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Is Cleveland State Community College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Cleveland State Community, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Cleveland State Community sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $41,366 helps, but median debt of $6,500 plus yearly net price of $10,503 creates a tighter path. For context, Cleveland State Community's net price is about 8% below the typical 2-year, public school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 791 similar 2-year, public schools
This school
$6,922
/yrAverage school like this
$7,555
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $633 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $3,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$10,503
Median earnings 10 years out
$41,366
Median debt at graduation
$6,500
Graduation rate
35%
At Cleveland State Community, a typical graduate carries about $6,500 in student debt and earns roughly $41,366 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $74 per month, or 2% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $434 less than the typical high school graduate ($41,800) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties undergraduate student-loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
61% of former students here out-earned that benchmark ten years after entry, per College Scorecard.
Context, not a federal determination: the official test will use earnings measured four years after completion and thresholds the Department of Education has not yet published, which may vary by state. Our figure is College Scorecard median earnings ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Cleveland State Community is a two year school in Cleveland, TN. For many families, the real question is not just sticker price but what this path unlocks next, whether that is direct employment, transfer, or a lower cost route into a four year degree.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
2-year
Volunteer State Community
Gallatin, TN
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $10,508
2-year
Tennessee School of Beauty of Knoxville Inc
Knoxville, TN
Worth-It Score: 81/100
Median net price: $10,881
2-year
Elite College of Cosmetology
Lexington, TN
Worth-It Score: 79/100
Median net price: $11,321
2-year
Genesis Career College-Cookeville
Cookeville, TN
Worth-It Score: 69/100
Median net price: $12,146
2-year
Genesis Career College-Lebanon
Lebanon, TN
Worth-It Score: 64/100
Median net price: $14,818
Common questions about Cleveland State Community
The median net price at Cleveland State Community is $10,503 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at community colleges options in Tennessee? See the most affordable community colleges in Tennessee →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Cleveland State Community in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$7,236a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →