12 Public Administration colleges in Illinois with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $66,400.
We started with Public Administration programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 12 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
University of Chicago leads the rankings, producing Public Administration graduates earning $91,885 while maintaining an 87th percentile mobility score. Northwestern University follows at $89,363 with 90th percentile mobility. These outcomes demonstrate that schools serving diverse student bodies can deliver exceptional career results.
Governors State University serves 52% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $58,169. The debt story varies: University of Chicago graduates face just a 3% payment burden (Excellent affordability), while others reach higher levels—a meaningful difference for loan repayment.
Earnings: $91,885 | Mobility: 87th percentile
52% Pell students with $58,169 earnings
3% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
12% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Excellent | $33,297 | Good | 87th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Good | 90th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Good | $34,511 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Good | $54,045 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Challenging | $24,323 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Manageable | $28,767 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $58,169 | $18,618 | Manageable | $13,991 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $57,808 | $22,162 | Manageable | $19,508 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $56,346 | $20,500 | Manageable | $21,500 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $54,163 | $25,251 | Manageable | $20,764 | High | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $53,390 | $21,543 | Manageable | $19,500 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $52,234 | $14,600 | Good | $13,578 | Challenging | 81th 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 →
