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Is Cleveland State University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Cleveland State, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Cleveland State lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $22,000 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $56,979, but the margin is not huge. For context, Cleveland State's net price runs about 24% above the typical 4-year, public school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$16,307
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $3,153 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $13,000 in extra cost.
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
$13,754
Median earnings 10 years out
$56,979
Median debt at graduation
$22,000
Graduation rate
51%
At Cleveland State, a typical graduate carries about $22,000 in student debt and earns roughly $56,979 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $250 per month, or 5% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $26,186 more than the typical working high school graduate in Ohio ($30,793) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
78% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
What this means for your family
Cleveland State is a public four year school in Cleveland, OH. For many families, the key question is whether the published value here beats cheaper in state or regional alternatives once your real aid offer arrives.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Public 4-year
Wright State University-
Dayton, OH
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $13,715
Public 4-year
Central State
Wilberforce, OH
Worth-It Score: 51/100
Median net price: $13,307
Public 4-year
University of Akron
Akron, OH
Worth-It Score: 66/100
Median net price: $13,072
Public 4-year
University of Toledo
Toledo, OH
Worth-It Score: 65/100
Median net price: $16,406
Public 4-year
Ohio State University-
Columbus, OH
Worth-It Score: 85/100
Median net price: $17,269
Common questions about Cleveland State
The median net price at Cleveland State is $13,754 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 public universities options in Ohio? See the most affordable public universities in Ohio →
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 in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$13,754a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. 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 →