25 Engineering Technology colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $66,049.
We started with Engineering Technology programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 25 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Stanford University leads the rankings, producing Engineering Technology graduates earning $124,080 while maintaining a 91st percentile mobility score. The University of Southern California follows at $92,498 with an even stronger 96th percentile mobility ranking. These outcomes demonstrate that mobility-focused programs compete at the highest levels.
California State University-Long Beach serves 49% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $64,403. Across the West, these programs deliver a double win: Stanford graduates face just a 1.4% payment burden with 'Excellent' affordability, while Cal State Northridge families manage a 5.5% burden.
Earnings: $124,080 | Mobility: 91st percentile
49.3% Pell students with $64,403 earnings
1.4% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
5.5% family burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Stanford UniversityPrivate | $124,080 | $12,000 | Excellent | $38,333 | Excellent | 91th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Excellent | $20,820 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | University Of The PacificPrivate | $78,445 | $19,500 | Excellent | $50,438 | Manageable | 72th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Excellent | $15,000 | Excellent | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $68,905 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,968 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Excellent | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $64,172 | $16,552 | Excellent | $17,585 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $62,668 | $19,500 | Excellent | $23,519 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $62,569 | $18,500 | Good | $23,123 | Challenging | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $61,580 | $19,500 | Excellent | $22,000 | Good | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $61,244 | $14,505 | Excellent | $12,050 | Excellent | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $60,543 | $20,000 | Excellent | $36,000 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | University Of ArizonaPublic | $59,979 | $19,620 | Excellent | $30,126 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $59,211 | $13,000 | Excellent | $12,526 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $59,115 | $13,872 | Excellent | $13,522 | Excellent | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $57,897 | $19,500 | Excellent | $17,148 | Good | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | Utah Valley UniversityPublic | $55,486 | $14,750 | Excellent | $9,582 | Good | 94th percentile mobility |
| #21 | Utah State UniversityPublic | $54,022 | $14,340 | Excellent | $13,923 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $53,406 | $13,969 | Excellent | $7,556 | Excellent | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | Montana State UniversityPublic | $53,263 | $22,500 | Excellent | $25,000 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $52,093 | $21,500 | Excellent | $13,743 | Good | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $39,067 | $17,095 | Excellent | $10,166 | Excellent | 79th 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 →
