7 Physical Therapy colleges in Michigan with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $57,092.
These 7 Physical Therapy programs 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.
Michigan State University leads the rankings, producing Physical Therapy graduates earning $67,253 while maintaining a 98th percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn $53,493—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes across the earnings spectrum.
Wayne State University serves 43% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $53,493. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Ferris State University ranks 85th percentile for mobility with just an 8.8% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $67,253 | Mobility: 98th percentile
43% Pell students with $53,493 earnings
8.8% payment burden | Excellent
15.9% family burden | Challenging
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Good | $17,858 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $56,118 | $24,500 | Good | $26,392 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $55,874 | $27,000 | Manageable | $23,103 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Ferris State UniversityPublic | $54,735 | $21,000 | Excellent | $14,849 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $53,562 | $26,188 | Manageable | $22,488 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Wayne State UniversityPublic | $53,493 | $21,250 | Excellent | $16,378 | Manageable | 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 →
