Discover 248 Interdisciplinary Studies 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: $65,255.
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 237 Interdisciplinary Studies programs made the cut.
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology leads the rankings, producing Interdisciplinary Studies graduates earning $143,372 while maintaining 73rd percentile mobility. Stanford University follows at $124,080 with even stronger 91st percentile mobility. These outcomes prove accessibility and excellence aren't mutually exclusive.
The mobility advantage extends beyond enrollment to affordability. MIT exemplifies this double win—serving 19% Pell Grant recipients while graduates face just 2% payment burden, earning 'Excellent' affordability status. Stanford delivers similar results with 19% Pell students and 3% burden. Access AND manageable debt.
Earnings: $143,372 | Mobility: 73rd percentile
23% 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 | — | — | — | — | 71th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Harvey Mudd CollegePrivate | $138,687 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Stanford UniversityPrivate | $124,080 | $12,000 | Excellent | $38,333 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | $21,750 | Excellent | $37,130 | Excellent | 83th percentile mobility |
| #5 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Excellent | $33,124 | Good | 88th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | $109,183 | $19,162 | Excellent | $56,271 | Good | 74th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Excellent | $42,245 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,000 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility |
| #10 | Georgetown UniversityPrivate | $103,494 | $15,500 | Excellent | $33,944 | Good | 83th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $103,470 | — | — | — | — | 61th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $102,772 | $21,672 | Excellent | $32,216 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $102,491 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $102,051 | $23,750 | Excellent | $52,241 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | Harvard UniversityPrivate | $101,817 | $14,000 | Excellent | $28,000 | Good | 90th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Yale UniversityPrivate | $100,533 | — | — | — | — | 81th percentile mobility |
| #17 | University Of Notre DamePrivate | $99,980 | $19,000 | Excellent | $40,731 | Good | 87th percentile mobility |
| #18 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | $11,428 | Excellent | $48,245 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | $14,000 | Excellent | $30,844 | Good | 86th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | College Of The Holy CrossPrivate | $90,543 | $27,000 | Excellent | $39,032 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility |
| #24 | Rice UniversityPrivate | $89,718 | $11,000 | Excellent | $35,338 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $87,989 | — | — | — | — | 80th 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 →
