Health Professions at Cleveland State University

Comparable health professions programs in Ohio suggest first-year earnings around $48,400, which would make Cleveland State's estimated debt load of $26,300 manageable—though the reported four-year earnings figure of $44,900 complicates this picture. That backward slide in income raises questions about career trajectories: are graduates job-hopping, shifting to part-time work, or finding that entry-level positions don't lead where they expected? The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54 looks reasonable on paper, but only if those early earnings hold steady.

The wide range among Ohio programs—from Kettering's $70,900 to Cincinnati's $32,600—suggests that credential type and specialization matter enormously here. Cleveland State's open admissions and high Pell enrollment mean many students are making this investment from tighter financial positions, where even moderate debt becomes harder to manage if those four-year earnings reflect the actual ceiling rather than a temporary dip.

The practical concern is this: if the estimates prove accurate but the four-year decline holds, you're looking at debt that takes longer to pay down than standard models suggest. Before committing, pin down exactly which health profession this degree prepares students for—the broad "health professions" category likely includes everything from health administration to clinical roles, each with vastly different earning potential.