Economics at Cleveland State University

Cleveland State's economics program starts graduates at $44,759—well below both the national median ($51,722) and Ohio's median ($51,536) for economics degrees. That's a meaningful gap: this program ranks in just the 23rd percentile nationally and 40th percentile within Ohio, where stronger programs at Cincinnati, Miami, and even private schools like John Carroll see initial earnings $13,000-$20,000 higher. For a family weighing tuition investments, that starting salary difference compounds over time.

The upside is manageable debt. At $32,500, graduates here borrow about $10,000 more than the typical Ohio economics major, but the 0.73 debt-to-earnings ratio remains reasonable—students earn enough in year one to service loans without financial strain. The 34% earnings growth to nearly $60,000 by year four also shows the degree has trajectory, eventually catching closer to competitive programs' starting points.

The practical read: this is an accessible path to an economics degree at an open-admission university serving a high proportion of Pell-eligible students, but it doesn't deliver the immediate earning power of Ohio's stronger programs. If your child is choosing Cleveland State for location or affordability reasons, the economics major won't saddle them with crushing debt. But if they're comparing offers from Cincinnati or Miami, those programs show notably stronger returns from day one.