29 Social Work colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $60,223.
Top Social Work graduates on this list earn over $92,446—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 29 programs deliver both access and results.
University Of California-Berkeley leads the rankings, producing Social Work graduates earning $92,446 while maintaining a 99th percentile mobility score. San Jose State University follows at $78,988 with 98th percentile mobility. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $60,223—proving that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
California State University-Long Beach serves 49% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $64,403. Even better: graduates face just an 11.7% family payment burden, landing in the 'Good' affordability category. These schools deliver both access AND manageable debt.
Earnings: $92,446 | Mobility: 99th percentile
49% Pell students with $64,403 earnings
4.7% payment burden | Excellent
11.7% family burden | Good
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $92,446 | $13,000 | Excellent | $28,508 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Excellent | $20,820 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $78,466 | $14,615 | Excellent | $24,883 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $68,077 | $15,371 | Excellent | $19,732 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | University Of UtahPublic | $67,170 | $19,000 | Good | $18,886 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $64,909 | $15,000 | Good | $25,565 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $64,876 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,507 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $64,403 | $14,289 | Excellent | $15,177 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $64,172 | $16,552 | Good | $17,585 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $62,668 | $19,500 | Manageable | $23,519 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $61,244 | $14,505 | Good | $12,050 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $60,614 | $18,922 | Excellent | $26,150 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $60,543 | $20,000 | Good | $36,000 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $59,977 | $14,715 | Excellent | $12,000 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $59,211 | $13,000 | Excellent | $12,526 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $57,906 | $20,500 | Good | $18,859 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $57,897 | $19,500 | Good | $17,148 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $57,624 | $18,500 | Good | $30,988 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University Of WyomingPublic | $56,880 | $18,000 | Good | $16,000 | Challenging | 82th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Utah Valley UniversityPublic | $55,486 | $14,750 | Good | $9,582 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $55,037 | $19,450 | Manageable | $20,906 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $54,384 | $19,000 | Manageable | $23,489 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | Utah State UniversityPublic | $54,022 | $14,340 | Good | $13,923 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $53,406 | $13,969 | Manageable | $7,556 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $52,093 | $21,500 | Manageable | $13,743 | High | 91th 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 →
