For low-income graduate median earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions
Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks Cleveland State University #209 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $61,322, placing Cleveland State University in the 51.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Cleveland State University sits in the 82.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Cleveland State University #154 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. --- Cleveland State University's earnings outcomes place it well above many peers in the Azimuth coverage set, with graduates earning more than similar students at comparable institutions and median four-year earnings that rank strongly among public universities. The university's mobility standing reinforces that story — a health-dominant program mix and broad access combine to move a diverse student population into careers with durable earning power.
Azimuth ranks Cleveland State University #209 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A public university in Cleveland, OH, Cleveland State University enrolls roughly 8,969 undergraduates. Retention stands at 70.3% and the six-year graduation rate is 50.6%, figures that reflect the realities of an urban commuter-serving institution with a broad-access admissions posture — Cleveland State University admits about 91.3% of applicants. What anchors Cleveland State University in the composite is mobility. The university sits in the 89.6 percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions, driven by strong outcomes for the large share of students who arrive from lower-income and first-generation backgrounds — 40.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 38.4% are first-generation college students. Access reinforces that story, with Cleveland State University sitting in the 75.8 percentile for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The dominant program family is Health, and the university's program mix channels graduates into locally anchored career paths in healthcare, education, and social services alongside business and engineering fields. Return on investment is the lower-ranked pillar in the composite — Azimuth ranks Cleveland State University #576 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 61.1 percentile. Graduates earn median earnings four years after enrollment of $61,322, which sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions; graduates earn about $7,828 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Cleveland State University in the 82.4 percentile for among nonprofit four-year institutions. These earnings figures reflect OH's regional labor market and a student population whose post-graduation outcomes represent meaningful returns relative to the no-degree-equivalent baseline of $32,204, even where they fall below selective-peer averages. Affordability sits in the 75.6 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, shaped by public-tuition pricing and need-based aid that narrows the gap for lower-income families.
Cleveland State University's published cost of attendance is $27,159, but need-based aid reshapes that figure meaningfully across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $11,958 per year in net price — a figure that reflects the university's public-tuition structure and its commitment to serving cost-sensitive students. Middle-income families pay around $14,727, and higher-income families pay approximately $20,378. Azimuth ranks Cleveland State University #349 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. For more on how sticker prices and net prices diverge, see the net price illusion. Cleveland State participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, including Pell Grants, Ohio need-based aid, and institutional scholarships. The university's urban public mission shapes its aid structure: a substantial share of students qualify for need-based assistance, and the net price for low-income families reflects that reach. Families apply for aid using the FAFSA, and Ohio residents may also benefit from state grant programs that further reduce out-of-pocket costs. The gap between sticker price and net price is most pronounced for lower-income families, where institutional and federal aid together cover a meaningful portion of total cost. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,797, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $16,998; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the Parent PLUS risk framework for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $61,322, median federal debt of $21,797 projects to a monthly payment of about $246 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
Cleveland State University is a strong fit for students drawn to health, applied sciences, and professional fields who want an urban public university in Cleveland, OH with a clear path to stable post-graduation earnings. Graduates earn in the 51.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Cleveland State University sits in the 82.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions — graduates earn about $7,828 more than similar students at comparable institutions, a meaningful signal for students weighing long-term return on investment. The access profile is broad. 40.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 38.4% are first-generation college students, and Cleveland State University sits in the 51.7 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a historical 10-year Scorecard measure not yet updated to the 4-year horizon. For Pell-eligible and first-generation students seeking a public university that delivers measurable upward mobility, Cleveland State's combination of broad access and solid earnings outcomes is worth close attention. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the program mix is concentrated in Health and related applied fields, so students whose interests align with those areas will find the strongest outcomes. Students who need to borrow should weigh median debt of $21,797 against the earnings trajectory — the Financial GPS tool models that tradeoff at the program level.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
Personalized cost and earnings calculator
This is the Cleveland State University hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Computer Science
48 graduates
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians
10 graduates
Computer Engineering
27 graduates
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
28 graduates
Mechanical Engineering
86 graduates
Cleveland State University's program mix is anchored in Health, with meaningful enrollment across business, engineering, and social-science fields. Psychology, General is the largest program with 235 graduates, followed by Nursing (231 graduates), Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (153 graduates), Biology, General (109 graduates), and Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (102 graduates).
