Cleveland State University

What Cleveland State University does

Cleveland State University is a public state university in Ohio, founded in 1964 through the merger of Fenn College, operating from a single urban campus at 2121 Euclid Avenue in Cleveland. The university offers more than 175 career-building programs spanning undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, certificate, licensure, and accelerated formats across colleges including the Monte Ahuja College of Business, College of Health, Washkewicz College of Engineering, College of Law, and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, with tuition and fees set by Ohio state regulation.

Technology infrastructure centers on the myCSU Portal, integrating CampusNet (student information system), Blackboard Learn (LMS), Stellic (degree audit rolling out to Summer 2026 admits), Starfish (academic coaching), Handshake (career management), and PeopleSoft HR. The university holds stacked regional and program-level accreditations including the Higher Learning Commission (since 1940), AACSB, ABET, CCNE, ABA, and multiple health-profession accreditations.

CSU operates 30+ research centers spanning renewable energy, gene regulation, emergency preparedness, urban education, and transportation. Recent strategic positioning includes a commissioned JobsOhio shale-energy sector study, an AI prompt engineering certificate partnership with AltaClaro for legal professionals, an expanded Playfly Aspire sponsorship partnership delivering record FY24 athletics and donation revenue, and a new AI-integrated Campus Recreation operation. Federal EDA grants (most recent $1.8M in November 2023) and government-commissioned research form a smaller auxiliary revenue stream alongside tuition, auxiliary services, and philanthropy via the Viking Fund.

Name

Cleveland State University

Legal name

Cleveland State University

Website

https://csuohio.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cleveland State University is a public urban research university in Cleveland, Ohio, offering 175+ degree and certificate programs across business, engineering, law, health, and the sciences, serving traditional, graduate, online, and continuing professional learners statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban/Metropolitan Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate professional education
• Applied research services
• Workforce development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cleveland State University is a public urban research university offering more than 175 career-building programs across bachelor's, master's, doctoral, certificate, licensure, and accelerated formats in business, engineering, health, law, education, arts, and public affairs. It delivers instruction through on-campus, online, and hybrid channels, and supplements teaching with 30+ research centers, continuing education, athletics, library, and student services.

Product overview

Cleveland State University offers a comprehensive educational portfolio comprising over 175 career-building programs across undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, certificate, and licensure tracks. The university's technology infrastructure centers on the myCSU Portal as the primary gateway, integrating CampusNet for student information management, Blackboard Learn for eLearning, and Stellic for degree auditing. The institution provides diverse academic colleges including Monte Ahuja College of Business, College of Health (with accredited Nursing programs), College of Law (with AI-focused legal training), Washkewicz College of Engineering, and others. Student services include Michael Schwartz Library, Recreation Services with AI-integrated operations, Vikings Athletics, and online program offerings. The university has expanded AI education through its College of Law's partnership with AltaClaro for prompt engineering certification, and has developed cybersecurity training curricula for external audiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vikings Athletics: Intercollegiate athletics program of Cleveland State University

