68 Physical Sciences colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $72,070.
We started with Physical Sciences programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 61 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
At $143,372 in median earnings, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining a 73rd percentile mobility score. Carnegie Mellon University follows at $114,862 with an even stronger 84th percentile mobility ranking, proving accessible schools can deliver elite outcomes.
These schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. Massachusetts Institute Of Technology exemplifies this—73rd percentile for mobility with just a 1.4% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $143,372 | Mobility: 73rd percentile
22.5% Pell students with $102,491 earnings
1.4% payment burden | Excellent
6.1% family burden | Excellent
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $143,372 | $14,768 | Excellent | $42,501 | Good | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | $21,750 | Excellent | $37,130 | Good | 91th percentile mobility |
| #3 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Excellent | $33,124 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Excellent | $42,245 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Good | $45,000 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $102,491 | $21,500 | Challenging | $35,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $102,051 | $23,750 | Excellent | $52,241 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Manageable | $40,000 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #10 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | $11,428 | Challenging | $48,245 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Northeastern UniversityPrivate | $92,538 | $24,250 | Excellent | $34,984 | Manageable | 81th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Lafayette CollegePrivate | $91,410 | $16,000 | Excellent | $59,000 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #13 | College Of The Holy CrossPrivate | $90,543 | $27,000 | Excellent | $39,032 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Union CollegePrivate | $88,604 | $25,337 | Manageable | $57,000 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Excellent | $40,932 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Boston UniversityPrivate | $83,238 | $23,250 | Manageable | $39,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility |
| #17 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility |
| #18 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | $80,596 | $18,500 | Excellent | $27,270 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #19 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Excellent | $39,841 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $76,571 | $26,778 | Excellent | $35,625 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | Stony Brook UniversityPublic | $74,502 | $18,228 | Excellent | $21,400 | Good | 98th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Excellent | $25,294 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Excellent | $25,294 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Excellent | $25,294 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $73,997 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,324 | Manageable | 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 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