Business accounts for 18% of degree output, Engineering accounts for 9%, and Social Sciences accounts for 8% — a distribution that reflects the university's applied, workforce-oriented identity in Cleveland's regional economy. The strongest earnings come from engineering and technical fields.
Mechanical Engineering leads with median earnings of $85,184 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #199 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Nursing program graduates 231 students and earns $82,201, and Azimuth ranks it #165 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Accounting earns $73,476, with Azimuth ranking it #156 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These programs combine strong early-career pay with direct entry into regional labor markets where engineering and health-sector employers recruit actively.
Several of Cleveland State University's largest programs serve as pathways into stable, locally anchored careers. Psychology, General and Biology, General are health-sector pipelines where four-year earnings — $46,090 and $53,898 respectively — reflect credentialed roles with predictable demand.
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions, with median earnings of $55,038, feeds into Cleveland's business and financial-services sector. Programs like Nursing and Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication show more moderate early earnings, consistent with fields where graduate study or additional credentialing often follows the bachelor's degree.
The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides broader context for how these program families align with national hiring trends. For details on [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), see the methodology overview. ```
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
University Of Louisville Similar quality tier (#5467 ranked) | KY | 79% | $53,899 | #5467 | Compare |
James Madison University Similar quality tier (#5469 ranked) | VA | 72% | $69,954 | #5469 | Compare |
Texas Southern University Similar quality tier (#5466 ranked) | TX | 97% | $38,924 | #5466 | Compare |
University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Similar quality tier in Midwest (#5471 ranked) | WI | 91% | $54,990 | #5471 | Compare |
Sonoma State University Similar quality tier (#5983 ranked) | CA | 93% | $65,986 | #5983 | Compare |
Based on federal data for students receiving aid. Actual costs may vary.
Cleveland State University's published cost of attendance is $27,159, but need-based aid reshapes that figure meaningfully across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $11,958 per year in net price — a figure that reflects the university's public-tuition structure and its commitment to serving cost-sensitive students.
Middle-income families pay around $14,727, and higher-income families pay approximately $20,378. Azimuth ranks Cleveland State University #349 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. For more on how sticker prices and net prices diverge, see the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/).
Cleveland State participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, including Pell Grants, Ohio need-based aid, and institutional scholarships. The university's urban public mission shapes its aid structure: a substantial share of students qualify for need-based assistance, and the net price for low-income families reflects that reach.
Families apply for aid using the FAFSA, and Ohio residents may also benefit from state grant programs that further reduce out-of-pocket costs. The gap between sticker price and net price is most pronounced for lower-income families, where institutional and federal aid together cover a meaningful portion of total cost.
Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,797, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $16,998; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $61,322, median federal debt of $21,797 projects to a monthly payment of about $246 under standard ten-year repayment.
For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of Cleveland State University earn median earnings of $61,322 four years after enrollment, placing Cleveland State University in the 51.5 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).
Graduates earn about $7,828 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Cleveland State University in the 82.4 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to OH's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,204, the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential.
Cleveland State University's degree output leans toward Health, which accounts for 18% of graduates, followed by Engineering at 9% and Social Sciences at 8%. Nursing combines strong enrollment with solid earnings, making it a key contributor to the institution's overall return profile.
Azimuth ranks Psychology, General #204 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 235 graduates earning median earnings of $46,090. Azimuth ranks Nursing #165 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 231 graduates earning median earnings of $82,201.
Azimuth ranks Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions #36 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Azimuth ranks Biology, General #239 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning median earnings of $53,898.
