20 Education colleges in California with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $66,312.
We started with Education programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 19 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo leads the rankings, producing Education graduates earning $90,768 while maintaining a 95th percentile mobility score. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $66,388—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. University Of California-Irvine exemplifies this—100th percentile for mobility with just a 6.6% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $90,768 | Mobility: 95th percentile
55.3% Pell students with $63,188 earnings
6.6% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
17.9% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,665 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | University Of The PacificPrivate | $78,445 | $19,500 | Excellent | $50,438 | Challenging | 70th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Good | $15,000 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Chapman UniversityPrivate | $70,070 | $20,500 | Excellent | $44,954 | Challenging | 61th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $67,699 | $17,500 | Excellent | $18,275 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Excellent | $27,986 | Challenging | 86th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,507 | Excellent | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $63,188 | $13,540 | Good | $12,700 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $62,951 | — | — | — | — | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $62,908 | $17,350 | Good | $18,031 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $62,152 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,033 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $61,504 | $26,063 | Challenging | $31,387 | High | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $61,244 | $14,505 | Good | $12,050 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $59,977 | — | — | — | — | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $59,211 | $13,000 | Excellent | $12,526 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $57,162 | $13,807 | Good | $11,061 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | Pacific Oaks CollegePrivate | $52,485 | $29,105 | Manageable | $12,485 | Challenging | 78th 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 →
