Data based on 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards.Our methodology

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Best Engineering Colleges for Social Mobility in the Midwest (2025)

54 Engineering colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $62,772.

📊 Schools must be in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, then ranked by graduate earnings.

Average Graduate Earnings: $62,772

All 54 Schools

Rank	School	Graduate Earnings	Student Debt	Student GPS	Parent Debt	Parent GPS	Mobility
#51	University Of ToledoPublic	$50,632	$22,250	Excellent	$19,243	Good	72th percentile mobility
#52	Wright State University-Main CampusPublic	$49,500	$22,750	Excellent	$14,381	Good	77th percentile mobility
#53	Bowling Green State University-Main CampusPublic	$47,896	$25,000	Excellent	$25,947	Manageable	74th percentile mobility
#54	Kent State University At KentPublic	$45,388	$24,500	Excellent	$21,394	Manageable	87th percentile mobility

#51University Of Toledo

Toledo, OH • Public

💰

$50,632Graduate Earnings

🎓72th percentile mobility

384

Cohort

$22,250

Student Debt

$19,243

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

5.5% burden

10.9% burden

📚

25.7%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

33.4%

First-Gen

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#52Wright State University-Main Campus

Dayton, OH • Public

💰

$49,500Graduate Earnings

🎓77th percentile mobility

181

Cohort

$22,750

Student Debt

$14,381

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

5.9% burden

10.1% burden

📚

32.8%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

35.1%

First-Gen

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#53Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Bowling Green, OH • Public

💰

$47,896Graduate Earnings

🎓74th percentile mobility

Cohort

$25,000

Student Debt

$25,947

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

6.2% burden

13.6% burden

📚

22.7%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

30.3%

First-Gen

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#54Kent State University At Kent

Kent, OH • Public

💰

$45,388Graduate Earnings

🎓87th percentile mobility

Cohort

$24,500

Student Debt

$21,394

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

7.2% burden

14.4% burden

📚

27.4%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

35.9%

First-Gen

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Showing 51–54 of 54 schools

How These Rankings Work

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.

Two-Step Methodology

Filter for Accessibility: Schools must be in the 60th percentile or above for our mobility index. This filters out schools that don't meaningfully serve low-income students.

Rank by Outcomes: Among schools passing the filter, we rank by median graduate earnings. This surfaces schools with strong outcomes, not just high accessibility.

Mobility Index Components

• Pell Grant share: % of students receiving federal Pell Grants (proxy for low-income)
• First-generation share: % of first-generation college students
• Earnings mobility: How much graduates earn relative to their starting economic position

Important Caveats

• The 60th percentile threshold is a design choice — schools at 59th percentile are excluded
• Mobility index weights may not reflect every user's priorities
• Schools serving middle-income students well may be underrepresented
• Higher earnings doesn't always mean better outcomes (teaching, social work have high value but lower salaries)

Our Methodology →About Azimuth →

Data based on 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →