64 Physical Sciences colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $61,329.
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 | Good | 93th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Good | $33,297 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Good | $26,966 | High | 94th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $87,989 | $24,000 | Good | $31,458 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $82,957 | $23,250 | Manageable | $30,462 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $78,198 | $24,990 | Manageable | $29,300 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Butler UniversityPrivate | $77,235 | $26,000 | Excellent | $52,434 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Excellent | $28,364 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,448 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,729 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Manageable | $41,563 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Excellent | $24,323 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Excellent | $37,401 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | Kalamazoo CollegePrivate | $65,590 | $26,077 | Good | $49,500 | High | 88th percentile mobility |
| #17 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Challenging | $40,568 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #18 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Good | $27,975 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $64,705 | $17,100 | Excellent | $9,000 | Good | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Manageable | $32,850 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Good | $32,529 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Excellent | $25,950 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Excellent | $22,127 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Excellent | $28,767 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Manageable | $32,347 | High | 95th 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 →
