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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #51 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Good | $15,000 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #52 | $71,631 | — | — | — | — | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #53 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,837 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #54 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Excellent | $15,738 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #55 | Dickinson CollegePrivate | $70,204 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,729 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #56 | $69,960 | — | — | — | — | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #57 | $69,743 | — | — | — | — | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #58 | $69,738 | — | — | — | — | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #59 | $69,020 | $19,500 | Good | $25,729 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #60 | $68,905 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,968 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #61 | Depaul UniversityPrivate | $68,751 | $23,168 | Good | $41,563 | High | 85th percentile mobility |
| #62 | $68,740 | $16,704 | Good | $24,323 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #63 | $68,396 | $16,666 | Excellent | $28,682 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #64 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #65 | University At AlbanyPublic | $67,979 | $19,500 | Good | $22,398 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility |
| #66 | $67,699 | $17,500 | Excellent | $18,275 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #67 | $66,479 | $26,814 | Good | $36,545 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #68 | Cuny City CollegePublic | $66,039 | $11,990 | Excellent | $17,460 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility |
| #69 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Excellent | $27,986 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility |
| #70 | $65,865 | $21,974 | Good | $17,163 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #71 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Manageable | $40,568 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #72 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #73 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,507 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #74 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Manageable | $27,975 | High | 91th percentile mobility |
| #75 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Manageable | 100th 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 →
