IU Northwest vs. Cleveland State

Should I go to Indiana University Northwest or Cleveland State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if IU Northwest or Cleveland State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Indiana University Northwest vs. Cleveland State University comparison
Indiana University Northwest Cleveland State University College 3 College 4
Indiana University Northwest Cleveland State University
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Overview

 IU Northwest Cleveland State
Location Gary, IN Cleveland, OH
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 3,198 14,385
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #882 #769
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iun.edu csuohio.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 IU Northwest Cleveland State
Tuition (In State) $7,274 $12,144
Tuition (Out of State) $20,634 $17,359
Room & Board $9,412 $14,197
Avg Net Price $6,553 $15,719
Avg Grant Aid $8,754 $9,436
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 91%

Admission

 IU Northwest Cleveland State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,915 11,570
Admitted 1,538 9,872
Acceptance Rate 80.3% 85.3%
Enrolled % 27.3% 16.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.14 3.31
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/25 18/25
SAT Range 950/1170 880/1130
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 15, 2025

Academics

 IU Northwest Cleveland State
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (33%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (14%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

 IU Northwest Cleveland State
Graduation Rate 23% 30%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,500 $44,200
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 47%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,030 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $258 $222

Diversity

 IU Northwest Cleveland State
% Men 25% 46%
% Women 75% 54%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 55% 64%
% Black 18% 17%
% Hispanic 20% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 IU Northwest Cleveland State
% In-State 97% 85%
% Out-of-State 2% 7%

Campus

 IU Northwest Cleveland State
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Cleveland State University is larger than than IU Northwest based on total student enrollment (14,385 students vs. 3,198 students)

IU Northwest vs. Cleveland State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IU Northwest or Cleveland State?

  • Cleveland State University is 67% more expensive to attend than IU Northwest for in-state tuition ($12,144.00 vs. $7,274.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 18.9% higher at IU Northwest than Cleveland State University ($20,634.00 vs. $17,359.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Indiana University Northwest than Cleveland State ($6,553 vs. $15,719)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Indiana University Northwest are 50.8% lower than costs at Cleveland State University ($9,412 vs. $14,197)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Cleveland State University than Indiana University Northwest (91% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Cleveland State University students is 7.8% larger than aid received Indiana University Northwest ($9,436 vs. $8,754)

IU Northwest vs. Cleveland State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, IU Northwest or Cleveland State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cleveland State or IU Northwest .

  • The average SAT score at Cleveland State University (1028) is 100 points higher than at IU Northwest (928)
  • Incoming Cleveland State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at IU Northwest (20)
  • Accepted freshman Cleveland State students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at IU Northwest (3.14)
  • Cleveland State has a higher acceptance rate (85.3%) than IU Northwest (80.3%)

IU Northwest vs. Cleveland State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IU Northwest or Cleveland State? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Cleveland State and IU Northwest.

  • The graduation rate at Cleveland State is higher than Indiana University Northwest (30% vs. 23%)
  • Graduates from Cleveland State University earn on average $4,700 more per year than IU Northwest graduates after ten years. ($44,200 vs. $39,500)
  • Cleveland State University students graduate with a $3,530 lower median federal student loan debt than IU Northwest graduates. ($21,500 vs. $25,030)
  • Cleveland State graduates are paying $36 less per month on federal student loans than IU Northwest graduates. ($222 vs. $258)
  • More Cleveland State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IU Northwest students, three years after graduation. (47% vs. 33%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/