66 Accounting colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $59,535.
Most rankings ignore accessibility. We flipped the model: first, filter for schools that actually enroll and graduate low-income students (60th percentile+ mobility). Then rank by earnings. These 66 Accounting programs made the cut.
University Of Notre Dame leads the rankings, producing Accounting graduates earning $99,980 while maintaining an 88th percentile mobility score. At the top end, graduates reach nearly $100,000—proving that schools serving low-income students can deliver elite-level outcomes.
University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign exemplifies the mobility advantage: 98th percentile mobility with 24% Pell students and 25% first-generation students, while graduates earn $81,054. Even better: students face just a 4.2% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category—access AND affordability.
Earnings: $99,980 | Mobility: 88th percentile
31% Pell students with $68,751 earnings
3.9% payment burden | Excellent
11.8% family burden | Good
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University Of Notre DamePrivate | $99,980 | $19,000 | Excellent | $40,731 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $87,989 | $24,000 | Excellent | $31,458 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | Excellent | $45,500 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Excellent | $28,364 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,448 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Excellent | $54,045 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | $27,000 | Excellent | $47,679 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,729 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Excellent | $41,563 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Excellent | $24,323 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Excellent | $37,401 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Excellent | $27,975 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Good | $14,269 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Excellent | $32,529 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Excellent | $25,950 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility |
| #17 | College Of Saint BenedictPrivate | $63,260 | $26,944 | Excellent | $15,778 | Manageable | 81th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Excellent | $22,127 | Manageable | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $62,203 | $23,199 | Excellent | $14,621 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Excellent | $28,767 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Excellent | $32,347 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $61,760 | $21,977 | Good | $15,000 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Excellent | $25,868 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $60,378 | $22,500 | Excellent | $16,958 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $59,649 | $22,500 | Excellent | $16,132 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
Our social mobility rankings answer: "Which schools deliver the best outcomes for students from low-income backgrounds?"
This is not simply "which schools admit the most low-income students" — it's which schools both serve low-income students and deliver strong earnings outcomes.
Data based on 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
