44 Criminal Justice colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $62,100.
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 40 Criminal Justice programs made the cut.
Massachusetts Maritime Academy leads the rankings, producing Criminal Justice graduates earning $82,392 while maintaining an 87th percentile mobility score. The top programs span from $59,115 to $82,392 in median earnings—proving schools serving low-income students can deliver exceptional outcomes.
University At Albany serves 42% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $67,979. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Farmingdale State College ranks 94th percentile for mobility with just a 6% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $82,392 | Mobility: 87th percentile
42% Pell students with $67,979 earnings
6% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
14% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Northeastern UniversityPrivate | $92,538 | $24,250 | Excellent | $34,984 | Manageable | 60th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $82,392 | $25,000 | Excellent | $38,678 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Excellent | $39,841 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $76,571 | $26,778 | Manageable | $35,625 | High | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Adelphi UniversityPrivate | $75,482 | $25,000 | Good | $48,005 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Excellent | $25,294 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $73,323 | $23,250 | Good | $30,611 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Pace UniversityPrivate | $70,378 | $23,250 | Excellent | $46,275 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Seton Hall UniversityPrivate | $70,196 | $22,750 | Good | $40,003 | High | 74th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $69,781 | $14,718 | Excellent | $18,349 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $69,571 | $25,000 | Good | $54,289 | High | 70th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | University At AlbanyPublic | $67,979 | $19,500 | Excellent | $22,398 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $66,479 | $26,814 | Excellent | $36,545 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $66,125 | $24,250 | Good | $35,031 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $65,865 | $21,974 | Excellent | $17,163 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $64,874 | $23,704 | Excellent | $18,400 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Good | $36,495 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $63,435 | $25,000 | Excellent | $38,368 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $61,258 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | Suny OneontaPublic | $60,386 | $19,812 | Excellent | $24,845 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility |
| #21 | Rowan UniversityPublic | $59,988 | $20,500 | Excellent | $27,445 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $59,115 | $24,147 | Excellent | $19,000 | Manageable | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $57,780 | $22,334 | Good | $20,000 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $57,566 | $20,880 | Excellent | $19,416 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $57,466 | $24,286 | Good | $18,070 | Manageable | 89th 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 →
