8 Accounting colleges in Tennessee with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $47,732.
Most rankings ignore accessibility. We flipped the model: first, filter for schools that actually enroll and graduate low-income students (60th percentile+ mobility). Then rank by earnings. These 8 Accounting programs made the cut.
The University Of Tennessee-Knoxville leads the rankings, producing Accounting graduates earning $60,249 while maintaining a 96th percentile mobility score. The earnings range spans from $42,730 to $60,249—proving schools serving low-income students can deliver strong outcomes.
Tennessee State University serves 52% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $42,730. The University Of Tennessee-Knoxville combines the highest earnings with just a 7% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $60,249 | Mobility: 96th percentile
51.8% Pell students with $42,730 earnings
7.2% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
14.9% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $60,249 | $20,500 | Excellent | $30,610 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $48,541 | $20,000 | Excellent | $14,229 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $48,501 | $15,650 | Excellent | $11,640 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | University Of MemphisPublic | $48,458 | $23,300 | Good | $15,393 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $44,859 | $19,442 | Good | $16,938 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $44,301 | $20,547 | Challenging | $14,710 | High | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $44,213 | $21,024 | Good | $13,218 | Manageable | 72th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $42,730 | $27,000 | Manageable | $18,771 | Challenging | 82th 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 →
