9 Physical Sciences colleges in Wisconsin with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $58,343.
We started with Physical Sciences programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 9 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
At $73,792 in median earnings, University of Wisconsin-Madison tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining a 96th percentile mobility score. The earnings range spans from $52,528 to $73,792, demonstrating that schools serving low-income students deliver competitive outcomes.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $54,990. The debt burden story varies across programs: University of Wisconsin-River Falls achieves a 7.6% payment burden ('Good' affordability), while others reach higher levels.
Earnings: $73,792 | Mobility: 96th percentile
30% Pell students with $54,990 earnings
7.6% payment burden | Good
13.8% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Excellent | $28,364 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $61,760 | $21,977 | Manageable | $15,000 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $60,378 | $22,500 | Excellent | $16,958 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $58,561 | $20,909 | Good | $12,452 | Manageable | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $55,356 | $23,188 | Good | $18,635 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $54,990 | $23,000 | Good | $16,149 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $54,458 | $20,500 | Good | $14,500 | Manageable | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Beloit CollegePrivate | $53,260 | $25,738 | Manageable | $32,004 | High | 83th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $52,528 | $18,500 | Manageable | $13,480 | Challenging | 78th 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 →
