84 Psychology colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $60,512.
These 84 Psychology 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.
University of Notre Dame leads the rankings, producing Psychology graduates earning $99,980 while maintaining an 88th percentile mobility score. The top programs demonstrate impressive range—from Notre Dame's $99,980 to Northwestern's $89,363—proving that schools serving low-income students can 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 Notre Dame exemplifies this—88th percentile for mobility with just a 5.9% payment burden, classified as 'Excellent' affordability, meaning graduates keep most of their earnings.
Earnings: $99,980 | Mobility: 88th percentile
24% Pell students with $81,054 earnings
5.9% payment burden | Excellent
20.4% family burden | Challenging
| 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 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Challenging | $33,297 | High | 87th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $87,989 | $24,000 | Challenging | $31,458 | High | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $86,182 | $17,500 | Manageable | $24,585 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Good | $30,250 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Challenging | $34,511 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | Good | $45,500 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $78,198 | $24,990 | Manageable | $29,300 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Good | $28,364 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Manageable | $29,448 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Good | $54,045 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | $27,000 | Manageable | $47,679 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Good | $25,729 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Manageable | $41,563 | High | 86th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Good | $24,323 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Manageable | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Kalamazoo CollegePrivate | $65,590 | $26,077 | Manageable | $49,500 | High | 83th percentile mobility |
| #19 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Manageable | $27,975 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $63,742 | $19,509 | High | $32,850 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Manageable | $14,269 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Manageable | $32,529 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Manageable | $25,950 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #24 | College Of Saint BenedictPrivate | $63,260 | $26,944 | Manageable | $15,778 | High | 81th percentile mobility |
| #25 | Grinnell CollegePrivate | $62,830 | $17,500 | High | $36,324 | High | 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 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
