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 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, 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.
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 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, 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.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
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 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, 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.
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
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 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, 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.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
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 provides broader context for how these program families align with national hiring trends. For details on how Azimuth evaluates programs, see the methodology overview. ```
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
