22 Psychology colleges in Pennsylvania with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $70,466.
These 23 Psychology 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.
Carnegie Mellon University leads the rankings, producing Psychology graduates earning $114,862 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $70,324—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
Drexel University serves 25% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $84,648. The mobility schools deliver a double win: Dickinson College exemplifies this with 83rd percentile mobility and just a 6.5% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $114,862 | Mobility: 84th percentile
25% Pell students with $84,648 earnings
6.5% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
24.5% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | $21,750 | Excellent | $37,130 | Manageable | 83th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | — | — | — | — | 88th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Excellent | $42,245 | Challenging | 79th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Excellent | $40,000 | Challenging | 72th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Bucknell UniversityPrivate | $93,807 | $27,000 | Good | $62,750 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Thomas Jefferson UniversityPrivate | $77,449 | $14,744 | Excellent | $32,255 | Challenging | 60th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Bryn Mawr CollegePrivate | $75,217 | — | — | — | — | 70th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Dickinson CollegePrivate | $70,204 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,729 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Muhlenberg CollegePrivate | $69,107 | $25,455 | Good | $48,779 | High | 79th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $66,125 | $24,250 | Good | $35,031 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Good | $36,495 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $63,435 | $25,000 | Manageable | $38,368 | High | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $61,258 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $56,351 | $25,000 | Good | $28,373 | High | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $56,148 | $24,218 | Manageable | $25,252 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $55,246 | $23,507 | Manageable | $29,193 | High | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $53,775 | $26,000 | Manageable | $26,389 | High | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $53,032 | $25,000 | Manageable | $23,528 | High | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $52,416 | $26,000 | Manageable | $26,233 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | Chatham UniversityPrivate | $52,410 | $23,250 | Good | $31,699 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $51,019 | $26,798 | Manageable | $26,073 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $47,295 | $23,725 | Manageable | $17,794 | High | 81th 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 →
