136 Accounting colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $55,360.
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 134 Accounting programs made the cut.
Georgetown University leads the rankings, producing Accounting graduates earning $103,494 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. The top programs reach over $90,000 in median earnings—proving that schools serving low-income students can deliver exceptional outcomes, not just access.
George Mason University serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $76,343. Across the top schools, payment burdens stay remarkably low: Georgetown graduates face just a 2.5% burden, George Washington University 5.5%. Real accessibility means manageable debt after graduation.
Earnings: $103,494 | Mobility: 84th percentile
29.5% Pell students with $76,343 earnings
2.5% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
8.9% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgetown UniversityPrivate | $103,494 | $15,500 | Excellent | $33,944 | Excellent | 83th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $94,810 | $19,500 | Excellent | $38,000 | Good | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Good | 80th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Excellent | $35,200 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Loyola University MarylandPrivate | $82,652 | $27,000 | Excellent | $50,344 | Manageable | 72th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,325 | Good | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,142 | Good | 98th percentile mobility |
| #8 | University Of MiamiPrivate | $75,328 | $17,500 | Excellent | $37,267 | Good | 76th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Excellent | $26,632 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Excellent | $43,000 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $72,085 | $21,096 | Excellent | $33,899 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,837 | Excellent | 97th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Clemson UniversityPublic | $71,513 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,463 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #15 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Excellent | $37,285 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #16 | Wofford CollegePrivate | $68,964 | $25,732 | Excellent | $58,390 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Excellent | $23,000 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | University Of GeorgiaPublic | $68,726 | $18,500 | Excellent | $20,855 | Good | 94th percentile mobility |
| #19 | Texas Christian UniversityPrivate | $68,424 | $21,500 | Excellent | $54,925 | Manageable | 76th percentile mobility |
| #20 | $68,227 | $18,000 | Excellent | $21,495 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | Auburn UniversityPublic | $65,337 | $21,000 | Excellent | $43,605 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #22 | Towson UniversityPublic | $64,390 | $18,718 | Excellent | $28,489 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $63,199 | $17,527 | Excellent | $12,313 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $63,126 | $20,654 | Excellent | $31,890 | Good | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Howard UniversityPrivate | $63,066 | $24,500 | Excellent | $58,682 | Manageable | 75th 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
