6 Liberal Arts colleges in Indiana with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $65,261.
These 6 Liberal Arts programs in Indiana aren't just accessible—they deliver results. Each school ranks in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, meaning they actually enroll and graduate low-income students. Then we ranked them by graduate earnings, finding schools that are both accessible AND high-performing.
University Of Notre Dame leads the rankings, producing Liberal Arts graduates earning $99,980 while maintaining an 88th percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn $48,387—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes across the earnings spectrum.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. Purdue University-Main Campus exemplifies this—95th percentile for mobility with just a 6.3% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $99,980 | Mobility: 88th percentile
39% Pell students with $48,387 earnings
6.3% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
17.4% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University Of Notre DamePrivate | $99,980 | $19,000 | Excellent | $40,731 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,448 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Manageable | $32,850 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $55,198 | $20,000 | Manageable | $17,205 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Ball State UniversityPublic | $51,833 | $23,250 | Manageable | $20,800 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Indiana State UniversityPublic | $48,387 | $24,000 | High | $17,049 | High | 81th 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 →
