90 Social Sciences colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $61,249.
Top Social Sciences graduates on this list earn over $99,980—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 80 programs deliver both access and results.
University Of Notre Dame leads the rankings, producing Social Sciences graduates earning $99,980 while maintaining an 88th percentile mobility score. The top three schools—Notre Dame, University of Chicago ($91,885), and Northwestern University ($89,363)—all combine exceptional earnings with 87th+ percentile mobility ratings.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign serves 24% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $81,054. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University Of Notre Dame exemplifies this with 88th percentile mobility and just a 6% payment burden, meaning graduates keep most of their earnings.
Earnings: $99,980 | Mobility: 88th percentile
24% Pell students with $81,054 earnings
6% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
17% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| 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 | Good | 87th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Excellent | $33,297 | Excellent | 86th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $87,989 | $24,000 | Excellent | $31,458 | Good | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $86,182 | $17,500 | Excellent | $24,585 | Excellent | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $82,957 | — | — | — | — | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | Excellent | $45,500 | High | 79th percentile mobility |
| #10 | Carleton CollegePrivate | $75,525 | $16,750 | Excellent | $31,271 | Good | 62th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Excellent | $28,364 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,448 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Kenyon CollegePrivate | $71,830 | $18,527 | Excellent | $56,500 | Manageable | 62th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Good | $54,045 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | — | — | — | — | 81th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Depauw UniversityPrivate | $70,527 | $27,000 | Excellent | $35,134 | Manageable | 61th percentile mobility |
| #17 | Wabash CollegePrivate | $69,952 | $27,000 | Excellent | $28,000 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,729 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Good | $41,563 | High | 85th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Excellent | $24,323 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Excellent | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | Kalamazoo CollegePrivate | $65,590 | $26,077 | Excellent | $49,500 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #23 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Good | $40,568 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #24 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Good | $27,975 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility |
| #25 | Macalester CollegePrivate | $63,878 | $23,000 | Excellent | $36,129 | Manageable | 62th 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
