Private nonprofit · University

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, Ohio · Large city

#2 for grad earnings in Ohio#2 graduation rate in Ohio#5 most selective in Ohio
36.5%
Admit rate
$41,190
Avg net price
87%
Graduation rate
$87,989
Median earnings

Case Western Reserve University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Cleveland, Ohio (large city setting), enrolling 6,437 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 6,437 undergradsLarge citySelective · 37% admitNCAA Division III with football · Presidents' Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Case Western Reserve University's admitted students.

Admit rate
36.5%
SAT (mid 50%)
1430–1540
Avg GPA
3.78

Enter a test score to see where you land against Case Western Reserve University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Case Western Reserve University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Cleveland was established on July 22, 1796, by surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company when they laid out Connecticut's Western Reserve into townships and a capital city. Cleveland's Playhouse Square is the second largest performing arts center in the U.S. behind New York City's Lincoln Center. It includes the State, Palace, Allen, Hanna, and Ohio theaters. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
4 miles to Cleveland, OH
To Great Lakes shore
3 miles
Nearest airport
14 miles to Cleveland Hopkins (CLE) · major hub

How Case Western Reserve University compares

Selectivity36.5%

More selective than 91% · #5 most selective of 65 in Ohio

SAT average1513

Higher than 97%

Graduation rate87%

Higher than 94% · #2 of 73 in Ohio

First-year retention92%

Higher than 89%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$87,989

Higher than 94% · #2 of 74 in Ohio

Average net price$41,190

Cheaper than 4% · #73 cheapest of 73 in Ohio

Median debt at graduation$24,000

Lower than 45%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment6,437

Larger than 82%

Percentiles compare Case Western Reserve University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Ohio.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

12,384students
  • Undergraduate6,43752%
  • Graduate5,94748%

Undergraduates by gender

6,437undergrads
  • Women3,03947%
  • Men3,39853%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White34%
  • Black6.3%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian30%
  • Other or multiracial18%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
6,437
Graduate enrollment
5,947
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
18%
First-generation students
11%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$94,000
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$120,042
Endowment
$2,396,658,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,544 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Ohio14%
  • Other U.S. states74%
  • International12%

A national draw — only 14% of first-years come from Ohio; 72% arrive from other states.

12% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
36.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1430–1540
SAT average
1513
SAT reading
700–760
SAT math
730–780
ACT composite
32–34
Average GPA
3.78

Cost

In-state tuition
$66,608
Room & board
$18,762
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$85,851
Average net price
$41,190

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
87%
Graduated on time (4 years)
73%
First-year retention
92%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$75,613
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$87,989
Median debt at graduation
$24,000
Students with federal loans
47%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
80%

About 14% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
73%
Low-income (Pell)
67%
First-generation
69%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
4,494
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
70%
Housing charge (year)
$10,482
Meal plan (year)
$7,720
Application fee
$70
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Presidents' Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
644 (401 men · 243 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (12)

Football108
Swimming and Diving (combined)92
Track and Field (Indoor)91
Track and Field (Outdoor)85
Soccer60
Basketball39
Cross Country36
Tennis32
Baseball31
Wrestling26
Volleyball25
Softball19

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
45
Property offenses (2022–2024)
101

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (12,475 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

49reported offenses a year
15 violent a year34 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
26
Burglary
7.3
Rape
6.7
Fondling
6.0
Robbery
1.7
Aggravated assault
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$19,025
$30–48k
$18,506
$48–75k
$20,849
$75–110k
$26,159
$110k+
$53,061

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$88,544

$20,849/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

86%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$38,578
average award, among those who get one

Case Western Reserve University discounts heavily: 86% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $38,578. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,558 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$87,989
Typical debt at graduation
$24,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
27%
Out-earn a HS grad
85%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$80,450
Men
$96,076

Men out-earn women by $15,626 (19%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
81°F
Winter low
24°F
Annual rain
33.3″
Annual snow
63.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.93.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cleveland Burke AP, OH US station (3.9 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Case Western Reserve University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Case Western Reserve University side by side →

Colleges near Case Western Reserve University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.