52 Liberal Arts colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $58,286.
We started with Liberal Arts programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 44 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
At $99,980 in median earnings, University Of Notre Dame tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining an 88th percentile mobility score. The earnings range spans from $57,808 to nearly $100,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can deliver exceptional outcomes.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. University Of Notre Dame exemplifies this—88th percentile for mobility with just a 7% payment burden, earning 'Excellent' affordability status. Meanwhile, University Of Michigan-Ann Arbor reaches the 97th percentile for mobility while maintaining good affordability.
Earnings: $99,980 | Mobility: 88th percentile
31% Pell students with $68,751 earnings
6.3% payment burden | Excellent
15.5% family burden | Manageable
| 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 | 93th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Excellent | $33,297 | Good | 92th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Good | 94th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | University Of DaytonPrivate | $75,537 | $23,250 | Manageable | $43,810 | High | 77th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Manageable | $29,448 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Saint Louis UniversityPrivate | $70,783 | $25,000 | Manageable | $34,177 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Excellent | $41,563 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Excellent | $27,975 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $64,705 | $17,100 | Excellent | $9,000 | Good | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Good | $32,850 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Excellent | $14,269 | Good | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Excellent | $32,529 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Good | $25,950 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Good | $28,767 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Excellent | $32,347 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Good | $25,868 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $59,986 | $24,250 | Good | $12,987 | Manageable | 75th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $59,649 | $22,500 | Good | $16,132 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $59,637 | $18,750 | Good | $18,462 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | Aurora UniversityPrivate | $58,709 | $20,318 | Excellent | $19,500 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility |
| #23 | Saint Xavier UniversityPrivate | $58,656 | $22,223 | Good | $20,742 | Challenging | 78th percentile mobility |
| #24 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Excellent | $17,858 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $58,561 | $20,909 | Good | $12,452 | Manageable | 90th 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 →
