15 Criminal Justice colleges in New York with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $63,053.
We started with Criminal Justice programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 12 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
At $79,164 in median earnings, Syracuse University tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining an 82nd percentile mobility score. Criminal Justice outcomes peak across these schools, with graduates averaging $64,235—demonstrating that programs serving low-income students can compete on results.
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice serves 59% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $56,195. Even better: graduates face just a 5% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. Access AND affordability delivered.
Earnings: $79,164 | Mobility: 82nd percentile
59% Pell students with $56,195 earnings
5% payment burden | Excellent
13% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Excellent | $39,841 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $76,571 | $26,778 | Manageable | $35,625 | High | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Adelphi UniversityPrivate | $75,482 | $25,000 | Good | $48,005 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Pace UniversityPrivate | $70,378 | $23,250 | Excellent | $46,275 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $69,781 | $14,718 | Excellent | $18,349 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $69,571 | $25,000 | Good | $54,289 | High | 70th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | University At AlbanyPublic | $67,979 | $19,500 | Excellent | $22,398 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Suny OneontaPublic | $60,386 | $19,812 | Excellent | $24,845 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $57,566 | $20,880 | Excellent | $19,416 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $56,403 | $21,196 | Excellent | $19,010 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $56,195 | $11,000 | Excellent | $16,130 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Suny BrockportPublic | $54,496 | $20,000 | Good | $16,353 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $52,334 | $21,028 | Good | $12,951 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $51,629 | $15,180 | Excellent | $16,789 | Manageable | 70th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $47,860 | $20,000 | Good | $16,771 | Manageable | 60th 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 →
