46 Speech-Language Pathology colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $57,273.
We started with Speech-Language Pathology programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 38 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Speech-Language Pathology outcomes peak at University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where graduates earn $81,054 while the school maintains 98th percentile mobility. The top three schools all exceed $73,000 in median earnings, with the full list averaging $57,866—proving schools serving low-income students can compete on results.
Illinois State University serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $62,117. Even better: graduates face just a 6.6% payment burden at University Of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, landing in the 'Excellent' category. Access AND affordability delivered.
Earnings: $81,054 | Mobility: 98th percentile
30% Pell students with $62,117 earnings
6.6% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
13.9% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% 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 | $23,940 | Excellent | $45,500 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Excellent | $28,364 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,448 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,729 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Excellent | $27,975 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Excellent | $32,850 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Good | $14,269 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Excellent | $32,529 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Good | $22,127 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Excellent | $28,767 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Excellent | $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 | Good | $48,565 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $58,561 | $20,909 | Excellent | $12,452 | Good | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $58,169 | $18,618 | Good | $13,991 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $57,808 | $22,162 | Good | $19,508 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Kansas State UniversityPublic | $57,262 | $21,250 | Excellent | $27,283 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $56,922 | $21,106 | Good | $13,695 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $56,887 | $21,000 | Excellent | $25,798 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $56,346 | $20,500 | Good | $21,500 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | Truman State UniversityPublic | $56,280 | $21,000 | Excellent | $14,503 | Manageable | 60th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $55,874 | $27,000 | Good | $23,103 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $55,356 | $23,188 | Good | $18,635 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $55,177 | $19,691 | Good | $17,670 | Challenging | 84th 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 →
