Pittsburgh, PA — Carlow University ranked strongly in the U.S. News and World Report list of top performers on social mobility for 2024. Moving up 16 places since 2024, Carlow now ranks #23 in the category, making it the highest-ranking institution in the Pittsburgh region.
According to U.S. News, their social mobility list ranks the success of colleges in enrolling and graduating large numbers of students awarded with Pell grants. Pell grants are a form of federal student aid typically given to disadvantaged students whose family incomes are under $50,000 per year.
“We’re excited and honored by this new ranking,” said Dr. Kathy Humphrey, the university’s president. “Carlow’s decades-long devotion to providing every student, regardless of background, with a world-class education is well-known. We are an institution built on a foundation of Mercy, so social justice is woven into the fabric of our existence.”
Each year, U.S. News ranks bachelor’s degree-granting institutions according to several factors, including quality of education and best value. In a press release accompanying the 2025 list, Eric Gertler, the executive chairman of U.S. News and World Report, said that the rankings offer “crucial information to those seeking to make the best decision about their college education.”
About Carlow University
Carlow is a private, co-educational, Catholic university located at the hub of Pittsburgh’s most cutting-edge industries. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1929, Carlow’s curricula and partnerships reflect its strong commitment to social justice, forward-thinking leadership, and impactful service to the community.
At Carlow University, we strive to create an experience that is not only life-changing, but world-changing. Carlow graduates are prepared to be pioneers in workforce development, healthcare, education, business, the arts, and more. They are part of a nearly one-hundred-year tradition of ethical leaders with the empathy and spirit to create meaningful societal change. Rooted in unity and led by compassion, we are redefining what a leader looks like —and it looks like a Carlow graduate.