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Bachelor's degree programs in arts, business, communication, education, engineering, computer science, health, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, social science, and urban affairs, designed for traditional and adult learners.
• Graduate Degree Programs Master's, doctoral, specialist, and joint degree programs in business (MBA, DBA, MIS), education (M.Ed.), engineering, public affairs, health, law, and other professional fields for working professionals and continuing scholars.
• Fundamentals of Prompt Engineering for Lawyers Certificate Program A certificate program teaching responsible, ethical, and competent use of generative AI tools in legal practice, including prompt engineering techniques, AI limitations, and verification in AI-assisted workflows, developed with AltaClaro for law students and legal professionals.
• CSU Online Programs Flexible online undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs designed for working adults and remote learners seeking accessible, career-relevant credentials.
• Research Centers and Institutes Applied research services delivered through 30+ centers covering renewable energy, gene regulation, emergency preparedness, urban education, transportation, and public affairs for government agencies, businesses, and community organizations.
• Economic and Policy Research Studies Commissioned economic and policy research for state agencies and economic development organizations, including industry impact studies, workforce analyses, and policy assessments.
• Cybersecurity Training Curriculum A scenario-based cybersecurity training curriculum designed for small and medium businesses, integrating legal and technical skills through attack simulations grounded in common SMB threats.
• Michael Schwartz Library Services Library and information services including research databases, eBooks, journal finder, course reserves, interlibrary loan, digital collections (Cleveland Memory), and the Digital Design Studio for students, faculty, and researchers.
• Campus Recreation Services Campus recreation facilities and intramural programs for students, faculty, and staff, supported by AI tools for content creation, scheduling, membership management, and smart equipment tracking.
• Vikings Athletics Intercollegiate athletics program competing in the Horizon League, including men's and women's basketball and other NCAA sports, delivered through the Vikings Athletics brand and supported by Playfly Aspire sponsorship partnerships.
• CSU College of Law AI Advisory Council CSU College of Law's AI Advisory Council coordinating responsible AI adoption across legal education, curriculum development, and faculty practice, paired with the Prompt Engineering certificate program.
• Viking Fund Development Program University-wide donation, alumni giving, and fundraising program (Viking Fund) supporting student scholarships, programs, and athletics, operated through supportcsu.org.

Quantifiable outcome

• 130+ law students enrolled in AI prompt engineering certificate within first week of winter session announcement
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• AltaClarocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026CSU College of Law partnered with AltaClaro, an experiential legal training platform, to develop and deliver a certificate program in 'Fundamentals of Prompt Engineering for Lawyers.' Over 130 students enrolled within the first week. The program runs three times per academic year as part of CSU|LAW's broader AI strategy including an AI Advisory Council.
• JobsOhiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2025JobsOhio commissioned Cleveland State University's Levin College of Public Affairs and Education to conduct a study on Ohio's shale-energy sector. The study documented $2.9 billion in direct investment during H1 2025 and $117.5 billion cumulative investment since 2011. This partnership positions CSU as a key research partner for state economic development initiatives.
• Playfly AspiremajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 November 2024CSU and Playfly Aspire expanded their multi-year partnership (7 years of collaboration) with Playfly now handling sponsorship sales, activation, and fulfillment in addition to existing on-site sales and service. The partnership delivered record revenue in FY24 including 27% YoY increase in Men's Basketball sales and 55% YoY increase in Viking Fund donations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Akron: Closest regional peer — another Northeast Ohio public research university with similar program mix and urban-serving mission, competing for the same student pool and state appropriations.
• Wayne State University: Urban public research university with a College of Law, serving a similar demographic in Detroit; a strong structural analog to CSU's urban mission and comprehensive professional-school portfolio.
• University of Cincinnati: Larger urban Ohio public research university with comprehensive graduate and professional schools, competing for similar in-state students, faculty, and research funding.
• University of Toledo: Ohio public research university with comparable program breadth, professional schools, and state-funded research centers, competing for the same state appropriations and tuition pool.
• Kent State University: Larger Ohio public research university with comparable graduate and professional offerings, competing for in-state students and Ohio state funding.
• Wright State University: Ohio regional public university with comparable urban-serving role and professional programs, sharing the same state-appropriation and tuition dynamics.
• Youngstown State University: Regional Ohio public university in a similar urban Rust Belt setting, with overlapping degree programs and shared state-budget dynamics.
• University at Buffalo (SUNY): Urban public research university with comprehensive graduate and professional schools (including law), serving as a strong structural analog outside Ohio for benchmarking enrollment, research, and athletics strategies.
• Temple University: Urban public research university with comprehensive professional schools including law, business, engineering, and health — a strong analog for CSU's urban mission and program mix in a different state.

Broad incumbents

• Case Western Reserve University: Higher-prestige private research university in Cleveland with overlapping programs in engineering, nursing, law, and applied research; a broader incumbent that competes for talent, students, and research dollars in the same metro.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/engagecsu
• Facebookfacebook.com/68928662834
• Instagraminstagram.com/SchwartzLibrary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cleveland-state-university

Compliance26 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cleveland State University