15 Business colleges in Illinois with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $63,890.
We started with Business programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 15 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Northwestern University leads the rankings, producing Business graduates earning $89,363 while maintaining a 90th percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn $51,989—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students compete on outcomes, not just access.
Governors State University serves 52% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $58,169. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Northwestern University ranks 90th percentile for mobility with just a 4% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $89,363 | Mobility: 90th percentile
52% Pell students with $58,169 earnings
3.8% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
11.6% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Good | 90th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Excellent | $54,045 | Challenging | 78th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | $27,000 | Excellent | $47,679 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Excellent | $41,563 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Excellent | $24,323 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Excellent | $28,767 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Lake Forest CollegePrivate | $61,825 | $26,158 | Good | $35,000 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $58,169 | $18,618 | Excellent | $13,991 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $57,808 | $22,162 | Excellent | $19,508 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $56,346 | $20,500 | Excellent | $21,500 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $54,163 | $25,251 | Good | $20,764 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $53,390 | $21,543 | Good | $19,500 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $52,234 | $14,600 | Excellent | $13,578 | Manageable | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $51,989 | $21,500 | Excellent | $17,781 | Challenging | 74th 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 →
