38 Philosophy colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $68,276.
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 37 Philosophy programs made the cut.
University Of Southern California leads the rankings, producing Philosophy graduates earning $92,498 while maintaining a 96th percentile mobility score. At the top, UC Berkeley ($92,446) and University of San Francisco ($89,812) follow close behind—proving that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
UC Berkeley serves 27% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $92,446. Even better: graduates face just a 6% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. University of Southern California delivers similar results with a 3% burden. Access AND affordability.
Earnings: $92,498 | Mobility: 96th percentile
37% Pell students with $80,735 earnings
3.4% payment burden | Excellent
10.3% family burden | Good
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Good | $31,803 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Good | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | — | — | — | — | 73th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $84,943 | — | — | — | — | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $82,511 | $14,000 | Excellent | $26,176 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $80,838 | $13,000 | Excellent | $25,733 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $80,735 | — | — | — | — | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | $78,349 | — | — | — | — | 61th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Brigham Young UniversityPrivate | $75,790 | — | — | — | — | 98th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $74,915 | $13,993 | Excellent | $26,465 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $71,902 | — | — | — | — | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $69,738 | — | — | — | — | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $68,396 | $16,666 | Excellent | $28,682 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Good | $19,732 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $67,699 | $17,500 | Good | $18,275 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,507 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $64,270 | — | — | — | — | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $64,172 | — | — | — | — | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $62,951 | $13,750 | Good | $16,538 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $62,668 | $19,500 | Excellent | $23,519 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $62,569 | — | — | — | — | 84th 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 →
