Cleveland State University Economics: earnings, debt & careers

Economics graduates of Cleveland State University earn a median $62,852 four years after graduating ($44,759 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $32,500. That is $16,637 below the U.S. median for Economics graduates ($79,489 across 368 colleges), and ranks 12th of 13 Ohio colleges.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$62,852

U.S. median for this major: $79,489.

College Scorecard field of study; 35 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$44,759

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$32,500

About 52% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,907.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$14,764 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $27,159. College Scorecard.

Cleveland State University Economics: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Cleveland State University graduates$62,852
Ohio median (13 colleges)$79,310 (−$16,458)
U.S. median (368 colleges)$79,489 (−$16,637)

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.

Economics 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 incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$11,958$52,6151.9 years
$30–48k$13,561$59,6682.2 years
$48–75k$14,727$64,7992.4 years
$75–110k$15,690$69,0362.5 years
$110k+$20,378$89,6633.3 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 Economics graduates 4 years after graduating ($62,852) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $27,414 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.

Economics at Ohio colleges

Every Ohio college we cover that reports Economics graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Case Western Reserve University$114,601$25,949$41,19087%
2Kenyon College$103,791$18,718$38,51282%
3Denison University$97,394$24,102$40,00779%
4John Carroll University$91,386$27,000$28,74679%
5Miami University-Oxford$90,742$25,500$28,38480%
6Oberlin College$87,120$25,000$38,64581%
7The College of Wooster$79,310—$23,45874%
8Ohio State University$75,485$23,125$17,33988%
9University of Cincinnati$75,443$21,264$25,64875%
10Bowling Green State University$74,844$23,625$24,02264%
11Xavier University$63,252$27,000$32,99769%
12Cleveland State University$62,852$32,500$14,76451%
13University of Dayton$61,502$22,791$29,53380%

27 more Ohio colleges offer Economics but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Economics graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Cleveland area$79,610
Ohio$78,800
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

Cleveland area$71,350
Ohio$72,790
U.S.$78,760

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Data Scientists

Cleveland area$101,860
Ohio$102,630
U.S.$120,230

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +34.6% 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

Related majors at Cleveland State University

Cleveland State University Economics questions

How much do Cleveland State University Economics graduates earn?

Economics graduates of Cleveland State University earn a median $62,852 four years after graduating and $44,759 one year after. The U.S. median for Economics graduates across 368 colleges is $79,489.

How much debt do Cleveland State University Economics graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Economics graduates of Cleveland State University is $32,500, about 52% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,907.

Is Cleveland State University a good school for Economics in Ohio?

On pay, Economics graduates of Cleveland State University earn $62,852 four years out, $16,458 below the median for the same major across 13 Ohio colleges ($79,310) and $16,637 below the U.S. median ($79,489). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Cleveland State University rank for Economics in Ohio?

Of 13 Ohio colleges reporting Economics graduate earnings, Cleveland State University ranks 12th. The highest is Case Western Reserve University at $114,601.

What jobs do Economics graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $79,610 in the Cleveland, OH area and $72,040 nationally. Others include market research analysts and marketing specialists and data scientists.

Is Cleveland State University the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing Cleveland State University with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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 Economics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/cleveland-state-university/majors/economics (College Scorecard and BLS data).