50 Public Administration colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $63,404.
These 50 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 schools serving low-income students can compete at the highest levels.
Cuny Bernard M Baruch College serves 55% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $75,971. Even better: graduates face excellent affordability with payment burdens under 8% of discretionary income. Access AND affordability working together.
Earnings: $110,066 | Mobility: 77th percentile
55.3% Pell students with $75,971 earnings
2.9% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
11.3% 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 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | $11,428 | Excellent | $48,245 | High | 84th percentile mobility |
| #4 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | High | 94th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Good | $39,841 | High | 82th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $75,971 | $11,512 | Excellent | $20,000 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Stony Brook UniversityPublic | $74,502 | $18,228 | Excellent | $21,400 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Good | $25,294 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $73,997 | $21,500 | High | $35,324 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Dickinson CollegePrivate | $70,204 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,729 | Good | 83th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Seton Hall UniversityPrivate | $70,196 | $22,750 | Good | $40,003 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $69,743 | $22,250 | Manageable | $28,000 | High | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | University At AlbanyPublic | $67,979 | $19,500 | Good | $22,398 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $67,541 | $21,000 | Good | $27,655 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $66,479 | $26,814 | Manageable | $36,545 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $66,125 | $24,250 | Challenging | $35,031 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $65,865 | $21,974 | Manageable | $17,163 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Manageable | $36,495 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #19 | Simmons UniversityPrivate | $63,494 | $24,840 | Good | $23,772 | Challenging | 72th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Cuny Hunter CollegePublic | $63,163 | $11,000 | Excellent | $20,252 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #21 | University Of VermontPublic | $62,472 | $20,951 | Manageable | $48,000 | High | 79th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $61,415 | $22,000 | Challenging | $24,693 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $61,258 | $23,500 | Manageable | $25,362 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $59,115 | $24,147 | Manageable | $19,000 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $58,562 | $22,300 | Good | $19,642 | Challenging | 90th 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 →
