Discover 294 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: $58,878.
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 | Good | 83th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Excellent | 96th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $102,772 | $21,672 | Good | $32,216 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | $13,000 | Excellent | $27,998 | Excellent | 91th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | $11,428 | Excellent | $48,245 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Northeastern UniversityPrivate | $92,538 | $24,250 | Good | $34,984 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | University Of ChicagoPrivate | $91,885 | $15,000 | Excellent | $33,297 | Good | 92th percentile mobility |
| #10 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | $14,000 | Excellent | $30,844 | Good | 92th percentile mobility |
| #11 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Trinity CollegePrivate | $90,779 | $23,000 | Excellent | $60,796 | Challenging | 78th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Rice UniversityPrivate | $89,718 | $11,000 | Excellent | $35,338 | Challenging | 86th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $89,363 | $15,000 | Excellent | $26,966 | Good | 94th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Providence CollegePrivate | $87,054 | $27,000 | Excellent | $46,300 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Excellent | $37,095 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $83,648 | $19,500 | Excellent | $30,250 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Good | $35,200 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University Of PortlandPrivate | $82,804 | $21,370 | Good | $57,555 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #20 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | High | 96th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,325 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $81,054 | $19,500 | Excellent | $34,511 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $80,838 | $13,000 | Excellent | $25,733 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Excellent | $39,841 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Manageable | $20,820 | High | 99th 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 →
