveland State University?
51% of first-time, full-time students at Cleveland State University finish within 6 years. 70% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Cleveland State University?
Information Science/Studies (300 master's graduates), Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (211 bachelor's graduates), Psychology, General (210 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 151 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.