29 Natural Resources colleges in California with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $73,809.
These 28 Natural Resources programs in California 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. The data shows graduates across this list earn $73,962 on average—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
UC Irvine serves 37% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $80,735. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: UC Berkeley exemplifies this with 99th percentile mobility and just a 3.6% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $109,183 | Mobility: 75th percentile
37% Pell students with $80,735 earnings
3.6% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
10.1% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | $109,183 | $19,162 | Excellent | $56,271 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | $23,000 | Good | $44,413 | High | 73th percentile mobility |
| #6 | University Of San DiegoPrivate | $86,522 | $22,940 | Good | $56,559 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $84,943 | $15,500 | Excellent | $24,257 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $82,511 | $14,000 | Excellent | $26,176 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $80,838 | $13,000 | Excellent | $25,733 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,665 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $78,988 | — | — | — | — | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Occidental CollegePrivate | $75,951 | $23,000 | Good | $51,450 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $74,915 | $13,993 | Excellent | $26,465 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Excellent | $15,738 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | Pitzer CollegePrivate | $69,512 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $68,396 | $16,666 | Excellent | $28,682 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $67,699 | $17,500 | Excellent | $18,275 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Excellent | $27,986 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,507 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $64,172 | $16,552 | Excellent | $17,585 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $62,908 | $17,350 | Excellent | $18,031 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $62,152 | — | — | — | — | 90th 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 →
