42 Social Sciences colleges in California with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $72,988.
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 42 Social Sciences programs made the cut.
At $124,080 in median earnings, Stanford University tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining a 91st percentile mobility score. The University of Southern California demonstrates similar excellence—graduates earn $92,498 while the school ranks in the 96th percentile for mobility, proving accessibility and outcomes go hand in hand.
University Of California-San Diego serves 33% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $84,943. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Stanford University exemplifies this with 91st percentile mobility and just a 2% payment burden, meaning graduates keep nearly all their earnings.
Earnings: $124,080 | Mobility: 91st percentile
33% Pell students with $84,943 earnings
2% payment burden | Excellent
11% family burden | Excellent
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Stanford UniversityPrivate | $124,080 | $12,000 | Excellent | $38,333 | Excellent | 91th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Santa Clara UniversityPrivate | $109,183 | $19,162 | Excellent | $56,271 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $92,498 | $18,000 | Excellent | $31,803 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $90,768 | $18,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | University Of San FranciscoPrivate | $89,812 | $23,000 | Good | $44,413 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #7 | University Of San DiegoPrivate | $86,522 | $22,940 | Good | $56,559 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $84,943 | $15,500 | Excellent | $24,257 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Pepperdine UniversityPrivate | $82,939 | $23,510 | Excellent | $41,309 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $82,511 | $14,000 | Excellent | $26,176 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $80,838 | $13,000 | Excellent | $25,733 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $80,735 | $15,000 | Excellent | $22,665 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Excellent | $20,820 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | University Of The PacificPrivate | $78,445 | $19,500 | Manageable | $50,438 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Loyola Marymount UniversityPrivate | $78,349 | $19,500 | Excellent | $58,361 | High | 71th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Occidental CollegePrivate | $75,951 | $23,000 | Excellent | $51,450 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $74,915 | $13,993 | Excellent | $26,465 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $71,902 | $16,000 | Excellent | $15,000 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $71,401 | $16,544 | Excellent | $15,738 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | Chapman UniversityPrivate | $70,070 | $20,500 | Excellent | $44,954 | Challenging | 72th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $68,396 | $16,666 | Excellent | $28,682 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $67,699 | $17,500 | Good | $18,275 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | $65,986 | $16,705 | Manageable | $27,986 | High | 88th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Manageable | $25,565 | High | 98th 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 →
