8 Parks & Recreation colleges in Michigan with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $61,694.
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 Parks & Recreation programs made the cut.
University Of Michigan-Ann Arbor leads the rankings, producing Parks & Recreation graduates earning $83,648 while maintaining a 97th percentile mobility score. Michigan State University follows with $67,253 earnings and 98th percentile mobility. These outcomes prove schools serving low-income students can compete on results, not just access.
Eastern Michigan University serves 37% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $51,793. University Of Michigan-Ann Arbor delivers a double win: 97th percentile mobility with just a 6% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category for affordability.
Earnings: $83,648 | Mobility: 97th percentile
37% Pell students with $51,793 earnings
6% payment burden | Excellent
16% family burden | Manageable
| 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 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $56,118 | $24,500 | High | $26,392 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $55,874 | $27,000 | Manageable | $23,103 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $53,562 | $26,188 | Manageable | $22,488 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $51,793 | $25,000 | Manageable | $16,878 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $47,107 | $21,474 | High | $17,287 | High | 73th 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 →
