Rank	School	Graduate Earnings	Student Debt	Student GPS	Parent Debt	Parent GPS	Mobility
#1	Rutgers University-New BrunswickPublic	$74,479	$21,500	Challenging	$25,294	High	100th percentile mobility
#2	Rutgers University-CamdenPublic	$74,479	$21,500	Good	$25,294	Challenging	95th percentile mobility
#3	Thomas Edison State UniversityPublic	$69,331	$12,500	Excellent	$11,459	Excellent	80th percentile mobility
#4	Montclair State UniversityPublic	$61,415	$22,000	Good	$24,693	Challenging	99th percentile mobility
#5	Rowan UniversityPublic	$59,988	$20,500	Good	$27,445	High	97th percentile mobility
#6	Stockton UniversityPublic	$57,602	$20,500	Excellent	$23,182	Manageable	96th percentile mobility

#1Rutgers University-New Brunswick

New Brunswick, NJ • Public

💰

$74,479Graduate Earnings

🎓100th percentile mobility

Cohort

$21,500

Student Debt

$25,294

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

13.0% burden

30.6% burden

📚

27.9%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

34.6%

First-Gen

📊27% pursue grad school

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#2Rutgers University-Camden

Camden, NJ • Public

💰

$74,479Graduate Earnings

🎓95th percentile mobility

Cohort

$21,500

Student Debt

$25,294

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

10.2% burden

23.9% burden

📚

47.7%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

34.6%

First-Gen

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#3Thomas Edison State University

Trenton, NJ • Public

💰

$69,331Graduate Earnings

🎓80th percentile mobility

364

Cohort

$12,500

Student Debt

$11,459

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

2.3% burden

4.7% burden

📚

23.7%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

44.5%

First-Gen

💼10% pursue grad school

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#4Montclair State University

Montclair, NJ • Public

💰

$61,415Graduate Earnings

🎓99th percentile mobility

297

Cohort

$22,000

Student Debt

$24,693

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

12.3% burden

28.0% burden

📚

47.0%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

41.2%

First-Gen

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#5Rowan University

Glassboro, NJ • Public

💰

$59,988Graduate Earnings

🎓97th percentile mobility

Cohort

$20,500

Student Debt

$27,445

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

16.6% burden

42.1% burden

📚

33.1%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

35.1%

First-Gen

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#6Stockton University

Galloway, NJ • Public

💰

$57,602Graduate Earnings

🎓96th percentile mobility

Cohort

$20,500

Student Debt

$23,182

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

7.6% burden

17.5% burden

📚

42.3%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

40.4%

First-Gen

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How These Rankings Work

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.

Two-Step Methodology

Filter for Accessibility: Schools must be in the 60th percentile or above for our mobility index. This filters out schools that don't meaningfully serve low-income students.

Rank by Outcomes: Among schools passing the filter, we rank by median graduate earnings. This surfaces schools with strong outcomes, not just high accessibility.

Mobility Index Components

• Pell Grant share: % of students receiving federal Pell Grants (proxy for low-income)
• First-generation share: % of first-generation college students
• Earnings mobility: How much graduates earn relative to their starting economic position

Important Caveats

• The 60th percentile threshold is a design choice — schools at 59th percentile are excluded
• Mobility index weights may not reflect every user's priorities
• Schools serving middle-income students well may be underrepresented
• Higher earnings doesn't always mean better outcomes (teaching, social work have high value but lower salaries)

Our Methodology →About Azimuth →

Data based on 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →