27 Physical Sciences colleges in California with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $68,494.
These 27 Physical Sciences programs aren't just accessible—they deliver results. Each school ranks in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, meaning they actually enroll and graduate low-income students. Then we ranked them by graduate earnings, finding schools that are both accessible AND high-performing.
University Of California-Berkeley leads the rankings, producing Physical Sciences graduates earning $92,446 while maintaining a 99th percentile mobility score. At $68,494 average earnings across this list, these programs prove that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
UC San Diego serves 33% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $84,943. Even better: graduates face just a 4.8% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. These schools deliver both access AND affordability.
Earnings: $92,446 | Mobility: 99th percentile
46% Pell students with $71,902 earnings
4.0% payment burden | Excellent
10.9% family burden | Good
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Good | $35,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $84,943 | $15,500 | Excellent | $24,257 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $82,511 | $14,000 | Excellent | $26,176 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $80,838 | $13,000 | Excellent | $25,733 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,665 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $74,915 | $13,993 | Excellent | $26,465 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Excellent | $15,000 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $68,396 | $16,666 | Excellent | $28,682 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Good | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $67,699 | $17,500 | Good | $18,275 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Challenging | $27,986 | High | 88th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,507 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $64,368 | $16,144 | Excellent | $18,376 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $64,172 | $16,552 | Good | $17,585 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $63,188 | $13,540 | High | $12,700 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $62,951 | $13,750 | Excellent | $16,538 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $62,908 | $17,350 | Excellent | $18,031 | Good | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $62,152 | $15,000 | Manageable | $22,033 | High | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $61,244 | $14,505 | Manageable | $12,050 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $59,977 | $14,715 | Manageable | $12,000 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $59,211 | $13,000 | Excellent | $12,526 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $59,115 | $13,872 | Good | $13,522 | Challenging | 100th 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 →
