10 Physical Therapy colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $55,507.
We started with Physical Therapy programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 11 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
University Of Washington-Seattle Campus leads the rankings, producing Physical Therapy graduates earning $78,466 while maintaining a 96th percentile mobility score. The top three schools all achieve 96th-98th percentile mobility ratings, with earnings ranging from $64,909 to $78,466—proving that accessible programs can deliver exceptional outcomes.
San Diego State University serves 31% Pell Grant recipients and 41% first-generation students while producing graduates earning $64,909. Even better: graduates face payment burdens in the 'Excellent' affordability category across the top programs, meaning students keep more of their earnings after graduation.
Earnings: $78,466 | Mobility: 96th percentile
56% Pell students with $59,115 earnings
4.4% payment burden | Excellent
9.2% family burden | Excellent
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $68,905 | $19,500 | Excellent | $29,968 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Excellent | $25,565 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $61,580 | $19,500 | Excellent | $22,000 | Good | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $59,115 | $13,872 | Excellent | $13,522 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $55,037 | $19,450 | Excellent | $20,906 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Boise State UniversityPublic | $51,658 | $20,500 | Excellent | $18,968 | Good | 76th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Idaho State UniversityPublic | $45,608 | $20,039 | Excellent | $14,334 | Good | 71th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $44,792 | $18,450 | Excellent | $13,000 | Good | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $39,067 | $17,095 | Excellent | $10,166 | Manageable | 75th 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 →
