Discover 150 Family & Consumer Sciences 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: $59,274.
Top Family & Consumer Sciences graduates on this list earn over $104,043—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 151 programs deliver both access and results.
Cornell University leads the rankings, producing Family & Consumer Sciences graduates earning $104,043 while maintaining a 94th percentile mobility score. At $84,943 in median earnings, UC San Diego achieves perfect 100th percentile mobility, serving 33% Pell recipients and 40% first-generation students.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. Cornell exemplifies this—94th percentile for mobility with just a 4.9% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings. UC San Diego matches this with 7.8% burden despite serving far more low-income students.
Earnings: $104,043 | Mobility: 94th percentile
32.9% Pell students with $84,943 earnings
4.9% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
20.3% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Challenging | $28,903 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $84,943 | $15,500 | Excellent | $24,257 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Tufts UniversityPrivate | $83,214 | $16,250 | Excellent | $38,325 | High | 83th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Good | $35,200 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | High | 94th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Good | $35,325 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Good | $34,511 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $80,838 | $13,000 | Good | $25,733 | High | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | $80,596 | $18,500 | Good | $27,270 | High | 94th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Good | $39,841 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $76,571 | $26,778 | Good | $35,625 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Good | $25,142 | High | 98th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Brigham Young UniversityPrivate | $75,790 | $11,069 | Excellent | $9,699 | Excellent | 98th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Good | $26,632 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $73,997 | $21,500 | Good | $35,324 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Good | $28,364 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Good | $43,000 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Manageable | $29,448 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $72,200 | $14,000 | High | $25,072 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Good | $32,258 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Good | $15,000 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Good | $18,837 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Excellent | $15,738 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Good | $37,285 | High | 93th 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 →
