46 Liberal Arts colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $62,680.
Top Liberal Arts graduates on this list earn over $90,768—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 46 programs deliver both access and results.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo leads the rankings, producing Liberal Arts graduates earning $90,768 while maintaining a 95th percentile mobility score. At $82,939, Pepperdine University follows second, demonstrating that Western schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
San Jose State University exemplifies the double win—98th percentile for mobility with graduates facing just a 9.4% payment burden, landing in the 'Good' category. The school serves 35% Pell Grant recipients and 49% first-generation students while still producing graduates earning $78,988. True accessibility means both access AND manageable debt.
Earnings: $90,768 | Mobility: 95th percentile
46% Pell students with $71,902 earnings
4.5% payment burden | Excellent
9.1% family burden | Good
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Pepperdine UniversityPrivate | $82,939 | $23,510 | Manageable | $41,309 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Good | $20,820 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Manageable | $24,883 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | $78,349 | $19,500 | Good | $58,361 | High | 71th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Brigham Young UniversityPrivate | $75,790 | $11,069 | Excellent | $9,699 | Good | 98th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Good | $15,000 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Good | $15,738 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $69,738 | $19,500 | High | $46,340 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $68,905 | $19,500 | Good | $29,968 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $67,699 | $17,500 | Excellent | $18,275 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Excellent | $27,986 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Good | $16,507 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Good | $15,177 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $64,172 | $16,552 | Good | $17,585 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Oregon State UniversityPublic | $64,010 | $21,221 | Manageable | $28,923 | High | 94th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $63,188 | $13,540 | Excellent | $12,700 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $62,951 | $13,750 | Excellent | $16,538 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $62,908 | $17,350 | Good | $18,031 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $62,668 | $19,500 | Excellent | $23,519 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $62,569 | $18,500 | Good | $23,123 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $62,152 | $15,000 | Good | $22,033 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $61,504 | $26,063 | Manageable | $31,387 | High | 75th 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 →
