11 Communication colleges in Michigan with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $58,349.
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 11 Communication programs made the cut.
University Of Michigan-Ann Arbor leads the rankings, producing Communication graduates earning $83,648 while maintaining a 97th percentile mobility score. Michigan State University follows at $67,253 with 98th percentile mobility. These outcomes prove schools serving low-income students can compete on results, 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. The debt story varies: Michigan graduates face just a 6.1% payment burden (Excellent affordability), while Dearborn reaches 12.7% (Manageable). Access with different affordability outcomes.
Earnings: $83,648 | Mobility: 97th percentile
43.9% Pell students with $59,649 earnings
6.1% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
16.9% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $59,649 | $22,500 | Manageable | $16,132 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Manageable | $17,858 | High | 88th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $56,118 | $24,500 | Manageable | $26,392 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $55,874 | $27,000 | Manageable | $23,103 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Ferris State UniversityPublic | $54,735 | $21,000 | Good | $14,849 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $53,562 | $26,188 | Challenging | $22,488 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Wayne State UniversityPublic | $53,493 | $21,250 | Good | $16,378 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $51,793 | $25,000 | Good | $16,878 | High | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $47,107 | $21,474 | Challenging | $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 →
