Discover 263 Public Administration 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: $58,946.
These 264 Public Administration 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.
Princeton University leads the rankings, producing Public Administration graduates earning $110,066 while maintaining a 77th percentile mobility score. Cornell University follows at $104,043 with an exceptional 94th percentile mobility rating. These outcomes prove that schools serving low-income students can compete at the highest levels.
UC Berkeley serves 27% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $92,446. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Duke University exemplifies this with 84th percentile mobility and just a 2.4% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $110,066 | Mobility: 77th percentile
27.3% Pell students with $92,446 earnings
2.4% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
8.3% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Princeton UniversityPrivate | $110,066 | $10,320 | Excellent | $41,000 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Good | 94th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $102,772 | $21,672 | Good | $32,216 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | $13,000 | Excellent | $27,998 | Good | 84th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | $11,428 | Excellent | $48,245 | High | 84th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Good | $31,803 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Excellent | $33,297 | Good | 87th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | $14,000 | Excellent | $30,844 | Challenging | 86th percentile mobility |
| #10 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Rice UniversityPrivate | $89,718 | $11,000 | Excellent | $35,338 | Challenging | 78th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Good | 90th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Good | $35,200 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | High | 94th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Good | $35,325 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Good | $34,511 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Good | $39,841 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Excellent | $20,820 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | Marquette UniversityPrivate | $78,257 | $23,940 | Manageable | $45,500 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #22 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Good | $25,142 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $75,971 | $11,512 | Excellent | $20,000 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Good | $26,632 | High | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Stony Brook UniversityPublic | $74,502 | $18,228 | Excellent | $21,400 | 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 →
