14 Art & Design colleges in Wisconsin with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $58,913.
These 14 Art & Design programs in Wisconsin aren't just accessible—they deliver results. Each school ranks in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, meaning they actually enroll and graduate low-income students. Then we ranked them by graduate earnings, finding schools that are both accessible AND high-performing.
Marquette University leads the rankings, producing Art & Design graduates earning $78,257 while maintaining an 80th percentile mobility score. At the top of the list, earnings reach nearly $79,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $54,990. The debt burden story varies: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire stands out with a 14% payment burden ('Manageable'), while others face higher burdens—a meaningful difference for graduates managing loan payments.
Earnings: $78,257 | Mobility: 80th percentile
30% Pell students with $54,990 earnings
13.5% payment burden | Manageable
22.8% family burden | Challenging
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | High | $45,500 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Manageable | $28,364 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $61,760 | $21,977 | Challenging | $15,000 | High | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $60,378 | $22,500 | Challenging | $16,958 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $58,561 | $20,909 | Manageable | $12,452 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $58,084 | $23,000 | Manageable | $11,000 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Lawrence UniversityPrivate | $55,789 | $26,000 | High | $59,814 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $55,548 | $21,500 | Challenging | $13,500 | High | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $55,356 | $23,188 | High | $18,635 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $54,990 | $23,000 | High | $16,149 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $54,458 | $20,500 | Challenging | $14,500 | High | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Beloit CollegePrivate | $53,260 | $25,738 | High | $32,004 | High | 83th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $52,528 | $18,500 | High | $13,480 | High | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $52,021 | $21,503 | High | $14,012 | High | 85th 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 →
