69 Nursing colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $60,605.
Top Nursing graduates on this list earn over $87,989—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 55 programs deliver both access and results.
Case Western Reserve University leads the rankings, producing Nursing graduates earning $87,989 while maintaining an 80th percentile mobility score. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor follows at $83,648 with an exceptional 97th percentile mobility ranking, proving schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
University Of Illinois Chicago serves 49.6% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $68,740. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Loyola University Chicago exemplifies this with 78th percentile mobility and just a 6.3% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $87,989 | Mobility: 80th percentile
49.6% Pell students with $68,740 earnings
6.3% payment burden | Excellent
13.6% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $87,989 | $24,000 | Excellent | $31,458 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $86,331 | $18,750 | Excellent | $14,000 | Good | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Lakeview College Of NursingPrivate | $84,522 | $15,000 | Excellent | $11,500 | Excellent | 62th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $84,393 | $16,750 | Excellent | $25,554 | Good | 72th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | Excellent | $45,500 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $77,709 | $20,000 | Excellent | $22,283 | Good | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Bellin CollegePrivate | $76,222 | $18,000 | Excellent | $18,000 | Good | 62th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Excellent | $28,364 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $72,850 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,071 | Good | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $72,430 | $13,000 | Excellent | $14,967 | Excellent | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,448 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Excellent | $54,045 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | $27,000 | Excellent | $47,679 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $70,845 | $24,985 | Excellent | $29,929 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,729 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Excellent | $24,323 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $68,303 | $24,250 | Excellent | $18,623 | Good | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Excellent | $37,401 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | — | — | — | — | 61th percentile mobility |
| #21 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Excellent | $27,975 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Good | $14,269 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Excellent | $32,529 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | College Of Saint BenedictPrivate | $63,260 | $26,944 | Excellent | $15,778 | Good | 79th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $62,203 | $23,199 | Excellent | $14,621 | Good | 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
