32 Criminal Justice colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $60,662.
These 32 Criminal Justice programs in the West 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.
San Jose State University leads the rankings, producing Criminal Justice graduates earning $78,988 while maintaining a 98th percentile mobility score. At the high end, graduates earn nearly $79,000, while even the lowest-earning programs on this list still produce graduates making $59,115—demonstrating strong outcomes across mobility-focused schools.
California State University-East Bay exemplifies the double win: serving 44% Pell Grant recipients and 51% first-generation students while producing graduates earning $71,401. Even better, graduates face just a 6.4% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. These schools deliver both access AND affordability.
Earnings: $78,988 | Mobility: 98th percentile
49% Pell students with $64,403 earnings
4.7% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
11.5% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Excellent | $20,820 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Excellent | $15,738 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $68,905 | $19,500 | Good | $29,968 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Excellent | $27,986 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,507 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $64,270 | $20,500 | Good | $21,716 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $64,172 | $16,552 | Good | $17,585 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $63,188 | $13,540 | Excellent | $12,700 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $62,951 | $13,750 | Excellent | $16,538 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $62,668 | $19,500 | Good | $23,519 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $61,580 | $19,500 | Good | $22,000 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $61,504 | $26,063 | Good | $31,387 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $60,543 | $20,000 | Excellent | $36,000 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $59,977 | $14,715 | Excellent | $12,000 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $59,211 | $13,000 | Excellent | $12,526 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $59,115 | $13,872 | Manageable | $13,522 | High | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $59,009 | $16,600 | Good | $9,000 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $57,906 | $20,500 | Good | $18,859 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $57,162 | $13,807 | Excellent | $11,061 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | University Of WyomingPublic | $56,880 | $18,000 | Good | $16,000 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility |
| #25 | Utah Valley UniversityPublic | $55,486 | $14,750 | Excellent | $9,582 | Excellent | 94th 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 →
