57 Interdisciplinary Studies colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $67,760.
We started with Interdisciplinary Studies programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 57 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
At $124,080 in median earnings, Stanford University tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining a 91st percentile mobility score. The University of Southern California follows at $92,498 with an even stronger 96th percentile mobility ranking, demonstrating that schools serving 22% Pell students can deliver exceptional outcomes.
University of California-Irvine serves 37% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $80,735. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Stanford graduates face just a 2.8% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category, meaning they keep nearly all their earnings.
Earnings: $124,080 | Mobility: 91st percentile
37% Pell students with $80,735 earnings
1.9% payment burden | Excellent
7.4% family burden | Excellent
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Stanford UniversityPrivate | $124,080 | $12,000 | Excellent | $38,333 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | $109,183 | $19,162 | Excellent | $56,271 | Manageable | 75th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $90,768 | $18,500 | High | $35,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $84,943 | $15,500 | Excellent | $24,257 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Pepperdine UniversityPrivate | $82,939 | $23,510 | Good | $41,309 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $82,511 | $14,000 | Excellent | $26,176 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $80,838 | $13,000 | Excellent | $25,733 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,665 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | University Of The PacificPrivate | $78,445 | $19,500 | Excellent | $50,438 | Excellent | 72th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | $78,349 | $19,500 | Excellent | $58,361 | High | 71th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Occidental CollegePrivate | $75,951 | $23,000 | Challenging | $51,450 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Brigham Young UniversityPrivate | $75,790 | $11,069 | High | $9,699 | High | 98th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $74,915 | $13,993 | Excellent | $26,465 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Challenging | $15,000 | High | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Chapman UniversityPrivate | $70,070 | $20,500 | High | $44,954 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $69,738 | $19,500 | Good | $46,340 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $68,905 | $19,500 | Good | $29,968 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $68,396 | $16,666 | Excellent | $28,682 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $68,077 | $15,371 | High | $19,732 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $67,699 | $17,500 | Manageable | $18,275 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | University Of UtahPublic | $67,170 | $19,000 | Excellent | $18,886 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Manageable | $25,565 | High | 98th 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 →
