52 Interdisciplinary Studies colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $76,903.
Top Interdisciplinary Studies graduates on this list earn over $143,372—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 45 programs deliver both access and results.
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology leads the rankings, producing Interdisciplinary Studies graduates earning $143,372 while maintaining a 73rd percentile mobility score. Carnegie Mellon University follows at $114,862 with an 84th percentile mobility rating, proving that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
University Of Pennsylvania serves 16% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $111,371. Even better: graduates face just a 3.2% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. These schools deliver both access AND affordability.
Earnings: $143,372 | Mobility: 73rd percentile
22.5% Pell students with $102,491 earnings
2.0% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
7.9% family burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $143,372 | $14,768 | Excellent | $42,501 | Good | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | $21,750 | Excellent | $37,130 | Excellent | 91th percentile mobility |
| #3 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Excellent | $33,124 | Good | 93th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Excellent | $42,245 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,000 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $103,470 | $27,000 | Good | $53,567 | High | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $102,491 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $102,051 | $23,750 | Excellent | $52,241 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Harvard UniversityPrivate | $101,817 | $14,000 | Excellent | $28,000 | Good | 94th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Yale UniversityPrivate | $100,533 | $12,975 | Excellent | $29,769 | Excellent | 88th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | $11,428 | Excellent | $48,245 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Trinity CollegePrivate | $90,779 | $23,000 | Excellent | $60,796 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #14 | College Of The Holy CrossPrivate | $90,543 | $27,000 | Excellent | $39,032 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Providence CollegePrivate | $87,054 | $27,000 | Good | $46,300 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Good | $37,095 | High | 85th percentile mobility |
| #17 | Colgate UniversityPrivate | $85,139 | $15,000 | Excellent | $59,463 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility |
| #18 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Excellent | $40,932 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility |
| #19 | Boston UniversityPrivate | $83,238 | $23,250 | Excellent | $39,000 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Tufts UniversityPrivate | $83,214 | $16,250 | Excellent | $38,325 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #21 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | High | 96th percentile mobility |
| #22 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | $80,596 | $18,500 | Excellent | $27,270 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $76,124 | $19,000 | Excellent | $51,114 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | Stony Brook UniversityPublic | $74,502 | $18,228 | Excellent | $21,400 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Challenging | $25,294 | High | 100th 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 →
