22 Family & Consumer Sciences colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $67,255.
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 21 Family & Consumer Sciences programs made the cut.
Cornell University leads the rankings, producing Family & Consumer Sciences graduates earning $104,043 while maintaining a 94th percentile mobility score. Graduate earnings across this list range from $49,365 to $104,043, demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. CUNY New York City College of Technology exemplifies this—95th percentile for mobility with just a 2.8% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $104,043 | Mobility: 94th percentile
30% Pell students with $63,727 earnings
2.8% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
5.7% family burden | Excellent - payment under 8% 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 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Tufts UniversityPrivate | $83,214 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility |
| #3 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | — | — | — | — | 93th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | $80,596 | $18,500 | Excellent | $27,270 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Good | $39,841 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $76,571 | $26,778 | Good | $35,625 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $73,997 | $21,500 | Good | $35,324 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $69,743 | $22,250 | Excellent | $28,000 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $68,140 | $27,000 | Good | $57,691 | High | 61th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $66,479 | $26,814 | Good | $36,545 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Good | $36,495 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $63,435 | $25,000 | Manageable | $38,368 | High | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Cuny Hunter CollegePublic | $63,163 | $11,000 | Excellent | $20,252 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Cuny Queens CollegePublic | $62,763 | $10,298 | Excellent | $17,680 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #15 | University Of VermontPublic | $62,472 | $20,951 | Good | $48,000 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $61,415 | $22,000 | Good | $24,693 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | Suny OneontaPublic | $60,386 | $19,812 | Good | $24,845 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $56,403 | $21,196 | Good | $19,010 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $52,349 | $25,000 | Good | $20,284 | Challenging | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $51,019 | $26,798 | Challenging | $26,073 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $49,365 | $10,533 | Excellent | $9,563 | Excellent | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | University Of MainePublic | $48,653 | $25,000 | Manageable | $21,900 | High | 74th 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 →
