13 Business colleges in Michigan with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $60,433.
These 13 Business programs 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.
University Of Michigan-Ann Arbor leads the rankings, producing Business graduates earning $83,648 while maintaining a 97th percentile mobility score. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $60,433—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
University Of Michigan-Dearborn serves 44% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $59,649. Even better: graduates face just a 3.3% payment burden at the top school, landing in the 'Excellent' category. These schools deliver both access AND affordability.
Earnings: $83,648 | Mobility: 97th percentile
43.9% Pell students with $59,649 earnings
3.3% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
9.3% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Excellent | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $78,198 | $24,990 | Manageable | $29,300 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Excellent | $37,401 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Kalamazoo CollegePrivate | $65,590 | $26,077 | Good | $49,500 | High | 83th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $59,649 | $22,500 | Excellent | $16,132 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Excellent | $17,858 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $56,118 | $24,500 | Excellent | $26,392 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $55,874 | $27,000 | Good | $23,103 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Ferris State UniversityPublic | $54,735 | $21,000 | Good | $14,849 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $53,562 | $26,188 | Good | $22,488 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Wayne State UniversityPublic | $53,493 | $21,250 | Excellent | $16,378 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $51,793 | $25,000 | Good | $16,878 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $47,107 | $21,474 | Good | $17,287 | High | 73th 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 →
