68 Communication colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $65,622.
These 68 Communication programs aren't just accessible—they deliver results. Each school ranks in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, meaning they actually enroll and graduate low-income students. Then we ranked them by graduate earnings, finding schools that are both accessible AND high-performing.
Santa Clara University leads the rankings, producing Communication graduates earning $109,183 while maintaining a 75th percentile mobility score. The University of Southern California follows at $92,498 with an exceptional 96th percentile mobility rating, while UC Berkeley rounds out the top three at $92,446 with a remarkable 99th percentile mobility score.
UC Irvine serves 37% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $80,735. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: UC Berkeley exemplifies this with 99th percentile mobility and just a 3.3% payment burden, landing graduates in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $109,183 | Mobility: 75th percentile
37.3% Pell students with $80,735 earnings
3.3% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
11.7% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% 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 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | $23,000 | Good | $44,413 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #6 | University Of San DiegoPrivate | $86,522 | $22,940 | Good | $56,559 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $84,943 | $15,500 | Excellent | $24,257 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Pepperdine UniversityPrivate | $82,939 | $23,510 | Manageable | $41,309 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $80,838 | $13,000 | Excellent | $25,733 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,665 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Excellent | $20,820 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | University Of The PacificPrivate | $78,445 | $19,500 | Good | $50,438 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | $78,349 | $19,500 | Excellent | $58,361 | High | 71th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Brigham Young UniversityPrivate | $75,790 | $11,069 | Excellent | $9,699 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $74,915 | $13,993 | Excellent | $26,465 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Excellent | $15,000 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Excellent | $15,738 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | Chapman UniversityPrivate | $70,070 | $20,500 | Excellent | $44,954 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $69,738 | $19,500 | Excellent | $46,340 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $68,905 | $19,500 | Good | $29,968 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | University Of UtahPublic | $67,170 | $19,000 | Good | $18,886 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility |
| #24 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Excellent | $27,986 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | High | 98th 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 →
