Discover 257 Parks & Recreation colleges that excel at moving low-income students to success. Schools must be in the 60th percentile+ for mobility, ranked by graduate earnings. Average earnings: $58,341.
Top Parks & Recreation graduates on this list earn over $90,768—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 252 programs deliver both access and results.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo leads the rankings, producing Parks & Recreation graduates earning $90,768 while maintaining a 95th percentile mobility score. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $58,312—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
University of San Francisco serves 27% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $89,812. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Rice University exemplifies this with 78th percentile mobility and just a 3.8% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $90,768 | Mobility: 95th percentile
27% Pell students with $89,812 earnings
3.8% payment burden | Excellent
14.1% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | — | — | — | — | 73th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Rice UniversityPrivate | $89,718 | $11,000 | Excellent | $35,338 | Good | 77th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Excellent | $28,903 | Good | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Good | $40,932 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Pepperdine UniversityPrivate | $82,939 | $23,510 | Excellent | $41,309 | Challenging | 73th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Excellent | $35,200 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Emory UniversityPrivate | $80,137 | $18,250 | Excellent | $30,480 | Good | 87th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Excellent | $39,841 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $78,988 | — | — | — | — | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | University Of The PacificPrivate | $78,445 | $19,500 | Excellent | $50,438 | High | 70th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $78,198 | $24,990 | Manageable | $29,300 | High | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,142 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Brigham Young UniversityPrivate | $75,790 | $11,069 | Excellent | $9,699 | Excellent | 98th percentile mobility |
| #17 | Adelphi UniversityPrivate | $75,482 | $25,000 | Excellent | $48,005 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #18 | University Of MiamiPrivate | $75,328 | $17,500 | Excellent | $37,267 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Excellent | $26,632 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Excellent | $25,294 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $73,997 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,324 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $73,792 | $20,484 | Excellent | $28,364 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | William & MaryPublic | $73,490 | $18,500 | Excellent | $30,326 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility |
| #24 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Excellent | $43,000 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $72,424 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,448 | Manageable | 95th 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 →
