68 Mathematics colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $62,105.
We started with Mathematics programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 61 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
The data puts University Of Notre Dame first—Mathematics graduates earn $99,980 while the school maintains an 88th percentile mobility score. University Of Chicago follows at $91,885 with 87th percentile mobility. These outcomes demonstrate that schools serving low-income students can compete at the highest levels.
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 3.5% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $99,980 | Mobility: 88th percentile
23.8% Pell students with $81,054 earnings
3.5% payment burden | Excellent
9.9% family burden | Good
| 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 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Excellent | $33,297 | Excellent | 86th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Excellent | 89th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $86,182 | $17,500 | Excellent | $24,585 | Good | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Good | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $82,957 | $23,250 | Excellent | $30,462 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | Excellent | $45,500 | Challenging | 79th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $78,198 | $24,990 | Excellent | $29,300 | Manageable | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Carleton CollegePrivate | $75,525 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Excellent | $28,364 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,448 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | — | — | — | — | 81th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Wabash CollegePrivate | $69,952 | — | — | — | — | 78th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,729 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Excellent | $41,563 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Excellent | $24,323 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Excellent | $37,401 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Excellent | $40,568 | Manageable | 61th percentile mobility |
| #20 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Excellent | $27,975 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility |
| #21 | Macalester CollegePrivate | $63,878 | $23,000 | Excellent | $36,129 | Manageable | 62th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Excellent | $32,850 | Good | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Excellent | $14,269 | Good | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Excellent | $32,529 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Excellent | $25,950 | Manageable | 92th 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 →
