68 Public Administration colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $57,616.
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: 59 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 numbers prove schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
University Of Illinois Chicago serves 50% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $68,740. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University Of Chicago exemplifies this with 87th percentile mobility and just a 3.3% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $91,885 | Mobility: 87th percentile
49.6% Pell students with $68,740 earnings
3.3% payment burden | Excellent
11.6% family burden | Good
| 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 | 92th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Good | 94th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | High | $45,500 | High | 88th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Good | $28,364 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Good | $54,045 | High | 87th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Saint Louis UniversityPrivate | $70,783 | $25,000 | Good | $34,177 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Challenging | $24,323 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Manageable | $40,568 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #12 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Good | $27,975 | High | 96th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $64,705 | $17,100 | Excellent | $9,000 | Good | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Excellent | $32,850 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Good | $14,269 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Good | $32,529 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Good | $22,127 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Good | $28,767 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Good | $32,347 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Bellevue UniversityPrivate | $61,289 | $20,000 | Challenging | $11,053 | High | 83th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Excellent | $25,868 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Good | $25,868 | Challenging | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Good | $25,868 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Good | $25,868 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $60,378 | $22,500 | Good | $16,958 | Manageable | 91th 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 →
