6 Liberal Arts colleges in New Jersey with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $63,577.
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 6 Liberal Arts programs made the cut.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick leads the rankings, producing Liberal Arts graduates earning $74,479 while maintaining a 99th percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn $57,602—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students compete on outcomes, not just access.
Montclair State University serves 44% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while maintaining 98th percentile mobility. The affordability story varies: Seton Hall University graduates face just a 9% payment burden ('Good' tier), while others reach 17%. Access matters, but so does manageable debt.
Earnings: $74,479 | Mobility: 99th percentile
44.5% Pell students with $57,780 earnings
8.9% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
21.4% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Manageable | $25,294 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Seton Hall UniversityPrivate | $70,196 | $22,750 | Good | $40,003 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $61,415 | $22,000 | Manageable | $24,693 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Rowan UniversityPublic | $59,988 | $20,500 | Good | $27,445 | High | 94th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $57,780 | $22,334 | Good | $20,000 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Stockton UniversityPublic | $57,602 | $20,500 | Good | $23,182 | Challenging | 93th 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 →
