28 Philosophy colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $65,985.
We started with Philosophy programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 28 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
University of Notre Dame leads the rankings, producing Philosophy graduates earning $99,980 while maintaining an 88th percentile mobility score. At the top end, graduates earn nearly double the $55,198 minimum—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. University of Notre Dame exemplifies this—88th percentile for mobility with just a 5.8% payment burden, earning 'Excellent' affordability status, meaning graduates keep most of their earnings.
Earnings: $99,980 | Mobility: 88th percentile
23.8% Pell students with $81,054 earnings
5.8% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
18.2% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University Of Notre DamePrivate | $99,980 | — | — | — | — | 87th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Excellent | $33,297 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | — | — | — | — | 89th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Challenging | $34,511 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | — | — | — | — | 79th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Excellent | $28,364 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Good | $54,045 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Wabash CollegePrivate | $69,952 | $27,000 | Excellent | $28,000 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Good | $25,729 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | — | — | — | — | 85th percentile mobility |
| #12 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Challenging | $40,568 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #13 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Good | $27,975 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $63,742 | — | — | — | — | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Good | $22,127 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $62,117 | — | — | — | — | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Good | $25,868 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $60,378 | — | — | — | — | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $59,637 | — | — | — | — | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $56,118 | — | — | — | — | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $55,198 | — | — | — | — | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $55,177 | — | — | — | — | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $54,990 | $23,000 | Good | $16,149 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $52,021 | $21,503 | Manageable | $14,012 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $51,793 | — | — | — | — | 79th 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 →
