11 Public Administration colleges in Pennsylvania with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $57,780.
These 11 Public Administration programs in Pennsylvania 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.
Dickinson College leads the rankings, producing Public Administration graduates earning $70,204 while maintaining an 83rd percentile mobility score. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $57,780—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
Temple University exemplifies the double win: serving 30% Pell Grant recipients while producing graduates earning $63,727. Their graduates face a manageable 14% payment burden, landing in the 'Manageable' category. Meanwhile, Dickinson College achieves an excellent 3% burden—graduates keep nearly all their earnings after loan payments.
Earnings: $70,204 | Mobility: 83rd percentile
39.9% Pell students with $56,148 earnings
3.0% payment burden | Excellent
11.3% family burden | Good
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Dickinson CollegePrivate | $70,204 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,729 | Good | 83th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $66,125 | $24,250 | Challenging | $35,031 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Manageable | $36,495 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $61,258 | $23,500 | Manageable | $25,362 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $56,351 | $25,000 | Challenging | $28,373 | High | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $56,148 | $24,218 | Manageable | $25,252 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $55,246 | $23,507 | Manageable | $29,193 | High | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $53,775 | $26,000 | Challenging | $26,389 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $53,032 | $25,000 | Challenging | $23,528 | High | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $52,416 | $26,000 | Manageable | $26,233 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $47,295 | $23,725 | Challenging | $17,794 | High | 87th 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 →
