17 English colleges in Massachusetts with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $75,072.
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 15 English programs made the cut.
Boston College leads the rankings, producing English graduates earning $103,937 while maintaining an 86th percentile mobility score. Harvard University follows at $101,817 with 90th percentile mobility. These outcomes prove schools serving low-income students can compete at the highest levels.
University of Massachusetts-Boston serves 43% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $65,865. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Wellesley College exemplifies this with 74th percentile mobility and just a 4.3% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $103,937 | Mobility: 86th percentile
42.7% Pell students with $65,865 earnings
4.3% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
21.0% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,000 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Harvard UniversityPrivate | $101,817 | $14,000 | Excellent | $28,000 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Northeastern UniversityPrivate | $92,538 | $24,250 | Excellent | $34,984 | Challenging | 60th percentile mobility |
| #4 | College Of The Holy CrossPrivate | $90,543 | $27,000 | Excellent | $39,032 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Wellesley CollegePrivate | $84,803 | $10,000 | Excellent | $38,825 | Challenging | 72th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Boston UniversityPrivate | $83,238 | $23,250 | Good | $39,000 | High | 91th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Tufts UniversityPrivate | $83,214 | $16,250 | Excellent | $38,325 | Manageable | 83th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Amherst CollegePrivate | $77,644 | $13,740 | Excellent | $47,598 | Challenging | 62th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $71,631 | $22,763 | Manageable | $26,243 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $68,804 | $25,000 | Manageable | $22,757 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $65,865 | $21,974 | Good | $17,163 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $64,874 | $23,704 | Good | $18,400 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Simmons UniversityPrivate | $63,494 | — | — | — | — | 70th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $57,466 | $24,286 | Good | $18,070 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $57,346 | $22,457 | Good | $18,544 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | Salem State UniversityPublic | $56,662 | $25,000 | Manageable | $21,128 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $52,349 | $25,000 | Good | $20,284 | Challenging | 73th 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 →
