55 Education colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $61,574.
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 49 Education programs made the cut.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo leads the rankings, producing Education graduates earning $90,768 while maintaining a 95th percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn $62,569—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students deliver competitive outcomes across the spectrum.
University of California-Irvine exemplifies the double win: 100th percentile for mobility with just a 6.6% payment burden, earning 'Excellent' affordability status. Meanwhile, UC-Riverside serves 47% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while graduates earn $67,699. Access AND strong outcomes.
Earnings: $90,768 | Mobility: 95th percentile
46.7% Pell students with $67,699 earnings
6.6% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
17.1% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | University Of PortlandPrivate | $82,804 | $21,370 | Good | $57,555 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,665 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Gonzaga UniversityPrivate | $78,892 | $24,454 | Good | $37,652 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Linfield UniversityPrivate | $78,638 | $25,000 | Good | $36,067 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | University Of The PacificPrivate | $78,445 | $19,500 | Excellent | $50,438 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Brigham Young UniversityPrivate | $75,790 | $11,069 | Excellent | $9,699 | Good | 99th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Good | $15,000 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Chapman UniversityPrivate | $70,070 | $20,500 | Excellent | $44,954 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $68,905 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,968 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $67,699 | $17,500 | Excellent | $18,275 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | University Of UtahPublic | $67,170 | $19,000 | Excellent | $18,886 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Excellent | $27,986 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $65,703 | $24,276 | Good | $11,049 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,507 | Excellent | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $64,270 | $20,500 | Good | $21,716 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | Oregon State UniversityPublic | $64,010 | $21,221 | Challenging | $28,923 | High | 98th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $63,188 | $13,540 | Good | $12,700 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $62,951 | $13,750 | High | $16,538 | High | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $62,908 | $17,350 | Good | $18,031 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $62,668 | $19,500 | Good | $23,519 | Challenging | 100th 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 →
