115 Biological Sciences colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $71,342.
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 105 Biological Sciences programs made the cut.
At $143,372 in median earnings, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining a 73rd percentile mobility score. The earnings range spans from $84,648 to $143,372, proving that schools serving low-income students can deliver exceptional outcomes.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. Cornell University exemplifies this—94th percentile for mobility with just a 4.5% payment burden ('Excellent' category), while MCPHS University serves 28% Pell students but creates a concerning 36% debt burden.
Earnings: $143,372 | Mobility: 73rd percentile
28.2% Pell students with $125,557 earnings
4.5% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
18.5% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $143,372 | — | — | — | — | 71th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Mcphs UniversityPrivate | $125,557 | — | — | — | — | 73th percentile mobility |
| #3 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Excellent | $33,124 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Princeton UniversityPrivate | $110,066 | $10,320 | Excellent | $41,000 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $108,772 | — | — | — | — | 72th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Excellent | $42,245 | Challenging | 79th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,000 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $103,470 | $27,000 | Excellent | $53,567 | Challenging | 61th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $102,491 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $102,051 | — | — | — | — | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Harvard UniversityPrivate | $101,817 | $14,000 | Excellent | $28,000 | Excellent | 90th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Yale UniversityPrivate | $100,533 | $12,975 | Excellent | $29,769 | Good | 81th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Excellent | $40,000 | Challenging | 72th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Dartmouth CollegePrivate | $97,434 | $17,500 | Excellent | $44,481 | Excellent | 77th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Bucknell UniversityPrivate | $93,807 | $27,000 | Excellent | $62,750 | Challenging | 72th percentile mobility |
| #17 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | $11,428 | Excellent | $48,245 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility |
| #18 | Northeastern UniversityPrivate | $92,538 | $24,250 | Excellent | $34,984 | Manageable | 60th percentile mobility |
| #19 | College Of The Holy CrossPrivate | $90,543 | $27,000 | Excellent | $39,032 | Manageable | 83th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Providence CollegePrivate | $87,054 | $27,000 | Excellent | $46,300 | Manageable | 61th percentile mobility |
| #21 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Excellent | $37,095 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility |
| #22 | Wellesley CollegePrivate | $84,803 | $10,000 | Excellent | $38,825 | Challenging | 72th percentile mobility |
| #23 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Excellent | $40,932 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $84,276 | $21,000 | Excellent | $22,866 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Boston UniversityPrivate | $83,238 | $23,250 | Good | $39,000 | Challenging | 91th 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 →
