Discover 216 Natural Resources 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: $63,852.
These 216 Natural Resources 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.
Santa Clara University leads the rankings, producing Natural Resources graduates earning $109,183 while maintaining a 75th percentile mobility score. Cornell University follows at $104,043 with an exceptional 94th percentile mobility rating. These outcomes prove schools serving low-income students can compete at the highest levels.
University of Southern California serves 22% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $92,498. Even better: graduates face just a 6% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. University of California-Berkeley exemplifies this double win with 99th percentile mobility and a 4% burden.
Earnings: $109,183 | Mobility: 75th percentile
22% Pell students with $92,498 earnings
3.6% payment burden | Excellent
12.7% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | $109,183 | $19,162 | Excellent | $56,271 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Challenging | $45,000 | High | 86th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Yale UniversityPrivate | $100,533 | $12,975 | Excellent | $29,769 | Manageable | 81th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Manageable | $40,000 | High | 74th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | $13,000 | Excellent | $27,998 | Challenging | 84th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Dartmouth CollegePrivate | $97,434 | $17,500 | Manageable | $44,481 | High | 79th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Bucknell UniversityPrivate | $93,807 | $27,000 | Good | $62,750 | High | 74th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | $11,428 | Excellent | $48,245 | High | 84th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Challenging | 79th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | $23,000 | Good | $44,413 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Good | $28,903 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | University Of San DiegoPrivate | $86,522 | $22,940 | Manageable | $56,559 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $84,943 | $15,500 | Excellent | $24,257 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Wellesley CollegePrivate | $84,803 | $10,000 | Challenging | $38,825 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #19 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Good | $40,932 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Good | $30,250 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | Tufts UniversityPrivate | $83,214 | $16,250 | Good | $38,325 | High | 83th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Good | $35,200 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $82,511 | $14,000 | Excellent | $26,176 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $82,392 | $25,000 | Good | $38,678 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Good | $35,325 | Challenging | 95th 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 →
