Cybersecurity Degree in Cleveland, OH — Salary & ROI 2026
Cybersecurity degree analysis for Cleveland, OH. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$77K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$110K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
2 yrs
in Cleveland
Cost of Living
96
index (100 = avg)
Cybersecurity in Cleveland, OH Overview
Cleveland, Ohio (pop. 372,624) has 20 colleges offering Cybersecurity programs. The local cost of living index of 96 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $1,156/month. Cybersecurity has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Network Security and Ethical Hacking skills. The adjusted starting salary in Cleveland is approximately $76,800.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
20
Public Tuition
$11,270/yr
Private Tuition
$49,395/yr
Room & Board
$10,394/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$7,310/yr
Unemployment
6%
Graduation Rate
69%
Cybersecurity Salary in Cleveland (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Cleveland's cost of living index of 96 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Cybersecurity salary: $80,000 starting, $115,000 mid-career, $145,000 senior level.Cleveland adjustment factor: 0.96x based on the local cost of living index.
Cybersecurity ROI Calculator for Cleveland
Estimate your return on investment for a Cybersecurity degree using local Cleveland tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $11,270 | Private avg: $49,395
Cleveland avg aid: $7,310/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$86,656
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$43,200
vs HS diploma in Cleveland
ROI Payback Period
2 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Cleveland
$921,344
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,008,000) minus total education cost ($86,656)
Student Loan Payoff for Cybersecurity in Cleveland
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Cleveland for Cybersecurity
Case Western Reserve University
private
$56,480/yr
$225,920 total
Cleveland State University
public
$11,270/yr
$45,080 total
John Carroll University
private
$42,310/yr
$169,240 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Cuyahoga Community College
$4,344/yr
Top Employers for Cybersecurity in Cleveland
Cleveland offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Cybersecurity graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Cleveland Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Cybersecurity Job Titles
Cybersecurity in Nearby Ohio Cities
Columbus, OH
$82K starting · COL 103
31 colleges
Cincinnati, OH
$82K starting · COL 102
28 colleges
Toledo, OH
$86K starting · COL 108
16 colleges
Akron, OH
$84K starting · COL 105
5 colleges
Dayton, OH
$83K starting · COL 104
9 colleges
Parma, OH
$72K starting · COL 90
4 colleges
Canton, OH
$67K starting · COL 84
4 colleges
Lorain, OH
$68K starting · COL 85.2
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Cleveland
Prompt Engineering
$48K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$91K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$82K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$84K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$79K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$48K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$48K starting · 3 yr ROI
Applied Mathematics
$48K starting · 3.5 yr ROI
Cybersecurity Degree in Cleveland — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Cybersecurity ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Cleveland.