8 Education colleges in Minnesota with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $60,908.
We started with Education programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 6 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
At $69,020 in median earnings, University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining a 95th percentile mobility score. The earnings range spans from $47,491 to $69,020, demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can deliver competitive outcomes.
Winona State University serves 24% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $58,532. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities achieves 95th percentile mobility with just a 10% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $69,020 | Mobility: 95th percentile
24% Pell students with $58,532 earnings
10% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
23% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,729 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Manageable | $40,568 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Macalester CollegePrivate | $63,878 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility |
| #4 | College Of Saint BenedictPrivate | $63,260 | $26,944 | Manageable | $15,778 | Challenging | 79th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Good | $22,127 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Winona State UniversityPublic | $58,532 | $21,500 | Good | $19,316 | Challenging | 73th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $56,922 | $21,106 | Good | $13,695 | Challenging | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Martin Luther CollegePrivate | $47,491 | $20,177 | Good | $10,226 | Manageable | 79th 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
