31 Accounting colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $65,674.
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 34 Accounting programs made the cut.
Santa Clara University leads the rankings, producing Accounting graduates earning $109,183 while maintaining a 75th percentile mobility score. The University of Southern California follows at $92,498 with an exceptional 96th percentile mobility rating. These earnings prove that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
The University of San Francisco serves 27% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $89,812. Brigham Young University delivers the strongest value proposition: 98th percentile mobility with just a 2.7% payment burden, earning 'Excellent' affordability status. Access AND affordability.
Earnings: $109,183 | Mobility: 75th percentile
32% Pell students with $75,790 earnings
2.7% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
5.4% family burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | $109,183 | $19,162 | Excellent | $56,271 | Good | 74th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Excellent | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | $23,000 | Excellent | $44,413 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility |
| #4 | University Of San DiegoPrivate | $86,522 | $22,940 | Excellent | $56,559 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Pepperdine UniversityPrivate | $82,939 | $23,510 | Excellent | $41,309 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | $78,349 | $19,500 | Excellent | $58,361 | Manageable | 61th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Brigham Young UniversityPrivate | $75,790 | $11,069 | Excellent | $9,699 | Excellent | 98th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Chapman UniversityPrivate | $70,070 | $20,500 | Excellent | $44,954 | Manageable | 61th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $68,905 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,968 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | University Of UtahPublic | $67,170 | $19,000 | Excellent | $18,886 | Good | 94th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Oregon State UniversityPublic | $64,010 | $21,221 | Excellent | $28,923 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $62,668 | $19,500 | Excellent | $23,519 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $62,569 | $18,500 | Excellent | $23,123 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $61,580 | $19,500 | Excellent | $22,000 | Good | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $61,504 | $26,063 | Excellent | $31,387 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | University Of OregonPublic | $61,324 | $20,139 | Excellent | $44,405 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $60,614 | $18,922 | Excellent | $26,150 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University Of ArizonaPublic | $59,979 | $19,620 | Excellent | $30,126 | Good | 97th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $59,115 | $13,872 | Excellent | $13,522 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $57,906 | $20,500 | Excellent | $18,859 | Good | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $57,897 | $19,500 | Excellent | $17,148 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $57,624 | $18,500 | Excellent | $30,988 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | University Of WyomingPublic | $56,880 | $18,000 | Excellent | $16,000 | Good | 80th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $55,037 | $19,450 | Excellent | $20,906 | Manageable | 96th 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 →
