39 Criminal Justice colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $56,703.
These 39 Criminal Justice programs in the Midwest 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.
Loyola University Chicago leads the rankings, producing Criminal Justice graduates earning $71,530 while maintaining a 78th percentile mobility score. At the top, University of Illinois Chicago combines 99th percentile mobility with $68,740 graduate earnings—proving schools serving diverse populations can compete on outcomes.
University of Illinois Chicago serves 50% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $68,740. Even better: graduates face just an 8.4% payment burden, landing in the 'Good' affordability category. Access AND manageable debt—the mobility advantage.
Earnings: $71,530 | Mobility: 78th percentile
49.6% Pell students with $68,740 earnings
8.3% payment burden | Good
14.3% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Good | $54,045 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Good | $24,323 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Good | $32,850 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Good | $14,269 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Manageable | $25,950 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $62,203 | $23,199 | Manageable | $14,621 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Good | $28,767 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $61,760 | $21,977 | Manageable | $15,000 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $59,649 | $22,500 | Good | $16,132 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $59,637 | $18,750 | Manageable | $18,462 | High | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Good | $17,858 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $58,561 | $20,909 | Manageable | $12,452 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | Winona State UniversityPublic | $58,532 | $21,500 | Good | $19,316 | Manageable | 76th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $58,169 | $18,618 | Good | $13,991 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $56,922 | $21,106 | Good | $13,695 | Manageable | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $56,887 | $21,000 | Good | $25,798 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $56,346 | $20,500 | Good | $21,500 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $56,118 | $24,500 | Good | $26,392 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $55,548 | $21,500 | Good | $13,500 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $55,198 | $20,000 | Good | $17,205 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $55,177 | $19,691 | Manageable | $17,670 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $54,990 | $23,000 | Good | $16,149 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $54,810 | $21,250 | Good | $23,602 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Ferris State UniversityPublic | $54,735 | $21,000 | Good | $14,849 | Manageable | 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 →
