Discover 388 English colleges that excel at moving low-income students to success. Schools must be in the 60th percentile+ for mobility, ranked by graduate earnings. Average earnings: $62,744.
Top English graduates on this list earn over $92,446—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 388 programs deliver both access and results.
At $124,080 in median earnings, Stanford University tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining a 91st percentile mobility score. The university serves 19% Pell Grant recipients and 30% first-generation students, proving that serving low-income students doesn't compromise outcomes.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. Duke University exemplifies this—84th percentile for mobility with just a 4.2% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings and face 'Excellent' affordability.
Earnings: $124,080 | Mobility: 91st percentile
22.5% Pell students with $102,491 earnings
4.2% payment burden | Excellent
14.6% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Stanford UniversityPrivate | $124,080 | $12,000 | High | $38,333 | High | 91th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | $21,750 | Excellent | $37,130 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility |
| #3 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Good | $33,124 | High | 88th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Princeton UniversityPrivate | $110,066 | $10,320 | Excellent | $41,000 | High | 77th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | $109,183 | $19,162 | Excellent | $56,271 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Good | $42,245 | High | 81th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | High | 94th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,000 | High | 86th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Georgetown UniversityPrivate | $103,494 | $15,500 | Excellent | $33,944 | Challenging | 84th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $102,491 | $21,500 | Good | $35,000 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Harvard UniversityPrivate | $101,817 | $14,000 | Excellent | $28,000 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Yale UniversityPrivate | $100,533 | $12,975 | Excellent | $29,769 | Manageable | 81th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Good | $40,000 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility |
| #14 | University Of Notre DamePrivate | $99,980 | $19,000 | Excellent | $40,731 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | $13,000 | Excellent | $27,998 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Dartmouth CollegePrivate | $97,434 | $17,500 | Excellent | $44,481 | High | 79th percentile mobility |
| #17 | Bucknell UniversityPrivate | $93,807 | $27,000 | Challenging | $62,750 | High | 74th percentile mobility |
| #18 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | $11,428 | Excellent | $48,245 | High | 84th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Good | $31,803 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Manageable | $33,297 | High | 87th percentile mobility |
| #22 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | $14,000 | Excellent | $30,844 | Challenging | 86th percentile mobility |
| #23 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Good | $30,881 | Challenging | 79th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Good | $35,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | College Of The Holy CrossPrivate | $90,543 | $27,000 | Excellent | $39,032 | Challenging | 83th 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 →
