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Cleveland skyline from Lakewood Park, January 2026Photo: Erik Drost · CC BY 4.0
Colleges in and near Cleveland

Cleveland is home to six colleges, with about 37,000 students on campus

Cleveland State University (12,375 students on campus) and Case Western Reserve University (11,730) are inside the city. About 6% of Cleveland’s residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Ohio (6%).

Cuyahoga Community College DistrictCleveland State UniversityCase Western Reserve University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Cleveland. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
12
44,931 students on campus
Nearest college
1.2 mi
Cuyahoga Community College District
Residents in college
6%
About the same as OH (6%)
Nearest community college
1.2 mi
Cuyahoga Community College District · $3,249 tuition
Nearest public university
1.7 mi
Cleveland State · $12,988 in-state
Median household income
$41K
prices below start here

What stands out about college in Cleveland

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

Three colleges within 4.1 milesCleveland State University admits 91% of applicants; Case Western Reserve University admits 37%. Together they have 35,611 students on campus.A community college 1.2 miles awayCuyahoga Community College District in Cleveland: tuition and fees $3,249 a year for Ohio residents.In-state price at Cleveland StateLiving in Ohio, Cleveland State University charges $12,988 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $18,510. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.Students are 6% of residentsAbout the same as Ohio (6%). The Census counts anyone enrolled, including part-time and online students.
Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Cleveland

10 private colleges within 11.5 miles, one public college within 1.7 miles, and three community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miCleveland StateCase Western Reserve UniversityCleveland
University or collegeCommunity college
Cuyahoga Community College DistrictCommunity college · Public · 11,506 on campus · In Cleveland$4knet price31%graduate$36kearningsTuition and fees: $3,249 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Cleveland State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 12,375 on campus · In Cleveland91%admitted$15knet price51%graduate$52kearningsOhio Technical CollegeUniversity or college · For-profit · 331 on campus · In Cleveland$35knet price90%graduate$48kearningsCase Western Reserve UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 11,730 on campus · In Cleveland37%admitted$41knet price87%graduate$88kearningsCleveland Institute of MusicUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 350 on campus · In Cleveland47%admitted$28knet price72%graduate$33kearningsCleveland Institute of ArtUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 566 on campus · In Cleveland61%admitted$29knet price58%graduate$43kearningsValley College-ClevelandUniversity or college · For-profit · 787 on campus · 5.4 mi · Cleveland$30knet price57%graduate$25kearningsEarnings are reported for all 2 campuses that file with it.Remington College-Cleveland CampusCommunity college · Private nonprofit · 133 on campus · 6.4 mi · Cleveland$24knet price55%graduate$31kearningsTuition and fees: $15,876 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Earnings are reported for all 12 campuses that file with it.Bryant & Stratton College-ParmaCommunity college · Private nonprofit · 522 on campus · 7.4 mi · Parma$13knet price19%graduate$33kearningsTuition and fees: $19,580 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Earnings are reported for all 8 campuses that file with it.John Carroll UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,614 on campus · 7.7 mi · University Heights81%admitted$29knet price79%graduate$63kearningsUrsuline CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 844 on campus · 11.2 mi · Pepper Pike75%admitted$16knet price67%graduate$57kearningsBaldwin Wallace UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 3,173 on campus · 11.5 mi · Berea76%admitted$28knet price67%graduate$54kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Cleveland’s median household income ($40,801) falls.

Cuyahoga Community College DistrictIn Cleveland · sticker $11,189 · tuition $3,249$3,646a year
Ursuline College11.2 mi · Pepper Pike · sticker $50,523$13,286a year
Cleveland State UniversityIn Cleveland · sticker $27,159$13,561a year
Case Western Reserve UniversityIn Cleveland · sticker $85,851$18,506a year
John Carroll University7.7 mi · University Heights · sticker $65,827$19,485a year
Baldwin Wallace University11.5 mi · Berea · sticker $55,606$20,381a year
Cleveland Institute of ArtIn Cleveland · sticker $64,587$24,992a year
Remington College-Cleveland Campus6.4 mi · Cleveland · sticker $29,267 · tuition $15,876$25,069a year
Cleveland Institute of MusicIn Cleveland · sticker $61,212$29,767a year
Valley College-Cleveland5.4 mi · Cleveland · sticker $34,684$30,710a year
Ohio Technical CollegeIn Cleveland · sticker $36,931$34,988a year
Bryant & Stratton College-Parma7.4 mi · Parma · sticker $23,917 · tuition $19,580—a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Cleveland: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Cuyahoga Community College DistrictCleveland StateCase Western Reserve UniversityJohn Carroll UniversityUrsuline CollegeBaldwin Wallace University
Cleveland State University51% graduate$52k earnings$22k typical debt
Case Western Reserve University87% graduate$88k earnings$24k typical debt
Cuyahoga Community College District31% graduate$36k earnings$8k typical debt
Baldwin Wallace University67% graduate$54k earnings$27k typical debt
John Carroll University79% graduate$63k earnings$26k typical debt
Ursuline College67% graduate$57k earnings$26k typical debt
Valley College-Cleveland57% graduate$25k earnings*$10k typical debt
Cleveland Institute of Art58% graduate$43k earnings$27k typical debt
Bryant & Stratton College-Parma19% graduate$33k earnings*$22k typical debt
Cleveland Institute of Music72% graduate$33k earnings$25k typical debt
Ohio Technical College90% graduate$48k earnings$12k typical debt
Remington College-Cleveland Campus55% graduate$31k earnings*$13k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Valley College-Cleveland (2); Remington College-Cleveland Campus (12); Bryant & Stratton College-Parma (8).

Majors

What students study in Cleveland

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Cleveland’s 6 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Liberal arts 22%Health professions 18%Business 11%Engineering 8%Visual & performing arts 5%Computer science 4%Everything else 32%

Biggest programs

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesCuyahoga Community College District · 1,036 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingCleveland State University · 211 graduates a year
$82k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralCleveland State University · 210 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Computer ScienceCase Western Reserve University · 149 graduates a year
$144k4 yrs out
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsCleveland State University · 142 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingCuyahoga Community College District · 131 graduates a year
$78k4 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCuyahoga Community College District · 116 graduates a year
$68k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralCase Western Reserve University · 114 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Cleveland

Is Cleveland a college town?

No. About 6 of every 100 Cleveland residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), about the same as Ohio (6). The largest campus in the city, Cleveland State University, has 12,375 students on campus.

What colleges are in Cleveland?

Cleveland State University, Case Western Reserve University, Cuyahoga Community College District, Cleveland Institute of Art and 2 more are inside the city.

What is the closest community college to Cleveland, and what does it cost?

Cuyahoga Community College District in Cleveland, 1.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $3,249 a year for Ohio residents; the federal net price, $4,266, counts housing and food at full cost.

How much does Cleveland State University cost if we live in Ohio?

Tuition and fees are $12,988 a year in-state and $18,510 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $11,958 (under $30,000 income) to $20,378 (over $110,000), housing and food included.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Cleveland. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →