Data based on 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards.Our methodology

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Best Social Work Colleges for Social Mobility in the West (2025)

29 Social Work colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $60,223.

📊 Schools must be in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, then ranked by graduate earnings.

Average Graduate Earnings: $60,223

All 29 Schools

Rank	School	Graduate Earnings	Student Debt	Student GPS	Parent Debt	Parent GPS	Mobility
#26	Boise State UniversityPublic	$51,658	$20,500	Manageable	$18,968	Challenging	78th percentile mobility
#27	California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtPublic	$47,626	$18,000	Good	$18,257	Challenging	87th percentile mobility
#28	Idaho State UniversityPublic	$45,608	$20,039	Manageable	$14,334	High	72th percentile mobility
#29	New Mexico State University-Main CampusPublic	$39,067	$17,095	Manageable	$10,166	Challenging	79th percentile mobility

#26Boise State University

Boise, ID • Public

💰

$51,658Graduate Earnings

🎓78th percentile mobility

Cohort

$20,500

Student Debt

$18,968

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

12.1% burden

25.0% burden

📚

17.9%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

33.5%

First-Gen

📊27% pursue grad school

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#27California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt

Arcata, CA • Public

💰

$47,626Graduate Earnings

🎓87th percentile mobility

Cohort

$18,000

Student Debt

$18,257

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

9.9% burden

21.4% burden

📚

45.7%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

44.1%

First-Gen

📊36% pursue grad school

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#28Idaho State University

Pocatello, ID • Public

💰

$45,608Graduate Earnings

🎓72th percentile mobility

Cohort

$20,039

Student Debt

$14,334

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

16.4% burden

29.9% burden

📚

26.8%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

36.1%

First-Gen

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#29New Mexico State University-Main Campus

Las Cruces, NM • Public

💰

$39,067Graduate Earnings

🎓79th percentile mobility

Cohort

$17,095

Student Debt

$10,166

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

14.3% burden

24.1% burden

📚

40.3%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

43.6%

First-Gen

📊29% pursue grad school

View School →

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Showing 26–29 of 29 schools

How These Rankings Work

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.

Two-Step Methodology

Filter for Accessibility: Schools must be in the 60th percentile or above for our mobility index. This filters out schools that don't meaningfully serve low-income students.

Rank by Outcomes: Among schools passing the filter, we rank by median graduate earnings. This surfaces schools with strong outcomes, not just high accessibility.

Mobility Index Components

• Pell Grant share: % of students receiving federal Pell Grants (proxy for low-income)
• First-generation share: % of first-generation college students
• Earnings mobility: How much graduates earn relative to their starting economic position

Important Caveats

• The 60th percentile threshold is a design choice — schools at 59th percentile are excluded
• Mobility index weights may not reflect every user's priorities
• Schools serving middle-income students well may be underrepresented
• Higher earnings doesn't always mean better outcomes (teaching, social work have high value but lower salaries)

Our Methodology →About Azimuth →

Data based on 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →