12 Natural Resources colleges in New York with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $67,152.
These 12 Natural Resources programs in New York 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.
Cornell University leads the rankings, producing Natural Resources graduates earning $104,043 while maintaining a 94th percentile mobility score. At the other end, programs still deliver $45,092 in median earnings—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes across the entire range.
CUNY Hunter College serves 55% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $63,163. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry ranks 73rd percentile for mobility with just a 5.2% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $104,043 | Mobility: 94th percentile
55% Pell students with $63,163 earnings
5.2% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
11.4% 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 | Excellent | $38,000 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | $80,596 | $18,500 | Good | $27,270 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility |
| #3 | University Of RochesterPrivate | $79,042 | $21,000 | Manageable | $30,000 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Stony Brook UniversityPublic | $74,502 | $18,228 | Good | $21,400 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $69,571 | $25,000 | Manageable | $54,289 | High | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Cuny Hunter CollegePublic | $63,163 | $11,000 | Manageable | $20,252 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Cuny Queens CollegePublic | $62,763 | $10,298 | Excellent | $17,680 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Suny OneontaPublic | $60,386 | $19,812 | Manageable | $24,845 | High | 84th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $56,403 | $21,196 | Good | $19,010 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $55,763 | $11,000 | Excellent | $11,551 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Suny BrockportPublic | $54,496 | $20,000 | High | $16,353 | High | 87th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Suny At Purchase CollegePublic | $45,092 | $21,067 | High | $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 →
