10 Social Work colleges in Pennsylvania with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $56,537.
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 10 Social Work programs made the cut.
University Of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus leads the rankings, producing Social Work graduates earning $66,125 while maintaining an 86th percentile mobility score. Temple University follows at $63,727 with exceptional 97th percentile mobility. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $56,537—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
East Stroudsburg University Of Pennsylvania serves 40% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $56,148. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: West Chester University Of Pennsylvania exemplifies this with 84th percentile mobility and just a 12.5% payment burden, landing in the 'Manageable' category for debt burden.
Earnings: $66,125 | Mobility: 86th percentile
39.9% Pell students with $56,148 earnings
12.5% payment burden | Manageable
28.1% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $66,125 | $24,250 | Good | $35,031 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Good | $36,495 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $61,258 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $56,351 | $25,000 | Manageable | $28,373 | High | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $56,148 | $24,218 | Good | $25,252 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $55,246 | $23,507 | Manageable | $29,193 | High | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $53,775 | $26,000 | Manageable | $26,389 | High | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $53,032 | $25,000 | Manageable | $23,528 | High | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $52,416 | $26,000 | Manageable | $26,233 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $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 →
