36 Philosophy colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $70,369.
Top Philosophy graduates on this list earn over $114,862—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 30 programs deliver both access and results.
Carnegie Mellon University leads the rankings, producing Philosophy graduates earning $114,862 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. University of Pennsylvania follows at $111,371 with an even stronger 88th percentile mobility rating, proving that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
University of Pennsylvania exemplifies the double win—88th percentile for mobility with just a 3.2% payment burden, earning 'Excellent' affordability status. This means Philosophy graduates keep nearly all their earnings while the school serves 16% Pell Grant recipients and 19% first-generation students.
Earnings: $114,862 | Mobility: 84th percentile
23% Pell students with $102,491 earnings
3.2% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
10.8% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Excellent | $33,124 | Good | 88th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | — | — | — | — | 93th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,000 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $102,491 | $21,500 | Good | $35,000 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | College Of The Holy CrossPrivate | $90,543 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Excellent | $37,095 | Manageable | 74th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Boston UniversityPrivate | $83,238 | $23,250 | Excellent | $39,000 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Tufts UniversityPrivate | $83,214 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility |
| #10 | Yeshivas Be'er YitzchokPrivate | $82,560 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility |
| #11 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Good | $64,795 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | $80,596 | — | — | — | — | 93th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | — | — | — | — | 82th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Stony Brook UniversityPublic | $74,502 | — | — | — | — | 97th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Good | $25,294 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $71,631 | — | — | — | — | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | Seton Hall UniversityPrivate | $70,196 | $22,750 | Excellent | $40,003 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $69,571 | $25,000 | Good | $54,289 | High | 70th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University At AlbanyPublic | $67,979 | — | — | — | — | 94th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $66,479 | — | — | — | — | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $66,125 | $24,250 | Good | $35,031 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | Cuny City CollegePublic | $66,039 | — | — | — | — | 96th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $65,865 | $21,974 | Good | $17,163 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $64,874 | $23,704 | Excellent | $18,400 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Manageable | $36,495 | High | 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
