14 Foreign Languages colleges in Illinois with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $64,479.
We started with Foreign Languages programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 14 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
The data puts University Of Chicago first—Foreign Languages graduates earn $91,885 while the school maintains an 87th percentile mobility score. University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign follows at $81,054 with a remarkable 98th percentile mobility ranking, proving accessible schools can deliver elite 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. These schools deliver both access AND affordability.
Earnings: $91,885 | Mobility: 87th percentile
49.6% Pell students with $68,740 earnings
7.8% payment burden | Excellent
22.7% family burden | Challenging
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Excellent | $33,297 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Good | $34,511 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Excellent | $54,045 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | $27,000 | High | $47,679 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Good | $41,563 | High | 86th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Good | $24,323 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Good | $28,767 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Lake Forest CollegePrivate | $61,825 | $26,158 | Manageable | $35,000 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $57,808 | $22,162 | Good | $19,508 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $56,346 | $20,500 | Manageable | $21,500 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $54,163 | $25,251 | Challenging | $20,764 | High | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $53,390 | $21,543 | High | $19,500 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $52,234 | $14,600 | Challenging | $13,578 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $51,989 | $21,500 | Manageable | $17,781 | Challenging | 74th 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 →
