53 Natural Resources colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $59,405.
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 49 Natural Resources programs made the cut.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor leads the rankings, producing Natural Resources graduates earning $83,648 while maintaining a 97th percentile mobility score. At $78,198, Michigan Technological University rounds out the top three, proving schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
DePaul University serves 31% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $68,751. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 97th percentile for mobility with just a 9% payment burden, meaning graduates keep most of their earnings.
Earnings: $83,648 | Mobility: 97th percentile
30.7% Pell students with $68,751 earnings
9.0% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
21.3% 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 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Good | $34,511 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $78,198 | $24,990 | Good | $29,300 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Good | $28,364 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,448 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Good | $54,045 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | — | — | — | — | 81th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,729 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Good | $41,563 | High | 85th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Manageable | $40,568 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #12 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Good | $27,975 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Macalester CollegePrivate | $63,878 | $23,000 | Manageable | $36,129 | High | 62th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Good | $32,850 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Good | $32,529 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Good | $25,950 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Good | $22,127 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $62,203 | $23,199 | Good | $14,621 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Good | $32,347 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Lake Forest CollegePrivate | $61,825 | — | — | — | — | 72th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Excellent | $25,868 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $59,649 | — | — | — | — | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $59,637 | — | — | — | — | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Good | $17,858 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $58,084 | $23,000 | Good | $11,000 | Manageable | 72th 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 →
