How much debt do Cleveland State pre-health studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $20,738, which ranks the lowest of 6 pre-health studies bachelor's programs in Ohio. That works out to about $220 a month over 10 years.

Is a pre-health studies degree from Cleveland State worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 87% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 72%. Compare the cost with other Ohio programs before deciding.

Do Cleveland State pre-health studies graduates stay in Ohio?

Most do. 95% (37 of 39) were working in Ohio one year after graduating.

Cleveland State Pre-Health Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Health/Medical Preparatory Programs
Public university
Cleveland, OH
About 32 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Cleveland State pre-health studies graduates earn less than graduates of most pre-health studies programs nationally, $23,755 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $20,738 in federal loans, less than at 91% of pre-health studies programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the Ohio median of $33,071.

First-year earnings$23,7559th percentile of 32 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$59,581151% more than year one

Median federal debt$20,738The lowest of 6 Ohio programs

Debt-to-earnings87%Ohio median 74%, national 72%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Ohio and national columns are the medians across all pre-health studies bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Cleveland State	Ohio	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$23,755	$33,071	$33,330
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$59,581	$62,719	$65,466
Median federal debt at graduation	$20,738	$24,794	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	87%	74%	72%
Programs compared		6	32

Five years out, Cleveland State graduates earn less than the national figure and about $3,138 less than the Ohio median. Several Ohio programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

Debt and first-year pay at every Ohio pre-health studies program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Ohio medians.

Cleveland StateOther Ohio programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 151% between the first and fifth year.

Cleveland State grads, year 1$23,755

Cleveland State grads, year 5$59,581

All Ohio pre-health studies grads, year 5$62,719

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $220 a month, or 11.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (92 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20% or less
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
In default	20% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 19 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $19,011.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

95% of graduates (37 of 39) were working in Ohio one year after graduating. Prices in the Cleveland area are about 6% below the national average, so a $23,755 salary here buys what about $25,292 buys in a typical US city.

About Cleveland State

In-state tuition and fees	$12,988 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$18,510 / year
Average net price after aid	$14,764 / year
Admission rate	91%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	51%
Undergraduate students	8,969

Pre-Health Studies ranks 40th of 43 bachelor's programs at Cleveland State by first-year earnings. The top three are Chemical Engineering ($69,043), Electrical Engineering ($68,875), and Computer Engineering ($68,852).

Other pre-health studies bachelor's programs near Cleveland

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Cleveland StateCleveland, OH · public		$23,755	$20,738
Kent StateKent, OH · public	30 mi	$41,924	$27,000
University of AkronAkron, OH · public	31 mi	$31,218	$25,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $23,755 one year after graduating and $59,581 five years after. The median across pre-health studies bachelor's programs in Ohio is $33,071.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Ohio comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the pre-health studies program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Pre-Health Studies bachelor's programs in Ohio, ranked6 programs by pay and debt Pre-Health Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked32 programs by pay and debt All Cleveland State programs, ranked43 programs by pay and debt