28 Area Studies colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $65,347.
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 27 Area Studies programs made the cut.
University Of Notre Dame leads the rankings, producing Area Studies graduates earning $99,980 while maintaining an 88th percentile mobility score. Across this list, graduate earnings average $65,676—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
University Of Illinois Chicago serves 50% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $68,740. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University Of Missouri-Columbia ranks 93rd percentile for mobility with just a 7.7% payment burden, meaning graduates keep most of their earnings.
Earnings: $99,980 | Mobility: 88th percentile
49.6% Pell students with $68,740 earnings
7.7% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
20.6% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| 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 | 93th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $86,182 | $17,500 | High | $24,585 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Good | $34,511 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Good | $28,364 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Saint Louis UniversityPrivate | $70,783 | $25,000 | High | $34,177 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Good | $25,729 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Good | $41,563 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Good | $24,323 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Manageable | $40,568 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #12 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Manageable | $27,975 | High | 96th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $64,705 | $17,100 | Good | $9,000 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Good | $32,850 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Excellent | $32,529 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Excellent | $25,950 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility |
| #17 | Grinnell CollegePrivate | $62,830 | $17,500 | High | $36,324 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Manageable | $22,127 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | High | $32,347 | High | 95th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Manageable | $25,868 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $58,561 | $20,909 | High | $12,452 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $56,922 | $21,106 | Good | $13,695 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $56,887 | $21,000 | Manageable | $25,798 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $56,118 | $24,500 | Good | $26,392 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $54,990 | $23,000 | Manageable | $16,149 | High | 95th 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 →
