14 Accounting colleges in Pennsylvania with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $69,159.
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 15 Accounting programs made the cut.
Lehigh University leads the rankings, producing Accounting graduates earning $105,584 while maintaining an 81st percentile mobility score. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $68,547—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
Temple University serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $63,727. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Lehigh University achieves 81st percentile mobility with just a 4.2% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $105,584 | Mobility: 81st percentile
30.1% Pell students with $63,727 earnings
4.2% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
13.5% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Excellent | $42,245 | Good | 79th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Excellent | $40,000 | Good | 72th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Bucknell UniversityPrivate | $93,807 | $27,000 | Excellent | $62,750 | Manageable | 72th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Excellent | $40,932 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Muhlenberg CollegePrivate | $69,107 | $25,455 | Excellent | $48,779 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $66,125 | $24,250 | Excellent | $35,031 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Excellent | $36,495 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $63,435 | $25,000 | Excellent | $38,368 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $61,258 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $56,351 | $25,000 | Excellent | $28,373 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $53,032 | $25,000 | Good | $23,528 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $52,416 | $26,000 | Good | $26,233 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $51,019 | $26,798 | Good | $26,073 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $47,295 | $23,725 | Good | $17,794 | Manageable | 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
