Discover 359 Communication 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: $60,616.
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 356 Communication programs made the cut.
University of Pennsylvania leads the rankings, producing Communication graduates earning $111,371 while maintaining an 88th percentile mobility score. Santa Clara University follows at $109,183 with 75th percentile mobility. These outcomes prove schools serving low-income students can compete at the highest levels.
University of Southern California serves 22% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $92,498. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Cornell University exemplifies this with 94th percentile mobility and just a 3% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $111,371 | Mobility: 88th percentile
22% Pell students with $92,498 earnings
3% payment burden | Excellent
12% family burden | Good
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Excellent | $33,124 | Good | 88th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | $109,183 | $19,162 | Excellent | $56,271 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Excellent | $42,245 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,000 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $102,772 | $21,672 | Excellent | $32,216 | Good | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $102,051 | — | — | — | — | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Excellent | $40,000 | Manageable | 72th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $94,810 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Northeastern UniversityPrivate | $92,538 | $24,250 | Excellent | $34,984 | Manageable | 60th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | — | — | — | — | 86th percentile mobility |
| #15 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | $23,000 | Excellent | $44,413 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility |
| #18 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Good | 89th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Excellent | $28,903 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | University Of San DiegoPrivate | $86,522 | $22,940 | Excellent | $56,559 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #21 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Excellent | $37,095 | Manageable | 74th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $84,943 | $15,500 | Excellent | $24,257 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Excellent | $40,932 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Boston UniversityPrivate | $83,238 | $23,250 | Excellent | $39,000 | Manageable | 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 →
