106 Psychology colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $69,778.
Most rankings ignore accessibility. We flipped the model: first, filter for schools that actually enroll and graduate low-income students (60th percentile+ mobility). Then rank by earnings. These 101 Psychology programs made the cut.
Carnegie Mellon University leads the rankings, producing Psychology graduates earning $114,862 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. At the top end, graduates earn over $114,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
Princeton University serves 19% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $110,066. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Harvard University ranks 90th percentile for mobility with just a 4% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $114,862 | Mobility: 84th percentile
23% Pell students with $102,491 earnings
3.6% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
11.8% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% 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 | Princeton UniversityPrivate | $110,066 | $10,320 | Excellent | $41,000 | Challenging | 75th 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 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,000 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $102,491 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $102,051 | — | — | — | — | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Harvard UniversityPrivate | $101,817 | $14,000 | Excellent | $28,000 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #10 | Yale UniversityPrivate | $100,533 | $12,975 | Excellent | $29,769 | Manageable | 81th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Excellent | $40,000 | Challenging | 72th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Dartmouth CollegePrivate | $97,434 | $17,500 | Excellent | $44,481 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Bucknell UniversityPrivate | $93,807 | $27,000 | Good | $62,750 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | $11,428 | Excellent | $48,245 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Northeastern UniversityPrivate | $92,538 | $24,250 | Excellent | $34,984 | Challenging | 60th percentile mobility |
| #16 | College Of The Holy CrossPrivate | $90,543 | $27,000 | Excellent | $39,032 | Challenging | 83th percentile mobility |
| #17 | Providence CollegePrivate | $87,054 | $27,000 | Good | $46,300 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #18 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Good | $37,095 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility |
| #19 | Wellesley CollegePrivate | $84,803 | $10,000 | Excellent | $38,825 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Boston UniversityPrivate | $83,238 | $23,250 | Excellent | $39,000 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility |
| #21 | Tufts UniversityPrivate | $83,214 | $16,250 | Excellent | $38,325 | Manageable | 83th percentile mobility |
| #22 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #23 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | $80,596 | $18,500 | Excellent | $27,270 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #24 | Colby CollegePrivate | $80,490 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility |
| #25 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Good | $39,841 | Challenging | 82th 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 →
