42 Business colleges in California with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $71,181.
We started with Business programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 41 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Santa Clara University leads the rankings, producing Business graduates earning $109,183 while maintaining a 75th percentile mobility score. University of Southern California follows at $92,498 with an exceptional 96th percentile mobility rating. These outcomes prove that schools serving diverse students can compete at the highest levels.
UC San Diego serves 33% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $84,943. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: UC Berkeley exemplifies this with 99th percentile mobility and just a 1.8% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $109,183 | Mobility: 75th percentile
32.9% Pell students with $84,943 earnings
1.8% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
6.2% 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 | 84th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $94,784 | $24,965 | Excellent | $38,432 | Manageable | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Excellent | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Excellent | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Good | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | $23,000 | Excellent | $44,413 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility |
| #7 | University Of San DiegoPrivate | $86,522 | $22,940 | Excellent | $56,559 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $84,943 | $15,500 | Excellent | $24,257 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $84,713 | $27,000 | Excellent | $54,119 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Pepperdine UniversityPrivate | $82,939 | $23,510 | Good | $41,309 | Manageable | 83th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $80,838 | $13,000 | Excellent | $25,733 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,665 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Excellent | $20,820 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | University Of The PacificPrivate | $78,445 | $19,500 | Excellent | $50,438 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | $78,349 | $19,500 | Excellent | $58,361 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $74,915 | $13,993 | Excellent | $26,465 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $72,379 | $25,949 | Good | $23,250 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Excellent | $15,000 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Excellent | $15,738 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | Chapman UniversityPrivate | $70,070 | $20,500 | Excellent | $44,954 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $68,396 | $16,666 | Excellent | $28,682 | Good | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $67,699 | $17,500 | Excellent | $18,275 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Excellent | $27,986 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $65,703 | $24,276 | Excellent | $11,049 | Good | 80th 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 →
