Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Cleveland State University Featured Rankings
About Cleveland State University
According to Wikipedia, Cleveland State University is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in operation since 1923. CSU absorbed the Cleveland-Marshall School of Law in 1969. Today it is part of the University System of Ohio, has more than 120,000 alumni, and offers over 200 academic programs amongst eight colleges. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".
Cleveland State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,274 | 91% | 70% | 51% | 21 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2023; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Cleveland State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $13,262 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $10,230 |
| 30K - 48K | $13,389 |
| 48K - 75K | $19,883 |
| 75K - 110K | $17,297 |
| 110K+ | $16,567 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Cleveland State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Cleveland State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $56,979 a year, and 91% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Cleveland State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 16,742 | 10,981 | 5,761 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Cleveland State University?
Cleveland State University is located at 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-2214.
How Safe is Cleveland State University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Cleveland State University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Cleveland State University has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.27%. Cleveland has a violent crime rate of 1.58% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 4.53%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Cleveland State University Known For?
Cleveland State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Physics
- Economics
- Nursing
- Law
- Sociology
- Engineering
- Political Science
- Computer Science
- Business
- Education
- Medical
- History
- Communications
- Mathematics
- Anthropology
- Literature
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Religious Studies
- Earth Sciences
- Biology
- Chemistry
Cleveland State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Cleveland State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Cleveland State University ranks #176 in the U.S. and #730 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesCleveland State University ranks #189 in the U.S. and #891 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesCleveland State University ranks #205 in the U.S. and #536 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesCleveland State University ranks #207 in the U.S. and #637 worldwide for influence in Law.
Cleveland State University ranks #207 in the U.S. and #767 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesCleveland State University ranks #208 in the U.S. and #1177 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesCleveland State University ranks #221 in the U.S. and #871 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesCleveland State University ranks #231 in the U.S. and #918 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesCleveland State University ranks #253 in the U.S. and #829 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesCleveland State University ranks #253 in the U.S. and #1031 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesCleveland State University ranks #254 in the U.S. and #909 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesCleveland State University ranks #282 in the U.S. and #793 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesCleveland State University ranks #286 in the U.S. and #1024 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesCleveland State University ranks #307 in the U.S. and #1216 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesCleveland State University ranks #366 in the U.S. and #1127 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesCleveland State University ranks #394 in the U.S. and #1181 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesCleveland State University ranks #410 in the U.S. and #1360 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesCleveland State University ranks #502 in the U.S. and #1288 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesCleveland State University ranks #511 in the U.S. and #1243 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesCleveland State University ranks #534 in the U.S. and #2336 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesCleveland State University ranks #560 in the U.S. and #2276 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesCleveland State University ranks #577 in the U.S. and #2495 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesCleveland State University ranks #661 in the U.S. and #3115 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWho Are Cleveland State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Cleveland State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Law. Here are some of Cleveland State University's most famous alumni:
- Annie Easley
- An American mathematician and rocket scientist.
- Dennis Kucinich
- An American politician in Ohio .
- Mitchell Silver
- An American urban planner.
- Nina Turner
- An American politician from Ohio.
- James Harris
- An American communist.
- Bryn Forbes
- An American basketball player.
- Danielle Ripich
- A .
- George Nader
- A Lebanese-American businessman and convicted sex offender.
- Tim Murphy
- An American politician, Pennsylvania.
- Vlado Dimovski
- A Slovene economist, philosopher, politician, university professor.
- Karen Kovacik
- An American poet.
- Max Miller
- An American politician .
Who Are Cleveland State University's Most Influential Faculty?
Cleveland State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Law. Here are some of Cleveland State University's most famous faculty: