33 Physical Therapy colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $55,868.
These 33 Physical Therapy 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 Wisconsin-Madison leads the rankings, producing Physical Therapy graduates earning $73,792 while maintaining a 96th percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn $54,810—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students 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 Kansas exemplifies this—90th percentile for mobility with just a 7.5% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. Bryan College of Health Sciences serves 21% Pell recipients while maintaining an 8.3% burden.
Earnings: $73,792 | Mobility: 96th percentile
30% Pell students with $62,117 earnings
7.5% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
13.7% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Bellin CollegePrivate | $76,222 | $18,000 | Excellent | $18,000 | Good | 62th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $70,845 | $24,985 | Excellent | $29,929 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Excellent | $27,975 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Excellent | $32,529 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $62,203 | $23,199 | Excellent | $14,621 | Good | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Excellent | $28,767 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Excellent | $32,347 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Excellent | $25,868 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $60,378 | $22,500 | Good | $16,958 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Excellent | $17,858 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Kansas State UniversityPublic | $57,262 | $21,250 | Excellent | $27,283 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $56,118 | $24,500 | Excellent | $26,392 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $55,874 | $27,000 | Good | $23,103 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $55,548 | $21,500 | Excellent | $13,500 | Good | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $55,198 | $20,000 | Excellent | $17,205 | Good | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $55,177 | $19,691 | Good | $17,670 | Challenging | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $54,810 | $21,250 | Excellent | $23,602 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Ferris State UniversityPublic | $54,735 | $21,000 | Excellent | $14,849 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $53,562 | $26,188 | Good | $22,488 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | Wayne State UniversityPublic | $53,493 | $21,250 | Excellent | $16,378 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $53,390 | $21,543 | Excellent | $19,500 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $53,230 | $25,000 | Good | $12,953 | Manageable | 70th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $52,131 | $21,797 | Excellent | $16,998 | Good | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $51,989 | $21,500 | Excellent | $17,781 | Manageable | 71th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Ball State UniversityPublic | $51,833 | $23,250 | Good | $20,800 | Manageable | 88th 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 →
