Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH · Public · Large city · Carnegie R1/R2 · CSU
Public institution in Cleveland, OH · 9,077 undergraduates · 95% acceptance rate · $52,131 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 13%Undergraduates
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $16,065755th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $12,613806th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $17,973730th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $26,310773rd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $21,797872nd lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $52,131954th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $44,625911th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 48.9%1,208th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 69.1%1,292nd highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 95.5%1,424th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 980967th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 23494th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 9,077280th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 16.0:11,471st smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 39.0%757th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 100 mi (DTW)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 74 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $68,079 | $65,849 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $63,005 | $58,673 |
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $59,124 | $57,318 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $58,092 | $59,901 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $57,899 | $57,920 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $56,544 | $56,415 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $56,205 | $55,942 |
| Chemical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $55,964 | $60,061 |
| Public Administration | bachelors | $55,964 | $31,127 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBusiness | bachelors | $53,775 | $56,234 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $46,478 | $57,318 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $45,956 | $48,901 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1964source
- Athletic nickname: "Vikings"source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: #006A4D and #69BE28source
- Mascot: Magnussource
- Campus size: about 85 acressource
- Formerly known as "Cleveland YMCA School of Technology" (1921–1929)source
- Formerly known as "Fenn College" (1929–1964)source
- Formerly known as "Cleveland Law School" (1897–1946)source
- Formerly known as "Marshall School of Law" (1916–1946)source
- Formerly known as "Cleveland-Marshall School of Law" (1946–1967)source
- Athletic conference: Horizon Leaguesource
- Fight song: ""The Pride of Cleveland""source
- Notable alum: Dennis Kucinichsource
- Notable alum: Annie Easleysource
- Notable alum: Stipe Miocicsource
Athletics — 11 sports
NCAA Division I without football · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $3,354,347 (M $1,469,351 · W $1,884,996)
- Basketball
- Fencing
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitecsuohio.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 202134)
- Compare colleges in OHRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in OhioEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Cleveland State University vs University of Akron Main CampusHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 11 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.