68 Nursing colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $65,877.
These 62 Nursing 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.
Mcphs University leads the rankings, producing Nursing graduates earning $125,557 while maintaining a 75th percentile mobility score. The top tier spans from $125,557 down to $68,804, demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
Stony Brook University serves 38% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $74,502. Even better: graduates face excellent affordability across the top programs. Farmingdale State College exemplifies this double win with a 94th percentile mobility score and just 3.2% payment burden.
Earnings: $125,557 | Mobility: 75th percentile
38% Pell students with $74,502 earnings
3.2% payment burden | Excellent
7.7% family burden | Excellent
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mcphs UniversityPrivate | $125,557 | $25,000 | Excellent | $46,544 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Excellent | $33,124 | Good | 88th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,000 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Excellent | $40,000 | Manageable | 72th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Northeastern UniversityPrivate | $92,538 | $24,250 | Excellent | $34,984 | Manageable | 60th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $87,130 | $24,961 | Excellent | $27,310 | Good | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Excellent | $40,932 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #8 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | $80,596 | $18,500 | Excellent | $27,270 | Excellent | 93th percentile mobility |
| #10 | University Of RochesterPrivate | $79,042 | $21,000 | Excellent | $30,000 | Good | 81th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Thomas Jefferson UniversityPrivate | $77,449 | $14,744 | Excellent | $32,255 | Good | 60th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Adelphi UniversityPrivate | $75,482 | $25,000 | Excellent | $48,005 | Manageable | 61th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Stony Brook UniversityPublic | $74,502 | $18,228 | Excellent | $21,400 | Excellent | 97th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Excellent | $25,294 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $73,997 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,324 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | Saint Anselm CollegePrivate | $73,371 | $27,000 | Excellent | $59,736 | Challenging | 78th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $73,323 | $23,250 | Excellent | $30,611 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $71,631 | $22,763 | Excellent | $26,243 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University At BuffaloPublic | $70,814 | $19,000 | Excellent | $20,734 | Good | 96th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Pace UniversityPrivate | $70,378 | $23,250 | Excellent | $46,275 | Good | 61th percentile mobility |
| #21 | Seton Hall UniversityPrivate | $70,196 | $22,750 | Excellent | $40,003 | Manageable | 74th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $69,781 | $14,718 | Excellent | $18,349 | Excellent | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $69,743 | $22,250 | Excellent | $28,000 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $68,804 | $25,000 | Excellent | $22,757 | Good | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $67,541 | $21,000 | Excellent | $27,655 | Good | 82th 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 →
