8 Natural Resources colleges in Illinois with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $64,683.
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 8 Natural Resources programs made the cut.
At $81,054 in median earnings, University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining a 98th percentile mobility score. Even the lowest-earning school on this list produces graduates earning $52,234—demonstrating that accessible programs can deliver strong outcomes.
University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign delivers a double win: 98th percentile for mobility with just a 9.4% payment burden, landing in the 'Good' affordability category. Meanwhile, Northeastern Illinois University serves 54% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—proving these schools actually reach the students who need them most.
Earnings: $81,054 | Mobility: 98th percentile
53.8% Pell students with $52,234 earnings
9.4% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
24.7% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Good | $34,511 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Manageable | $54,045 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | $27,000 | Challenging | $47,679 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Manageable | $41,563 | High | 86th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Lake Forest CollegePrivate | $61,825 | $26,158 | High | $35,000 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $57,808 | $22,162 | Manageable | $19,508 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $53,390 | $21,543 | Manageable | $19,500 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $52,234 | $14,600 | High | $13,578 | 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 →
