24 Social Sciences colleges in Pennsylvania with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $72,558.
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 23 Social Sciences programs made the cut.
Carnegie Mellon University leads the rankings, producing Social Sciences graduates earning $114,862 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. Across Pennsylvania's mobility-focused programs, earnings range from $53,032 to $114,862—proving schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. Carnegie Mellon exemplifies this—84th percentile for mobility with just a 4.2% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings while the school serves 15% Pell students.
Earnings: $114,862 | Mobility: 84th percentile
25% Pell students with $84,648 earnings
4.2% payment burden | Excellent
12.4% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | $21,750 | Excellent | $37,130 | Excellent | 83th percentile mobility |
| #2 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Excellent | $33,124 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Excellent | $42,245 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Excellent | $40,000 | Manageable | 72th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Bucknell UniversityPrivate | $93,807 | $27,000 | Excellent | $62,750 | Challenging | 72th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | $84,648 | $25,325 | Excellent | $40,932 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Swarthmore CollegePrivate | $80,257 | $17,500 | Excellent | $65,862 | Manageable | 62th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Haverford CollegePrivate | $79,966 | $13,621 | Excellent | $40,000 | Good | 62th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $76,124 | $19,000 | Excellent | $51,114 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Bryn Mawr CollegePrivate | $75,217 | $25,000 | Manageable | $40,058 | High | 70th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Dickinson CollegePrivate | $70,204 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,729 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Muhlenberg CollegePrivate | $69,107 | $25,455 | Excellent | $48,779 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $66,125 | $24,250 | Good | $35,031 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Manageable | $36,495 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $63,435 | $25,000 | Excellent | $38,368 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $61,258 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $56,351 | $25,000 | Good | $28,373 | Challenging | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $56,148 | $24,218 | Good | $25,252 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $55,246 | $23,507 | Good | $29,193 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $53,775 | $26,000 | Good | $26,389 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $53,032 | $25,000 | Good | $23,528 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $52,416 | $26,000 | Good | $26,233 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $51,019 | $26,798 | Good | $26,073 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $47,295 | $23,725 | Manageable | $17,794 | High | 81th 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
