Cleveland State University

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 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. Graduates earn about $7,828 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 82.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Cleveland State University #576 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major.

Psychology, General reports 235 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $46,090, ranked #249 nationally in its major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 231 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $82,201, ranked #212 nationally in its major.

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions reports 153 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,038, ranked #55 nationally in its major. Biology, General reports 109 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $53,898, ranked #261 nationally in its major.

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. ```