22 English colleges in Pennsylvania with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $71,872.
We started with English programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 22 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
At $114,862 in median earnings, Carnegie Mellon University tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. The University of Pennsylvania follows at $111,371 with an even stronger 88th percentile mobility ranking, proving these schools compete on both access and outcomes.
Drexel University serves 25% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $84,648. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Carnegie Mellon combines 84th percentile mobility with just a 5.5% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $114,862 | Mobility: 84th percentile
25% Pell students with $84,648 earnings
5.5% payment burden | Excellent
16.4% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | $21,750 | Excellent | $37,130 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Good | $33,124 | High | 88th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Good | $42,245 | High | 81th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Good | $40,000 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Bucknell UniversityPrivate | $93,807 | $27,000 | Good | $62,750 | High | 74th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Good | $40,932 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $76,124 | $19,000 | High | $51,114 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Bryn Mawr CollegePrivate | $75,217 | $25,000 | Challenging | $40,058 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Dickinson CollegePrivate | $70,204 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,729 | High | 83th percentile mobility |
| #10 | Muhlenberg CollegePrivate | $69,107 | $25,455 | Manageable | $48,779 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $66,125 | $24,250 | Manageable | $35,031 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Challenging | $36,495 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $63,435 | $25,000 | Challenging | $38,368 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $61,258 | $23,500 | Good | $25,362 | Challenging | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $56,351 | $25,000 | Challenging | $28,373 | High | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $56,148 | $24,218 | Manageable | $25,252 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $55,246 | $23,507 | Challenging | $29,193 | High | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $53,775 | $26,000 | Manageable | $26,389 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $53,032 | $25,000 | Challenging | $23,528 | High | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $52,416 | $26,000 | Challenging | $26,233 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $51,019 | $26,798 | Challenging | $26,073 | High | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $47,295 | $23,725 | Challenging | $17,794 | High | 87th 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 →
