A new report has ranked CSUDH second in the United States for economic mobility, with six CSU campuses total claiming the top ten spots. Public policy think tank Third Way produced the report, which examines how higher education helps low-income students achieve economic success.
Titled “Out with the Old, in with the New: Rating Higher Ed by Economic Mobility,” the study showed that institutions offering a quick return on investment and enrolling a larger percentage of Pell-eligible students as part of their student body were the most successful at helping students climb the economic ladder.
It further found that schools providing the most economic mobility for students are all public, Hispanic-Serving Institutions. Historically Black Colleges and Universities also fared better in the Economic Mobility Index (EMI), which measures students’ ability to improve their economic status, than in traditional college-ranking schemes.
“CSUDH is honored to be rated second in the Economic Mobility Index, indicating that first-generation, economically challenged students of color receive a great return on their investment in our institution,” said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham.
“This ranking is a badge of honor, as our merit is not judged by our admissions selectivity, but by providing access to the broadest range of diverse students whose intellectual talents are cultivated and nurtured at CSUDH.”
The top 10 universities in the report, ranked by EMI, are:
- California State University, Los Angeles, with an EMI of 66.7%
- California State University, Dominguez Hills, 63.3%
- Texas A&M International University, 60.7%
- The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 59.2%
- California State University, Bakersfield, 58.9%
- California State University, Stanislaus, 56.8%
- California State University, Fresno, 55.9%
- California State University San Bernardino, 55.7%
- CUNY Leman College, 55.2%
- CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 54.7%
Forbes provided in-depth analysis of the report’s full findings.
