Discover 149 Philosophy 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: $66,909.
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 138 Philosophy programs made the cut.
Carnegie Mellon University leads the rankings, producing Philosophy graduates earning $114,862 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. At the top end, graduates earn over $114,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
University Of California-Berkeley serves 27% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $92,446. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University Of Pennsylvania graduates face just a 3.2% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category for affordability.
Earnings: $114,862 | Mobility: 84th percentile
27.3% Pell students with $92,446 earnings
3.2% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
10.3% 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 | Georgetown UniversityPrivate | $103,494 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $102,491 | $21,500 | Good | $35,000 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | University Of Notre DamePrivate | $99,980 | — | — | — | — | 87th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Good | $31,803 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Excellent | $33,297 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | — | — | — | — | 86th percentile mobility |
| #12 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Good | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | College Of The Holy CrossPrivate | $90,543 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility |
| #15 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | — | — | — | — | 73th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | — | — | — | — | 89th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Excellent | $28,903 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Excellent | $37,095 | Manageable | 74th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $84,943 | — | — | — | — | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | Boston UniversityPrivate | $83,238 | $23,250 | Excellent | $39,000 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility |
| #22 | Tufts UniversityPrivate | $83,214 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Excellent | $35,200 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | Yeshivas Be'er YitzchokPrivate | $82,560 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $82,511 | $14,000 | Excellent | $26,176 | Manageable | 99th 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 →
