Social Sciences at Cleveland State University

Cleveland State's social sciences bachelor's appears positioned in the affordable-but-modest-outcomes territory typical of many regional public universities. Based on comparable social sciences programs nationally, first-year earnings around $36,000 paired with an estimated $22,000 in debt creates a manageable 0.61 debt-to-earnings ratio—meaning graduates would owe about seven months of their first year's salary. That's better than the national median debt of $25,500 for similar programs, though the earnings themselves sit at the national median rather than above it.

The university's 95% admission rate and serving a population where 39% receive Pell grants suggests it's meeting an access mission, but parents should recognize this likely means less robust alumni networks or career placement infrastructure than you'd find at more selective institutions. Social sciences degrees are notoriously broad—outcomes vary wildly depending on whether your child pursues graduate school, lands in public policy work, pivots to sales, or struggles to find relevant employment. The estimation here is necessary because too few graduates from this specific program reported data, which itself tells you something about scale and potentially about engagement with the institution post-graduation.

The key question: Does your child have a specific career path in mind that requires this degree, or are they exploring? At this debt level, exploration is financially viable, but the modest earnings projection means they'll need intentionality about internships and skill-building to compete for better opportunities.