19 Health Professions colleges in Illinois with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $68,257.
Most rankings ignore accessibility. We flipped the model: first, filter for schools that actually enroll and graduate low-income students (60th percentile+ mobility). Then rank by earnings. These 13 Health Professions programs made the cut.
Northwestern University leads the rankings, producing Health Professions graduates earning $89,363 while maintaining a 90th percentile mobility score. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign follows at $81,054 with an exceptional 98th percentile mobility rating. Top programs prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Governors State University serves 52% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $58,169. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Loyola University Chicago achieves 78th percentile mobility with just a 6.3% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $89,363 | Mobility: 90th percentile
52% Pell students with $58,169 earnings
6.3% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
14.4% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | — | — | — | — | 89th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $86,331 | $18,750 | Excellent | $14,000 | Good | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Lakeview College Of NursingPrivate | $84,522 | $15,000 | Excellent | $11,500 | Excellent | 62th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $77,709 | $20,000 | Excellent | $22,283 | Good | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $72,850 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,071 | Good | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $72,430 | $13,000 | Excellent | $14,967 | Excellent | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Excellent | $54,045 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | $27,000 | Excellent | $47,679 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility |
| #10 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Excellent | $41,563 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Excellent | $24,323 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Excellent | $28,767 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $58,743 | $24,000 | Excellent | $41,729 | Manageable | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $58,169 | $18,618 | Good | $13,991 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $57,808 | $22,162 | Good | $19,508 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $56,346 | $20,500 | Good | $21,500 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $54,163 | $25,251 | Good | $20,764 | Challenging | 70th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $53,390 | $21,543 | Excellent | $19,500 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $51,989 | $21,500 | Excellent | $17,781 | Manageable | 71th 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 →
