67 Teacher Education colleges in the Midwest with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $58,423.
These 67 Teacher Education programs 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.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor leads the rankings, producing Teacher Education graduates earning $83,648 while maintaining a 97th percentile mobility score. At $58,423 in average graduate earnings, these programs demonstrate that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
University of Illinois Chicago serves 50% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $68,740. Even better: graduates face just a 7% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. These schools deliver both access AND affordability.
Earnings: $83,648 | Mobility: 97th percentile
49.6% Pell students with $68,740 earnings
7.2% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% 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 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Good | $30,250 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Good | $34,511 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | Manageable | $45,500 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Manageable | $28,364 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Good | $29,448 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Manageable | $54,045 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Illinois Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | $70,871 | $27,000 | Manageable | $47,679 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Good | $25,729 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Manageable | $41,563 | High | 86th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Excellent | $24,323 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Manageable | $27,975 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Good | $32,850 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $63,552 | $22,057 | Manageable | $14,269 | High | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Manageable | $32,529 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Manageable | $25,950 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #16 | College Of Saint BenedictPrivate | $63,260 | $26,944 | Challenging | $15,778 | High | 81th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $62,616 | $22,024 | Manageable | $22,127 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $62,117 | $20,482 | Good | $28,767 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University Of KansasPublic | $61,945 | $21,000 | Good | $32,347 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $61,760 | $21,977 | Manageable | $15,000 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $60,409 | $19,976 | Manageable | $25,868 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $60,378 | $22,500 | Manageable | $16,958 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $59,649 | $22,500 | Manageable | $16,132 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $59,637 | $18,750 | Challenging | $18,462 | High | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Saint Mary's CollegePrivate | $59,354 | $27,000 | Manageable | $48,565 | High | 81th 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 →
