Discover 138 Area Studies colleges that excel at moving low-income students to success. Schools must be in the 60th percentile+ for mobility, ranked by graduate earnings. Average earnings: $69,672.
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #26 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Excellent | $35,200 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #27 | Bowdoin CollegePrivate | $82,735 | $18,500 | Excellent | $52,337 | Challenging | 62th percentile mobility |
| #28 | $82,511 | $14,000 | Excellent | $26,176 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #29 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #30 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Good | $34,511 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #31 | $80,838 | $13,000 | Excellent | $25,733 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #32 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Good | $22,665 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #33 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | $80,596 | — | — | — | — | 93th percentile mobility |
| #34 | Colby CollegePrivate | $80,490 | $19,157 | Excellent | $59,570 | High | 62th percentile mobility |
| #35 | Emory UniversityPrivate | $80,137 | $18,250 | Excellent | $30,480 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility |
| #36 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | — | — | — | — | 82th percentile mobility |
| #37 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #38 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | $78,349 | $19,500 | Good | $58,361 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #39 | Amherst CollegePrivate | $77,644 | $13,740 | Excellent | $47,598 | Challenging | 62th percentile mobility |
| #40 | Occidental CollegePrivate | $75,951 | — | — | — | — | 72th percentile mobility |
| #41 | Brigham Young UniversityPrivate | $75,790 | $11,069 | Excellent | $9,699 | Excellent | 98th percentile mobility |
| #42 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Good | $26,632 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #43 | $74,915 | $13,993 | Excellent | $26,465 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #44 | Stony Brook UniversityPublic | $74,502 | — | — | — | — | 97th percentile mobility |
| #45 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Good | $25,294 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #46 | $73,997 | $21,500 | Good | $35,324 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #47 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Good | $28,364 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #48 | William & MaryPublic | $73,490 | $18,500 | Excellent | $30,326 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility |
| #49 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Good | $43,000 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #50 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Manageable | 95th 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 →
