67 Education colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $63,293.
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 66 Education programs made the cut.
Boston College leads the rankings, producing Education graduates earning $103,937 while maintaining an 86th percentile mobility score. The highest earners on this list reach over $103,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
Drexel University serves 25% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $84,648. The debt story varies: Brown University graduates face just a 4% payment burden (Excellent affordability), while others reach 14%. Access matters, but so does what graduates owe.
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,000 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Providence CollegePrivate | $87,054 | $27,000 | Good | $46,300 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Good | $40,932 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Boston UniversityPrivate | $83,238 | $23,250 | Good | $39,000 | High | 91th percentile mobility |
| #6 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Swarthmore CollegePrivate | $80,257 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Good | $39,841 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #9 | University Of RochesterPrivate | $79,042 | — | — | — | — | 81th percentile mobility |
| #10 | Adelphi UniversityPrivate | $75,482 | $25,000 | Excellent | $48,005 | Challenging | 61th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $73,997 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,324 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Saint Anselm CollegePrivate | $73,371 | $27,000 | Good | $59,736 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $73,323 | $23,250 | Good | $30,611 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $71,631 | — | — | — | — | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | Pace UniversityPrivate | $70,378 | — | — | — | — | 61th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Dickinson CollegePrivate | $70,204 | — | — | — | — | 82th percentile mobility |
| #17 | Seton Hall UniversityPrivate | $70,196 | $22,750 | Excellent | $40,003 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $69,743 | $22,250 | Good | $28,000 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $69,571 | $25,000 | Excellent | $54,289 | High | 70th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | Suny College At GeneseoPublic | $67,316 | $19,500 | Good | $22,092 | Challenging | 79th percentile mobility |
| #21 | Cuny City CollegePublic | $66,039 | $11,990 | Excellent | $17,460 | Good | 96th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $65,865 | $21,974 | Good | $17,163 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Good | $36,495 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $63,435 | $25,000 | Good | $38,368 | High | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Cuny Hunter CollegePublic | $63,163 | $11,000 | Excellent | $20,252 | Good | 97th 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 →
