U.S. median for this major: $54,283.
College Scorecard field of study; 92 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 56% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $27,159. College Scorecard.
Cleveland State University Communications: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Communications nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Cleveland State University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,958 | $52,615 | 4.0 years |
| $30–48k | $13,561 | $59,668 | 4.5 years |
| $48–75k | $14,727 | $64,799 | 4.9 years |
| $75–110k | $15,690 | $69,036 | 5.2 years |
| $110k+ | $20,378 | $89,663 | 6.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (33% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Communications graduates 4 years after graduating ($48,688) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,250 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Communications at Ohio colleges
Every Ohio college we cover that reports Communications graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Dayton | $67,231 | $25,375 | $29,533 | 80% |
| 2 | Denison University | $66,730 | $25,187 | $40,007 | 79% |
| 3 | John Carroll University | $62,270 | $27,000 | $28,746 | 79% |
| 4 | Ohio State University | $62,096 | $23,500 | $17,339 | 88% |
| 5 | The College of Wooster | $60,884 | $22,681 | $23,458 | 74% |
| 6 | University of Cincinnati | $56,818 | $23,816 | $25,648 | 75% |
| 7 | Wittenberg University | $56,711 | $27,000 | $18,649 | 53% |
| 8 | Miami University-Hamilton | $55,919 | $21,500 | $11,286 | 25% |
| 9 | Miami University-Middletown | $55,919 | $21,500 | $10,809 | 32% |
| 10 | Miami University-Oxford | $55,919 | $21,500 | $28,384 | 80% |
| 11 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus | $54,695 | $24,063 | $3,925 | 21% |
| 12 | Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus | $54,695 | $24,063 | $5,755 | 14% |
| 13 | Ohio University-Southern Campusbachelor's & associate | $54,695 | $24,063 | $5,993 | 21% |
| 14 | Ohio University-Lancaster Campusbachelor's & associate | $54,695 | $24,063 | $5,650 | 14% |
| 15 | Ohio University | $54,695 | $24,063 | $21,637 | 65% |
| 16 | Ohio University-Zanesville Campus | $54,695 | $24,063 | $5,746 | 22% |
| 17 | Xavier University | $53,800 | $26,825 | $32,997 | 69% |
| 18 | Baldwin Wallace University | $51,698 | $27,000 | $27,603 | 67% |
| 19 | Otterbein University | $51,006 | $18,500 | $19,237 | 68% |
| 20 | Heidelberg University | $50,626 | $27,000 | $20,556 | 52% |
| 21 | Kent State University at Ashtabulamostly 2-year | $49,375 | $26,000 | $12,205 | 25% |
| 22 | Kent State University at East Liverpoolmostly 2-year | $49,375 | $26,000 | $13,392 | 26% |
| 23 | Kent State University at Starkmostly 2-year | $49,375 | $26,000 | $10,897 | 37% |
| 24 | Kent State University at Trumbullmostly 2-year | $49,375 | $26,000 | $11,135 | 32% |
| 25 | Kent State University at Tuscarawasmostly 2-year | $49,375 | $26,000 | $12,542 | 38% |
| 26 | Kent State University at Salemmostly 2-year | $49,375 | $26,000 | $13,799 | 31% |
| 27 | Kent State University at Kent | $49,375 | $26,000 | $20,787 | 64% |
| 28 | Cleveland State University | $48,688 | $27,500 | $14,764 | 51% |
| 29 | University of Toledo | $47,659 | $25,500 | $17,249 | 57% |
| 30 | Walsh University | $46,374 | $27,000 | $20,493 | 59% |
| 31 | Franciscan University of Steubenville | $42,188 | $24,953 | $23,589 | 75% |
| 32 | Wright State University | $40,908 | $26,000 | $15,415 | 42% |
| 33 | Cedarville University | $34,958 | — | $24,468 | 73% |
19 more Ohio colleges offer Communications but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Communications graduates
Public relations specialist
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +1.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Fundraisers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Editors
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -1.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Cleveland State University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Cleveland State University
- Acceptance rate: 91% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 51% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $52,131
- Full cost breakdown · all 71 majors · overview
Related majors at Cleveland State University
Cleveland State University Communications questions
How much do Cleveland State University Communications graduates earn?
Communications graduates of Cleveland State University earn a median $48,688 four years after graduating and $29,618 one year after. The U.S. median for Communications graduates across 639 colleges is $54,283.
How much debt do Cleveland State University Communications graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Communications graduates of Cleveland State University is $27,500, about 56% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Cleveland State University a good school for Communications in Ohio?
On pay, Communications graduates of Cleveland State University earn $48,688 four years out, $5,112 below the median for the same major across 33 Ohio colleges ($53,800) and $5,595 below the U.S. median ($54,283). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Cleveland State University rank for Communications in Ohio?
Of 33 Ohio colleges reporting Communications graduate earnings, Cleveland State University ranks 28th; among the 25 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 20th. The highest is University of Dayton at $67,231.
What jobs do Communications graduates get?
A common career is public relations specialist, with a median wage of $66,610 in the Cleveland, OH area and $74,750 nationally. Others include fundraisers and editors.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Cleveland State University Communications: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/cleveland-state-university/majors/communications (College Scorecard and BLS data).