Discover 239 Criminal Justice 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: $55,503.
These 208 Criminal Justice 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.
George Washington University leads the rankings, producing Criminal Justice graduates earning $90,873 while maintaining a 79th percentile mobility score. At the top end, graduates earn over $90,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
San Jose State University serves 35% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $78,988. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University of Florida exemplifies this with 97th percentile mobility and just a 3.2% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $90,873 | Mobility: 79th percentile
35.4% Pell students with $78,988 earnings
3.2% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
7.8% family burden | Excellent - payment under 8% 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 | 81th percentile mobility |
| #2 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $84,131 | $23,666 | Excellent | $43,423 | Challenging | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Quinnipiac UniversityPrivate | $83,759 | $26,000 | Excellent | $64,334 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $82,392 | $25,000 | Excellent | $38,678 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Excellent | $39,841 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Manageable | $20,820 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Molloy UniversityPrivate | $77,789 | $27,000 | Manageable | $39,248 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #10 | American UniversityPrivate | $77,370 | $22,750 | Excellent | $39,169 | Challenging | 78th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $76,813 | $25,000 | Good | $10,787 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $76,571 | $26,778 | Manageable | $35,625 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,142 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility |
| #14 | University Of DaytonPrivate | $75,537 | $23,250 | Good | $43,810 | High | 77th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Adelphi UniversityPrivate | $75,482 | $25,000 | Good | $48,005 | High | 81th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Seattle UniversityPrivate | $75,272 | $19,883 | Good | $37,520 | High | 77th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Excellent | $25,294 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Excellent | $25,294 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Excellent | $25,294 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $73,323 | $23,250 | Good | $30,611 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $72,085 | $21,096 | Excellent | $33,899 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | $71,530 | $24,157 | Good | $54,045 | High | 87th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Excellent | $15,738 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Saint Louis UniversityPrivate | $70,783 | $25,000 | Good | $34,177 | Challenging | 76th 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 →
