119 Social Sciences colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $71,457.
Top Social Sciences graduates on this list earn over $143,372—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 98 programs deliver both access and results.
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology leads the rankings, producing Social Sciences graduates earning $143,372 while maintaining a 73rd percentile mobility score. Carnegie Mellon University follows at $114,862 with an even stronger 84th percentile mobility rating, proving that accessibility and elite outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Columbia University In The City Of New York serves 23% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $102,491. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: MIT exemplifies this with 73rd percentile mobility and just a 2.3% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $143,372 | Mobility: 73rd percentile
23% Pell students with $102,491 earnings
2.3% payment burden | Excellent
9.9% family burden | Good
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $143,372 | $14,768 | Excellent | $42,501 | Good | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | $114,862 | $21,750 | Excellent | $37,130 | Excellent | 91th percentile mobility |
| #3 | University Of PennsylvaniaPrivate | $111,371 | $15,715 | Excellent | $33,124 | Good | 93th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Princeton UniversityPrivate | $110,066 | $10,320 | Excellent | $41,000 | Good | 83th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | $105,584 | $21,960 | Excellent | $42,245 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Cornell UniversityPrivate | $104,043 | $14,000 | Excellent | $38,000 | Excellent | 96th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Boston CollegePrivate | $103,937 | $19,000 | Excellent | $45,000 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $102,491 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,000 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $102,051 | $23,750 | Excellent | $52,241 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Harvard UniversityPrivate | $101,817 | $14,000 | Excellent | $28,000 | Good | 94th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Yale UniversityPrivate | $100,533 | $12,975 | Excellent | $29,769 | Excellent | 88th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | $100,423 | $25,874 | Excellent | $40,000 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Dartmouth CollegePrivate | $97,434 | $17,500 | Excellent | $44,481 | Challenging | 86th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Bucknell UniversityPrivate | $93,807 | $27,000 | Excellent | $62,750 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Brown UniversityPrivate | $93,487 | $11,428 | Excellent | $48,245 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Northeastern UniversityPrivate | $92,538 | $24,250 | Excellent | $34,984 | Manageable | 81th percentile mobility |
| #17 | Lafayette CollegePrivate | $91,410 | $16,000 | Excellent | $59,000 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility |
| #18 | Trinity CollegePrivate | $90,779 | $23,000 | Excellent | $60,796 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility |
| #19 | College Of The Holy CrossPrivate | $90,543 | $27,000 | Excellent | $39,032 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Union CollegePrivate | $88,604 | $25,337 | Excellent | $57,000 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility |
| #21 | Providence CollegePrivate | $87,054 | $27,000 | Excellent | $46,300 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #22 | Manhattan UniversityPrivate | $86,316 | $26,000 | Excellent | $56,630 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility |
| #23 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Excellent | $37,095 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility |
| #24 | Colgate UniversityPrivate | $85,139 | $15,000 | Excellent | $59,463 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility |
| #25 | Wellesley CollegePrivate | $84,803 | $10,000 | Excellent | $38,825 | Excellent | 83th 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 →
