12 Art & Design colleges in Ohio with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $49,899.
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 8 Art & Design programs made the cut.
Ohio State University-Main Campus leads the rankings, producing Art & Design graduates earning $60,409 while maintaining a 96th percentile mobility score. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $51,668—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
Cleveland State University serves 39% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $52,131. However, debt burdens vary widely across programs. Ohio State offers the best balance with a 21% payment burden (manageable category), while other schools reach concerning levels that require careful financial planning.
Earnings: $60,409 | Mobility: 96th percentile
39% Pell students with $52,131 earnings
20.8% payment burden | Manageable
46.1% family burden | High burden
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kenyon CollegePrivate | $71,830 | $18,527 | Good | $56,500 | High | 62th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Good | $25,868 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $54,810 | $21,250 | Excellent | $23,602 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $52,581 | $21,056 | Manageable | $23,508 | High | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $52,131 | $21,797 | Challenging | $16,998 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | University Of ToledoPublic | $50,632 | $22,250 | High | $19,243 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $49,500 | $22,750 | High | $14,381 | High | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $47,896 | $25,000 | Challenging | $25,947 | High | 72th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $46,600 | $23,250 | Good | $22,000 | Challenging | 61th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $45,388 | $24,500 | Challenging | $21,394 | High | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Art Academy Of CincinnatiPrivate | $34,368 | $27,000 | High | $56,204 | High | 62th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Cleveland Institute Of MusicPrivate | $32,641 | $24,968 | Challenging | $47,117 | High | 62th 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
