20 Engineering Technology colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $67,364.
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 | — | — | — | — | 90th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $78,988 | — | — | — | — | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Excellent | $15,000 | Excellent | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $68,905 | — | — | — | — | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Excellent | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Excellent | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $64,172 | $16,552 | Excellent | $17,585 | Excellent | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $62,668 | $19,500 | Excellent | $23,519 | Excellent | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $61,580 | $19,500 | Excellent | $22,000 | Good | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $61,244 | $14,505 | Excellent | $12,050 | Excellent | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $60,543 | $20,000 | Excellent | $36,000 | Good | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | University Of ArizonaPublic | $59,979 | $19,620 | Excellent | $30,126 | Good | 97th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $59,211 | $13,000 | Excellent | $12,526 | Excellent | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $59,115 | $13,872 | Excellent | $13,522 | Excellent | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $57,897 | $19,500 | Excellent | $17,148 | Good | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Montana State UniversityPublic | $53,263 | $22,500 | Excellent | $25,000 | Manageable | 69th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $52,093 | $21,500 | Excellent | $13,743 | Excellent | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $39,067 | $17,095 | Excellent | $10,166 | Excellent | 75th 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 →
