85 Art & Design colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $59,641.
Top Art & Design graduates on this list earn over $99,980—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 76 programs deliver both access and results.
University of Notre Dame leads the rankings, producing Art & Design graduates earning $99,980 while maintaining an 88th percentile mobility score. Following closely, University of Chicago graduates earn $91,885 with 87th percentile mobility, proving schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. University of Notre Dame exemplifies this—88th percentile for mobility with just a 6.8% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $99,980 | Mobility: 88th percentile
23.8% Pell students with $81,054 earnings
6.8% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
23.9% 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 | 87th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | — | — | — | — | 86th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $86,182 | $17,500 | Excellent | $24,585 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Good | $34,511 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | — | — | — | — | 79th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Carleton CollegePrivate | $75,525 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Excellent | $28,364 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,448 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Kenyon CollegePrivate | $71,830 | $18,527 | Good | $56,500 | High | 62th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Manageable | $54,045 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | $27,000 | High | $47,679 | High | 81th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Depauw UniversityPrivate | $70,527 | $27,000 | Challenging | $35,134 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Manageable | $25,729 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Manageable | $41,563 | High | 85th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Excellent | $24,323 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Manageable | $40,568 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #20 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Manageable | $27,975 | High | 91th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Manageable | $32,850 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $63,552 | — | — | — | — | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Good | $32,529 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Good | $25,950 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility |
| #25 | Grinnell CollegePrivate | $62,830 | — | — | — | — | 87th 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 →
