11 Social Sciences colleges in Michigan with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $59,336.
These 11 Social Sciences programs in Michigan 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.
At $83,648 in median earnings, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining a 97th percentile mobility score. Michigan State University follows at $67,253 with an even higher 98th percentile mobility ranking. These outcomes prove that schools serving low-income students can compete on results, not just access.
University of Michigan-Dearborn serves 44% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $59,649. The best mobility schools also deliver manageable debt: University of Michigan-Ann Arbor graduates face just a 7.6% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. Access AND affordability.
Earnings: $83,648 | Mobility: 97th percentile
43.9% Pell students with $59,649 earnings
7.6% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
21.2% family burden | High burden - payment over 25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Good | $30,250 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Excellent | $37,401 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Kalamazoo CollegePrivate | $65,590 | $26,077 | Good | $49,500 | High | 83th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $59,649 | $22,500 | Manageable | $16,132 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Manageable | $17,858 | High | 88th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $56,118 | $24,500 | Manageable | $26,392 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $55,874 | $27,000 | Challenging | $23,103 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $53,562 | $26,188 | Manageable | $22,488 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Wayne State UniversityPublic | $53,493 | $21,250 | Manageable | $16,378 | High | 95th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $51,793 | $25,000 | High | $16,878 | High | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $47,107 | $21,474 | High | $17,287 | High | 73th 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 →
