57 Physical Sciences colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $61,266.
These 57 Physical Sciences programs in the Midwest aren't just accessible—they deliver results. Each school ranks in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, meaning they actually enroll and graduate low-income students. Then we ranked them by graduate earnings, finding schools that are both accessible AND high-performing.
University of Notre Dame leads the rankings, producing Physical Sciences graduates earning $99,980 while maintaining an 88th percentile mobility score. At the top of this list, graduates earn nearly $100,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
University of Chicago serves 15% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $91,885. Even better: graduates face just a 3.5% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. These schools deliver both access AND affordability.
Earnings: $99,980 | Mobility: 88th percentile
24% Pell students with $81,054 earnings
3.5% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
12.5% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University Of Notre DamePrivate | $99,980 | $19,000 | Excellent | $40,731 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Excellent | $33,297 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Good | $26,966 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $87,989 | $24,000 | Good | $31,458 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $82,957 | $23,250 | Manageable | $30,462 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Excellent | $28,364 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Good | $29,448 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,729 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Manageable | $41,563 | High | 86th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Manageable | $24,323 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | Kalamazoo CollegePrivate | $65,590 | $26,077 | Excellent | $49,500 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility |
| #15 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Challenging | $27,975 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Excellent | $32,850 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $63,403 | $20,500 | High | $32,529 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Good | $25,950 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Excellent | $22,127 | Manageable | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $62,203 | $23,199 | Manageable | $14,621 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Manageable | $32,347 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $61,760 | $21,977 | Manageable | $15,000 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Excellent | $25,868 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $60,378 | $22,500 | Good | $16,958 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $59,637 | $18,750 | Good | $18,462 | Challenging | 77th 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 →
