Learn how higher education is a primary driver of improved socioeconomic status.

​Photo courtesy of Cal Poly Humboldt

The California State University educates some of the most ethnically, economically and academically diverse student populations in the nation, and nearly one-third of CSU students are the first in their families to attend college. ​The CSU frequently highlights its ability to provide “social mobility” for its students, particularly those who are first-generation college students​. The question is: What exactly is social mobility and how does it relate to obtaining a college degree?

Social Mobility and Higher Education

First coined in 1927 by Pitirim Sorokin, a sociologist and political activist, social mobility refers to the movement of a person from one social status to another. In countries like the United States, individuals are freer to improve their social standing and experience upward social mobility.

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Upward social mobility, the type of social mobility referenced in college rankings, describes the improvement of an individual’s socioeconomic status. Although there are various means for attaining upward social mobility, obtaining a college degree is one of the most common and proven methods. Furthermore, “social mobility” is not simply limited to an increase in annual income. It can also include greater opportunities in society that would otherwise be unattainable, such as more prestigious jobs, wider professional networks and better access to health care.

Data from the 2012 Pew Economic Mobility Project shows that earning a four-year college degree promotes upward mobility from the bottom of the family income and wealth ladders and prevents downward mobility from the middle and top rungs. A 2021 study from Georgetown University demonstrated that the lifetime value of a college degree is $2.8 million. This analysis also discovered that bachelor’s degree holders earned 75% more money than those who only had high school diplomas.

However, college graduates don’t only have a higher rate of upward economic mobility. R​esearch collected in 2015 by the Lumina Foundation ​demonstrates that degree holders report higher levels of happiness and better overall health outcomes due to higher quality living conditions and health care, as well as less stress. Additionally, College Board’s 2023 report, Education Pay​s, shares that college graduates​ face lower rates of unemployment and are more likely to enjoy the stability that comes from retirement plans and health insurance.