17 Engineering colleges in New York with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $79,948.
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 16 Engineering programs made the cut.
Cornell University leads the rankings, producing Engineering graduates earning $104,043 while maintaining a 94th percentile mobility score. The gap is telling—top performers reach $104,043 while the lowest earners still hit $53,501, proving that mobility-focused programs compete on outcomes.
Columbia University serves 23% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $102,491. Even better: graduates face just a 5% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. These schools deliver both access AND affordability.
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Good | 93th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $102,491 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Excellent | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $102,051 | $23,750 | Excellent | $52,241 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Suny Maritime CollegePublic | $95,951 | $23,250 | Excellent | $38,700 | Good | 75th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Excellent | $37,095 | Manageable | 74th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $83,847 | $15,000 | Excellent | $17,804 | Excellent | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | $80,596 | $18,500 | Excellent | $27,270 | Good | 93th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Excellent | $39,841 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility |
| #10 | University Of RochesterPrivate | $79,042 | $21,000 | Excellent | $30,000 | Good | 81th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $76,571 | $26,778 | Excellent | $35,625 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Stony Brook UniversityPublic | $74,502 | $18,228 | Excellent | $21,400 | Good | 97th percentile mobility |
| #13 | University At BuffaloPublic | $70,814 | $19,000 | Excellent | $20,734 | Good | 96th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Cuny City CollegePublic | $66,039 | $11,990 | Excellent | $17,460 | Excellent | 96th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $64,355 | $17,250 | Excellent | $18,928 | Good | 75th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $58,073 | $18,750 | Excellent | $23,871 | Good | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $53,501 | $14,350 | Excellent | $15,568 | Good | 91th 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 →
