82 Education colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $57,880.
Top Education graduates on this list earn over $83,648—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 74 programs deliver both access and results.
University Of Michigan-Ann Arbor leads the rankings, producing Education graduates earning $83,648 while maintaining a 97th percentile mobility score. University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign follows closely at $81,054 with 98th percentile mobility, proving that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
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 a 7% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. This represents the double win these schools deliver: access AND affordability.
Earnings: $83,648 | Mobility: 97th percentile
49.6% Pell students with $68,740 earnings
7.2% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
19.3% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Good | $30,250 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | Good | $45,500 | High | 79th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Good | $28,364 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Good | $29,448 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Good | $54,045 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | — | — | — | — | 81th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Depauw UniversityPrivate | $70,527 | — | — | — | — | 61th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,729 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Good | $41,563 | High | 85th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Excellent | $24,323 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Manageable | $40,568 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #14 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Good | $27,975 | High | 91th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Macalester CollegePrivate | $63,878 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Good | $32,850 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Good | $14,269 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Manageable | $32,529 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Good | $25,950 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility |
| #20 | College Of Saint BenedictPrivate | $63,260 | $26,944 | Manageable | $15,778 | Challenging | 79th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Good | $22,127 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $62,203 | $23,199 | Good | $14,621 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Good | $28,767 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Good | $32,347 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $61,760 | $21,977 | Manageable | $15,000 | High | 75th 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 →
