8 Parks & Recreation colleges in Illinois with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $60,701.
We started with Parks & Recreation programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 8 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads the rankings, producing Parks & Recreation graduates earning $81,054 while maintaining a 98th percentile mobility score. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $60,701—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
University Of Illinois Chicago serves 50% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $68,740. Even better: graduates face just a 7% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. These schools deliver both access AND affordability.
Earnings: $81,054 | Mobility: 98th percentile
50% Pell students with $68,740 earnings
7.3% payment burden | Excellent
19.6% family burden | Challenging
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Excellent | $24,323 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Excellent | $28,767 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $57,808 | $22,162 | Manageable | $19,508 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $56,346 | $20,500 | Good | $21,500 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $54,163 | $25,251 | Good | $20,764 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $53,390 | $21,543 | Manageable | $19,500 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $51,989 | $21,500 | Manageable | $17,781 | High | 74th 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 →
