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Cleveland State University: Corlett Building site
Photo: Nyttend, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

National university

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $14,764 a year

Median debt at graduation: $21,797 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good · Top 50%
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.51%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.70%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$12,674

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$11,958
$30,001–$48,000$13,561
$48,001–$75,000$14,727
$75,001–$110,000$15,690
Over $110,000$20,378

Full cost of attendance before aid: $27,159 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
9,463
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 46% · Women 54%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
38%
Total students14,117
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$14,764
Cost of attendance (per year)$27,159
Median federal debt at graduation$21,797
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
51%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
46%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
47%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
47%
First-year retention70%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$52,131
Admission rate91%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Students receiving Pell grants41%

Value: Very good · Top 30% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computer science$100,385
Electrical engineering technology$88,732
Computer engineering$88,595
Electrical engineering$87,713
Computing and information science$86,337
Mechanical engineering$85,184
Allied health$83,938
Nursing$82,201
Chemical Engineering$81,185
Finance$73,669
Civil engineering$73,575
Accounting$73,476
Information science$72,661
International business$68,241
Management science$67,614
Pre-health$67,214
Human resources$65,203
Chemistry$63,541
Economics$62,852
Marketing$61,829
Business administration$58,930
Mathematics$58,346
Sociology$57,211
Public relations$55,174
Clinical laboratory science$55,038
Biology$53,898
Urban Studies/Affairs$53,582
Natural resources and conservation$53,245
Criminology$52,713
Speech-language pathology$51,540
Political science$49,647
Communication studies$48,688
Social work$48,571
Romance languages$48,439
Secondary education$48,254
Design$46,635
Psychology$46,090
International relations$45,045
Teacher education$43,424
History$42,859
English$41,767
Educational leadership$41,308
Anthropology$38,972
Film and video$37,745
Fine arts$36,603
Theatre$36,174
Music$29,842

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians, Business (general), Community Organization and Advocacy, Dance, Ethnic and gender studies, Geology and earth science, Health administration, Kinesiology and exercise science, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Managerial economics, Mechanical engineering technology, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other health professions and related clinical sciences, Other social sciences, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Philosophy, Physics, Public administration, Real Estate, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious studies, Social sciences, Special education.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions21%
Business20%
Psychology9%
Engineering9%
Social sciences7%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates17%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older19%
On-campus room and board (per year)$15,104
SportsNCAA Division I · Horizon League
ROTCArmy · Air Force
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member16 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 8%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time84%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$9,039IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 23% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceCleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)About 11 miles away · about 25 minutes by car
Town population366,097Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreClevelandIn or next to this city
Typical weather29°F in January · 74°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Cleveland Burke Airport, OH

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.210.07
Robbery0.140.01
Aggravated assault0.140.04
Burglary0.920.08
Motor vehicle theft1.780.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Cleveland State University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Cleveland State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $14,764 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Cleveland State University?
Cleveland State University admitted 91% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Cleveland State University’s graduates do?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $52,131; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,797.

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