72 Business colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $65,907.
Top Business graduates on this list earn over $109,183—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 72 programs deliver both access and results.
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, proving that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
UC San Diego serves 33% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $84,943. Even better: graduates face just a 2% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. These schools deliver both access AND affordability.
Earnings: $109,183 | Mobility: 75th percentile
33% Pell students with $84,943 earnings
1.8% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
5.4% 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 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Excellent | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | $23,000 | Excellent | $44,413 | Manageable | 76th percentile mobility |
| #6 | University Of San DiegoPrivate | $86,522 | $22,940 | Excellent | $56,559 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $84,943 | $15,500 | Excellent | $24,257 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Pepperdine UniversityPrivate | $82,939 | $23,510 | Excellent | $41,309 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $82,511 | $14,000 | Excellent | $26,176 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $80,838 | $13,000 | Excellent | $25,733 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,665 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Excellent | $20,820 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | University Of The PacificPrivate | $78,445 | $19,500 | Excellent | $50,438 | Challenging | 72th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | $78,349 | $19,500 | Excellent | $58,361 | High | 71th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Brigham Young UniversityPrivate | $75,790 | $11,069 | Excellent | $9,699 | Excellent | 98th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $74,915 | $13,993 | Excellent | $26,465 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Manageable | $15,000 | High | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Excellent | $15,738 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | Chapman UniversityPrivate | $70,070 | $20,500 | Excellent | $44,954 | Manageable | 72th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $69,738 | $19,500 | Excellent | $46,340 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $68,905 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,968 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $68,396 | $16,666 | Excellent | $28,682 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Good | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $67,699 | $17,500 | Excellent | $18,275 | Manageable | 99th 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 →
