15 Liberal Arts colleges in New York with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $66,763.
Top Liberal Arts graduates on this list earn over $104,043—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 15 programs deliver both access and results.
Cornell University leads the rankings, producing Liberal Arts graduates earning $104,043 while maintaining a 94th percentile mobility score. At $66,763 in average earnings across this list, these programs prove that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
CUNY City College serves 60% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $66,039. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: CUNY Bernard M Baruch College exemplifies this with 98th percentile mobility and just a 4.2% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $104,043 | Mobility: 94th percentile
59.6% Pell students with $66,039 earnings
4.2% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
12.5% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Good | $38,000 | High | 94th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Manageable | $37,095 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #3 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Good | $64,795 | High | 94th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $76,571 | $26,778 | Challenging | $35,625 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $75,971 | $11,512 | Excellent | $20,000 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Pace UniversityPrivate | $70,378 | $23,250 | Manageable | $46,275 | High | 73th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Cuny City CollegePublic | $66,039 | $11,990 | Excellent | $17,460 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $60,236 | $21,500 | Manageable | $24,455 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Suny Old WestburyPublic | $58,526 | $14,997 | High | $16,500 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $58,073 | $18,750 | High | $23,871 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $56,403 | $21,196 | Manageable | $19,010 | High | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $56,195 | $11,000 | Good | $16,130 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $53,501 | $14,350 | Good | $15,568 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $52,334 | $21,028 | Challenging | $12,951 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | Suny At Purchase CollegePublic | $45,092 | $21,067 | Manageable | $30,798 | High | 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 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
