23 Nursing colleges in California with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $66,241.
Most rankings ignore accessibility. We flipped the model: first, filter for schools that actually enroll and graduate low-income students (60th percentile+ mobility). Then rank by earnings. These 23 Nursing programs made the cut.
University Of San Francisco leads the rankings, producing Nursing graduates earning $89,812 while maintaining a 76th percentile mobility score. The top three schools—including UCLA (99th percentile) and UC Irvine (100th percentile)—demonstrate that programs serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
California State University-Long Beach serves 49% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $64,403. Even better: across this list, schools like UC Irvine combine 100th percentile mobility with just 5.5% payment burdens, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $89,812 | Mobility: 76th percentile
49% Pell students with $64,403 earnings
1.8% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
4.4% family burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | $23,000 | Excellent | $44,413 | Good | 76th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $82,511 | $14,000 | Excellent | $26,176 | Excellent | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,665 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Excellent | $20,820 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Excellent | $15,738 | Excellent | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Excellent | $27,986 | Excellent | 88th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,507 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $64,172 | $16,552 | Excellent | $17,585 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $63,188 | $13,540 | Excellent | $12,700 | Excellent | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $62,951 | $13,750 | Excellent | $16,538 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $62,908 | $17,350 | Excellent | $18,031 | Excellent | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $62,152 | $15,000 | Manageable | $22,033 | High | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $61,504 | $26,063 | Good | $31,387 | High | 75th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $61,244 | $14,505 | Excellent | $12,050 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $59,977 | $14,715 | Excellent | $12,000 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $59,247 | $12,750 | Excellent | $16,836 | Excellent | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $59,211 | $13,000 | Excellent | $12,526 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $59,115 | $13,872 | Excellent | $13,522 | Excellent | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $59,009 | $16,600 | Excellent | $9,000 | Excellent | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $57,162 | $13,807 | Excellent | $11,061 | Excellent | 97th 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 →
