57 Social Work colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $56,343.
We started with Social Work programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 52 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads the rankings, producing Social Work graduates earning $81,054 while maintaining a 98th percentile mobility score. At the top of this list, outcomes peak with earnings nearly $25,000 above the minimum, demonstrating that mobility-focused schools can deliver exceptional results.
Illinois State University serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $62,117. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign combines 98th percentile mobility with just an 8.7% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $81,054 | Mobility: 98th percentile
30% Pell students with $62,117 earnings
8.7% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
19.3% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | — | — | — | — | 79th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Good | $28,364 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Good | $54,045 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $67,253 | $23,250 | Good | $37,401 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Manageable | $40,568 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #7 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Good | $27,975 | High | 91th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Good | $14,269 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Good | $32,529 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Good | $22,127 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Good | $28,767 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Good | $32,347 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Excellent | $25,868 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | Saint Mary's CollegePrivate | $59,354 | $27,000 | Manageable | $48,565 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Oakland UniversityPublic | $58,612 | $22,750 | Good | $17,858 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $58,561 | $20,909 | Good | $12,452 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | Winona State UniversityPublic | $58,532 | $21,500 | Good | $19,316 | Challenging | 73th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $58,169 | $18,618 | Excellent | $13,991 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | Kansas State UniversityPublic | $57,262 | $21,250 | Good | $27,283 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $56,922 | $21,106 | Good | $13,695 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $56,346 | $20,500 | Good | $21,500 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $56,118 | $24,500 | Manageable | $26,392 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $55,874 | $27,000 | Manageable | $23,103 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $55,548 | $21,500 | Good | $13,500 | Manageable | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $55,356 | $23,188 | Good | $18,635 | Manageable | 88th 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 →
