Discover 233 Liberal Arts 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: $60,034.
These 222 Liberal Arts programs aren't just accessible—they deliver results. Each school ranks in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, meaning they actually enroll and graduate low-income students. Then we ranked them by graduate earnings, finding schools that are both accessible AND high-performing.
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology leads the rankings, producing Liberal Arts graduates earning $143,372 while maintaining a 73rd percentile mobility score. Carnegie Mellon University follows at $114,862 with an even stronger 84th percentile mobility rating. These outcomes prove schools serving low-income students can compete at the highest levels.
Yale University serves 19% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $100,533. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Massachusetts Institute Of Technology graduates face just a 2.5% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category. Access AND manageable debt.
Earnings: $143,372 | Mobility: 73rd percentile
19.2% Pell students with $100,533 earnings
2.5% payment burden | Excellent
9.6% family burden | Good
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $143,372 | $14,768 | Excellent | $42,501 | Excellent | 71th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Bentley UniversityPrivate | $120,959 | $25,023 | Excellent | $43,757 | Manageable | 75th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | $21,750 | Excellent | $37,130 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | — | — | — | — | 93th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Georgetown UniversityPrivate | $103,494 | $15,500 | Excellent | $33,944 | Good | 83th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Yale UniversityPrivate | $100,533 | $12,975 | Excellent | $29,769 | Excellent | 81th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Good | $40,000 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #8 | University Of Notre DamePrivate | $99,980 | $19,000 | Excellent | $40,731 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility |
| #9 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Excellent | $33,297 | Good | 86th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Good | 89th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Providence CollegePrivate | $87,054 | $27,000 | Good | $46,300 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #13 | University Of San DiegoPrivate | $86,522 | $22,940 | Good | $56,559 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | — | — | — | — | 74th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Excellent | $40,932 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | Pepperdine UniversityPrivate | $82,939 | — | — | — | — | 73th percentile mobility |
| #18 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #19 | Emory UniversityPrivate | $80,137 | $18,250 | Excellent | $30,480 | Good | 87th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $78,988 | — | — | — | — | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Good | $24,883 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | $78,349 | $19,500 | Excellent | $58,361 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $76,571 | $26,778 | Good | $35,625 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,142 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $75,971 | $11,512 | Excellent | $20,000 | Good | 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
