56 Nursing colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $64,173.
We started with Nursing programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 47 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
University Of San Francisco leads the rankings, producing Nursing graduates earning $89,812 while maintaining a 76th percentile mobility score. Close behind, University Of California-Los Angeles delivers $82,511 in median earnings with a remarkable 99th percentile mobility ranking—proving schools serving diverse populations can compete on pure outcomes.
California State University-East Bay serves 44% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $71,401. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University Of California-Los Angeles graduates face just a 2.3% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category. Access AND manageable debt.
Earnings: $89,812 | Mobility: 76th percentile
44% Pell students with $71,401 earnings
2.3% payment burden | Excellent
6.6% family burden | Excellent
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Loma Linda UniversityPrivate | $89,816 | $20,854 | Excellent | $24,903 | Good | 84th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | $23,000 | Excellent | $44,413 | Good | 84th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $84,713 | $27,000 | Excellent | $54,119 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | University Of PortlandPrivate | $82,804 | $21,370 | Excellent | $57,555 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $82,511 | $14,000 | Excellent | $26,176 | Excellent | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,665 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Excellent | $20,820 | Excellent | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Gonzaga UniversityPrivate | $78,892 | $24,454 | Excellent | $37,652 | Manageable | 76th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Linfield UniversityPrivate | $78,638 | $25,000 | Excellent | $36,067 | Good | 75th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Good | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Excellent | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Excellent | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Brigham Young UniversityPrivate | $75,790 | $11,069 | Excellent | $9,699 | Good | 99th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Seattle UniversityPrivate | $75,272 | $19,883 | Excellent | $37,520 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $72,379 | $25,949 | Excellent | $23,250 | Excellent | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Excellent | $15,738 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $68,905 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,968 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Excellent | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University Of UtahPublic | $67,170 | $19,000 | Excellent | $18,886 | Good | 97th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Excellent | $27,986 | Excellent | 92th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,507 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $64,270 | $20,500 | Excellent | $21,716 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $64,172 | $16,552 | Excellent | $17,585 | Manageable | 98th 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 →
