7 Transportation colleges in the West with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $60,906.
These 7 Transportation 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.
San Jose State University leads the rankings, producing Transportation graduates earning $78,988 while maintaining a 98th percentile mobility score. The top programs span earnings from $52,093 to $78,988, demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes across the Western region.
Arizona State University Campus Immersion serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $62,668. Even better: graduates face just a 7% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. Utah Valley University delivers the strongest value proposition with a 3.5% burden and 94th percentile mobility.
Earnings: $78,988 | Mobility: 98th percentile
41% Pell students with $61,504 earnings
3.5% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
6.0% family burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $78,988 | $15,000 | Excellent | $20,820 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $62,668 | $19,500 | Excellent | $23,519 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $61,580 | $19,500 | Excellent | $22,000 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $61,504 | $26,063 | Manageable | $31,387 | High | 75th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Utah Valley UniversityPublic | $55,486 | $14,750 | Excellent | $9,582 | Excellent | 94th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Utah State UniversityPublic | $54,022 | $14,340 | Manageable | $13,923 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $52,093 | $21,500 | Excellent | $13,743 | Manageable | 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 →
