9 Social Work colleges in Michigan with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $55,394.
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 9 Social Work programs made the cut.
Michigan State University leads the rankings, producing Social Work graduates earning $67,253 while maintaining a 98th percentile mobility score. At the other end, programs still deliver $47,107 in median earnings—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students compete on outcomes, not just access.
Wayne State University serves 43% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $53,493. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Oakland University exemplifies this with 88th percentile mobility and just a 12.8% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $67,253 | Mobility: 98th percentile
43% Pell students with $53,493 earnings
11.1% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
24.4% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Manageable | $17,858 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $56,118 | $24,500 | Manageable | $26,392 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $55,874 | $27,000 | Manageable | $23,103 | High | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Ferris State UniversityPublic | $54,735 | $21,000 | Manageable | $14,849 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $53,562 | $26,188 | Manageable | $22,488 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Wayne State UniversityPublic | $53,493 | $21,250 | Manageable | $16,378 | High | 95th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $51,793 | $25,000 | Manageable | $16,878 | High | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $47,107 | $21,474 | Manageable | $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 →
