10 Natural Resources colleges in Michigan with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $61,181.
We started with Natural Resources programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 10 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor leads the rankings, producing Natural Resources graduates earning $83,648 while maintaining a 97th percentile mobility score. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $61,181—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
University of Michigan-Dearborn serves 44% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $59,649. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor exemplifies this with 97th percentile mobility and just a 9% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $83,648 | Mobility: 97th percentile
43.9% Pell students with $59,649 earnings
9.0% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
24.0% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $78,198 | $24,990 | Good | $29,300 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $59,649 | — | — | — | — | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Good | $17,858 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $56,118 | $24,500 | Manageable | $26,392 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $55,874 | $27,000 | Manageable | $23,103 | High | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $53,562 | — | — | — | — | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $51,793 | $25,000 | Good | $16,878 | Challenging | 79th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $47,107 | $21,474 | Good | $17,287 | Challenging | 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 →
