42 Agriculture colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $55,210.
These 43 Agriculture programs aren't just accessible—they deliver results. Each school ranks in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, meaning they actually enroll and graduate low-income students. Then we ranked them by graduate earnings, finding schools that are both accessible AND high-performing.
University of Maryland-College Park leads the rankings, producing Agriculture graduates earning $82,860 while maintaining a 96th percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn $52,279—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes across the earnings spectrum.
Texas Tech University serves 26% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $62,454. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University of Maryland-College Park ranks 96th percentile for mobility with just a 7.9% payment burden, meaning graduates keep most of their earnings.
Earnings: $82,860 | Mobility: 96th percentile
25.8% Pell students with $62,454 earnings
7.9% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
21.6% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Excellent | $35,200 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Manageable | $35,325 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | High | $43,000 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Good | $32,258 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,837 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Clemson UniversityPublic | $71,513 | $21,500 | Manageable | $35,463 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Manageable | $23,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | University Of GeorgiaPublic | $68,726 | $18,500 | Excellent | $20,855 | High | 95th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Auburn UniversityPublic | $65,337 | $21,000 | Good | $43,605 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #10 | Texas Tech UniversityPublic | $62,454 | $21,500 | Manageable | $23,443 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $61,251 | $20,500 | Manageable | $25,645 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $60,249 | $20,500 | Good | $30,610 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | University Of KentuckyPublic | $59,025 | $22,500 | Manageable | $30,006 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #14 | University Of ArkansasPublic | $58,191 | $21,500 | Good | $28,086 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $57,413 | $20,500 | Manageable | $38,513 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | Texas State UniversityPublic | $56,906 | $21,000 | Good | $22,500 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility |
| #17 | West Virginia UniversityPublic | $55,939 | $22,500 | Good | $32,980 | High | 80th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $54,211 | $21,983 | Good | $19,433 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $53,040 | $19,606 | Good | $17,125 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $52,279 | $22,135 | High | $18,071 | High | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $51,836 | $20,231 | Challenging | $21,919 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $51,513 | $22,142 | Manageable | $25,567 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $51,450 | $22,934 | High | $14,224 | High | 79th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $50,741 | $19,500 | Manageable | $12,719 | High | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $50,296 | $20,500 | Good | $15,265 | Challenging | 89th 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 →
