7 Public Administration colleges in Ohio with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $52,566.
Most rankings ignore accessibility. We flipped the model: first, filter for schools that actually enroll and graduate low-income students (60th percentile+ mobility). Then rank by earnings. These 7 Public Administration programs made the cut.
Ohio State University-Main Campus leads the rankings, producing Public Administration graduates earning $60,409 while maintaining a 96th percentile mobility score. Across this list, graduate earnings span from $47,896 to $60,409—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
Cleveland State University serves 39% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $52,131. The debt burden story varies: Ohio State graduates face just an 11.5% payment burden (Good affordability), while others reach higher levels—a meaningful difference for career flexibility.
Earnings: $60,409 | Mobility: 96th percentile
39% Pell students with $52,131 earnings
11.5% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
25.0% family burden | High burden - payment over 25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Good | $25,868 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $54,810 | $21,250 | Manageable | $23,602 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $52,581 | $21,056 | Manageable | $23,508 | High | 75th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $52,131 | $21,797 | Good | $16,998 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | University Of ToledoPublic | $50,632 | $22,250 | Manageable | $19,243 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $49,500 | $22,750 | Manageable | $14,381 | High | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $47,896 | $25,000 | Manageable | $25,947 | High | 74th 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 →
