10 Communication colleges in Wisconsin with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $59,589.
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 10 Communication programs made the cut.
Marquette University leads the rankings, producing Communication graduates earning $78,257 while maintaining an 80th percentile mobility score. The University of Wisconsin-Madison follows at $73,792 with exceptional 96th percentile mobility. These outcomes prove schools serving low-income students can compete at the highest levels.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $55,000. Payment burdens across the list stay reasonable: Marquette graduates face just 11% of discretionary income in loan payments, earning a 'Good' affordability rating.
Earnings: $78,257 | Mobility: 80th percentile
30.2% Pell students with $54,990 earnings
9.3% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
20.5% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | Good | $45,500 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Good | $28,364 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $60,378 | $22,500 | Good | $16,958 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $58,561 | $20,909 | Manageable | $12,452 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $55,548 | $21,500 | Challenging | $13,500 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $55,356 | $23,188 | Manageable | $18,635 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $54,990 | $23,000 | Manageable | $16,149 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $54,458 | $20,500 | Manageable | $14,500 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $52,528 | $18,500 | Manageable | $13,480 | High | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $52,021 | $21,503 | Manageable | $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 →
