42 Social Work colleges in the Northeast with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $62,087.
These 40 Social Work programs aren't just accessible—they deliver results. Each school ranks in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, meaning they actually enroll and graduate low-income students. Then we ranked them by graduate earnings, finding schools that are both accessible AND high-performing.
New York University leads the rankings, producing Social Work graduates earning $82,509 while maintaining a 94th percentile mobility score. At the top, graduates earn over $82,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
Stony Brook University exemplifies this double win: serving 38% Pell Grant recipients while graduates earn $74,502. Even better, students face just a 7% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category. Meanwhile, University of Massachusetts-Boston serves 43% Pell students with graduates earning $65,865.
Earnings: $82,509 | Mobility: 94th percentile
42.7% Pell students with $65,865 earnings
5.3% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
12.0% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Providence CollegePrivate | $87,054 | $27,000 | Excellent | $46,300 | Challenging | 61th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Fordham UniversityPrivate | $85,569 | $24,300 | Excellent | $37,095 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility |
| #3 | New York UniversityPrivate | $82,509 | $20,500 | Excellent | $64,795 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Syracuse UniversityPrivate | $79,164 | $26,000 | Excellent | $39,841 | Manageable | 82th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Adelphi UniversityPrivate | $75,482 | $25,000 | Excellent | $48,005 | High | 61th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Stony Brook UniversityPublic | $74,502 | $18,228 | Excellent | $21,400 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $74,479 | $21,500 | Excellent | $25,294 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Seton Hall UniversityPrivate | $70,196 | $22,750 | Excellent | $40,003 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility |
| #9 | University At AlbanyPublic | $67,979 | $19,500 | Excellent | $22,398 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $67,541 | $21,000 | Good | $27,655 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $66,479 | $26,814 | Good | $36,545 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $66,125 | $24,250 | Good | $35,031 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $65,865 | $21,974 | Good | $17,163 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | Temple UniversityPublic | $63,727 | $24,395 | Good | $36,495 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Simmons UniversityPrivate | $63,494 | $24,840 | Good | $23,772 | Manageable | 70th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Cuny Hunter CollegePublic | $63,163 | $11,000 | Excellent | $20,252 | Good | 97th percentile mobility |
| #17 | University Of VermontPublic | $62,472 | $20,951 | Good | $48,000 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $61,415 | $22,000 | Good | $24,693 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $61,258 | — | — | — | — | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $59,115 | $24,147 | Good | $19,000 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $58,562 | $22,300 | Good | $19,642 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | Cuny Lehman CollegePublic | $58,013 | $10,950 | Excellent | $11,955 | Good | 96th percentile mobility |
| #23 | Stockton UniversityPublic | $57,602 | $20,500 | Excellent | $23,182 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $57,466 | $24,286 | Good | $18,070 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $57,346 | $22,457 | Good | $18,544 | Challenging | 77th 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 →
