Discover 283 Physical Sciences 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: $63,561.
Top Physical Sciences graduates on this list earn over $143,372—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 277 programs deliver both access and results.
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology leads the rankings, producing Physical Sciences graduates earning $143,372 while maintaining a 73rd percentile mobility score. Carnegie Mellon University follows at $114,862 with an 84th percentile mobility rating—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. MIT exemplifies this—73rd percentile for mobility with just a 1.4% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings. All three top programs achieve 'Excellent' affordability ratings.
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 | 71th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | $21,750 | Excellent | $37,130 | Good | 83th percentile mobility |
| #3 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | — | — | — | — | 88th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Excellent | $42,245 | Challenging | 79th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | — | — | — | — | 82th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $102,772 | $21,672 | Excellent | $32,216 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $102,491 | — | — | — | — | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $102,051 | $23,750 | Excellent | $52,241 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Excellent | $40,000 | Manageable | 72th percentile mobility |
| #11 | University Of Notre DamePrivate | $99,980 | $19,000 | Excellent | $40,731 | Good | 87th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | — | — | — | — | 84th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Colorado School Of MinesPublic | $97,335 | — | — | — | — | 86th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Northeastern UniversityPrivate | $92,538 | $24,250 | Excellent | $34,984 | Manageable | 60th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | — | — | — | — | 86th percentile mobility |
| #19 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | — | — | — | — | 80th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | College Of The Holy CrossPrivate | $90,543 | $27,000 | Excellent | $39,032 | Manageable | 83th percentile mobility |
| #22 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | — | — | — | — | 89th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $87,989 | — | — | — | — | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Excellent | $28,903 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $84,943 | $15,500 | Excellent | $24,257 | Good | 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
