70 Communication colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $58,863.
We started with Communication programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 70 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Northwestern University leads the rankings, producing Communication graduates earning $89,363 while maintaining a 90th percentile mobility score. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor follows at $83,648 with an impressive 97th percentile mobility rating. These outcomes demonstrate that schools serving low-income students can compete at the highest levels.
University of Illinois Chicago serves 50% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $68,740. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Northwestern University ranks 90th percentile for mobility with just a 6% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $89,363 | Mobility: 90th percentile
50% Pell students with $68,740 earnings
6% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
17% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% 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 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | Good | $45,500 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Good | $28,364 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Good | $29,448 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Good | $54,045 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,729 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Manageable | $41,563 | High | 86th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Good | $24,323 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Good | $27,975 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Good | $32,850 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Manageable | $14,269 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Good | $32,529 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Manageable | $25,950 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #17 | College Of Saint BenedictPrivate | $63,260 | $26,944 | Good | $15,778 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Good | $22,127 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $62,203 | $23,199 | Good | $14,621 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Good | $28,767 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Good | $32,347 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #22 | Lake Forest CollegePrivate | $61,825 | $26,158 | Good | $35,000 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Good | $25,868 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $60,378 | $22,500 | Good | $16,958 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $59,649 | $22,500 | Manageable | $16,132 | Challenging | 90th 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 →
