16 Physical Sciences colleges in Pennsylvania with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $71,273.
These 16 Physical Sciences programs in Pennsylvania 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.
Carnegie Mellon University leads the rankings, producing Physical Sciences graduates earning $114,862 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. The top three programs all exceed $105,000 in median earnings—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
East Stroudsburg University serves 40% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $56,148. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University of Pennsylvania combines 88th percentile mobility with just a 4.7% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $114,862 | Mobility: 84th percentile
39.9% Pell students with $56,148 earnings
4.7% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
16.2% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | $21,750 | Good | $37,130 | High | 84th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Excellent | $33,124 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Excellent | $42,245 | High | 81th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Manageable | $40,000 | High | 74th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Manageable | $40,932 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $66,125 | $24,250 | Good | $35,031 | Challenging | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Good | $36,495 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $63,435 | $25,000 | Good | $38,368 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $61,258 | $23,500 | Manageable | $25,362 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $56,148 | $24,218 | Good | $25,252 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $55,246 | $23,507 | Manageable | $29,193 | High | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $53,775 | $26,000 | Good | $26,389 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $53,032 | $25,000 | Good | $23,528 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $52,416 | $26,000 | Manageable | $26,233 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $51,019 | $26,798 | Good | $26,073 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $47,295 | $23,725 | Manageable | $17,794 | Challenging | 87th 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 →
