12 English colleges in Michigan with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $58,953.
We started with English programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 12 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
English outcomes peak at University Of Michigan-Ann Arbor, where graduates earn $83,648 while maintaining a 97th percentile mobility score. Even Michigan State University, with 98th percentile mobility, produces graduates earning $67,253—proving schools can serve low-income students without compromising results.
University Of Michigan-Dearborn serves 44% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $59,649. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Michigan State University ranks 98th percentile for mobility with just a 12% payment burden, meaning graduates keep most of their earnings.
Earnings: $83,648 | Mobility: 97th percentile
43.9% Pell students with $59,649 earnings
12.2% payment burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
24.9% 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 | Manageable | $30,250 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Kalamazoo CollegePrivate | $65,590 | $26,077 | Manageable | $49,500 | High | 83th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $59,649 | $22,500 | Manageable | $16,132 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Manageable | $17,858 | High | 88th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $56,118 | $24,500 | Manageable | $26,392 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $55,874 | $27,000 | High | $23,103 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Ferris State UniversityPublic | $54,735 | $21,000 | Challenging | $14,849 | High | 85th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $53,562 | $26,188 | Challenging | $22,488 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Wayne State UniversityPublic | $53,493 | $21,250 | High | $16,378 | High | 95th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $51,793 | $25,000 | Challenging | $16,878 | High | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $47,107 | $21,474 | High | $17,287 | High | 73th 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 →
