35 Social Sciences colleges in New York with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $68,825.
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 33 Social Sciences programs made the cut.
Cornell University leads the rankings, producing Social Sciences graduates earning $104,043 while maintaining a 94th percentile mobility score. Columbia University follows at $102,491 with 91st percentile mobility. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $67,617—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
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 just a 5.5% payment burden at Cuny Hunter College, landing in the 'Excellent' category. These schools deliver both access AND affordability.
Earnings: $104,043 | Mobility: 94th percentile
55% Pell students with $75,971 earnings
5.5% payment burden | Excellent
15.9% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Excellent | 96th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $102,491 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $102,051 | $23,750 | Excellent | $52,241 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Union CollegePrivate | $88,604 | $25,337 | Excellent | $57,000 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Manhattan UniversityPrivate | $86,316 | $26,000 | Excellent | $56,630 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Excellent | $37,095 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Colgate UniversityPrivate | $85,139 | $15,000 | Excellent | $59,463 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility |
| #8 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Binghamton UniversityPublic | $80,596 | $18,500 | Excellent | $27,270 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #10 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Excellent | $39,841 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #11 | University Of RochesterPrivate | $79,042 | $21,000 | Excellent | $30,000 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $76,571 | $26,778 | Manageable | $35,625 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $75,971 | $11,512 | Excellent | $20,000 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | Adelphi UniversityPrivate | $75,482 | $25,000 | Manageable | $48,005 | High | 81th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Stony Brook UniversityPublic | $74,502 | $18,228 | Excellent | $21,400 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Wagner CollegePrivate | $74,360 | $25,000 | Excellent | $53,829 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #17 | University At BuffaloPublic | $70,814 | $19,000 | Excellent | $20,734 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #18 | Pace UniversityPrivate | $70,378 | $23,250 | Excellent | $46,275 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $69,571 | $25,000 | Excellent | $54,289 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | Skidmore CollegePrivate | $69,363 | $19,500 | High | $60,000 | High | 77th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $68,831 | $27,000 | Excellent | $61,178 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | University At AlbanyPublic | $67,979 | $19,500 | Excellent | $22,398 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #23 | Suny College At GeneseoPublic | $67,316 | $19,500 | Excellent | $22,092 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #24 | St Lawrence UniversityPrivate | $67,258 | $27,000 | Excellent | $44,628 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility |
| #25 | Cuny City CollegePublic | $66,039 | $11,990 | Excellent | $17,460 | Good | 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 →
