Discover 147 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: $69,943.
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #76 | Cuny City CollegePublic | $66,039 | $11,990 | Excellent | $17,460 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #77 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Excellent | $27,986 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility |
| #78 | $65,865 | $21,974 | Good | $17,163 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #79 | St Olaf CollegePrivate | $65,543 | $26,000 | Manageable | $40,568 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #80 | $65,287 | $21,000 | Good | $13,964 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #81 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #82 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,507 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #83 | University Of IowaPublic | $64,762 | $22,500 | Manageable | $27,975 | High | 96th percentile mobility |
| #84 | $64,705 | $17,100 | Good | $9,000 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #85 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #86 | Towson UniversityPublic | $64,390 | $18,718 | Good | $28,489 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #87 | $64,172 | $16,552 | Good | $17,585 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #88 | Smith CollegePrivate | $64,027 | $17,550 | Good | $30,366 | High | 79th percentile mobility |
| #89 | Oregon State UniversityPublic | $64,010 | $21,221 | Good | $28,923 | High | 98th percentile mobility |
| #90 | $63,742 | $19,509 | Good | $32,850 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #91 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Challenging | $36,495 | High | 98th percentile mobility |
| #92 | $63,435 | $25,000 | Excellent | $38,368 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #93 | $63,403 | $20,500 | Excellent | $32,529 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #94 | Iowa State UniversityPublic | $63,386 | $22,869 | Excellent | $25,950 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility |
| #95 | Cuny Hunter CollegePublic | $63,163 | $11,000 | Excellent | $20,252 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #96 | $63,126 | $20,654 | Manageable | $31,890 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #97 | $62,951 | $13,750 | Excellent | $16,538 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #98 | Grinnell CollegePrivate | $62,830 | $17,500 | High | $36,324 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #99 | Cuny Queens CollegePublic | $62,763 | $10,298 | High | $17,680 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #100 | $62,668 | $19,500 | Good | $23,519 | Challenging | 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 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
