Data based on 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards.Our methodology

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Best Architecture Colleges for Social Mobility in the South (2025)

33 Architecture colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $62,648.

📊 Schools must be in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, then ranked by graduate earnings.

Average Graduate Earnings: $62,648

All 33 Schools

Rank	School	Graduate Earnings	Student Debt	Student GPS	Parent Debt	Parent GPS	Mobility
#26	Florida Atlantic UniversityPublic	$56,746	$17,236	Excellent	$15,000	Manageable	96th percentile mobility
#27	Mississippi State UniversityPublic	$51,513	$22,142	Manageable	$25,567	High	90th percentile mobility
#28	Morgan State UniversityPublic	$50,698	$27,250	Good	$22,000	Challenging	91th percentile mobility
#29	University Of Louisiana At LafayettePublic	$47,089	$22,902	Manageable	$13,655	Challenging	91th percentile mobility
#30	Savannah College Of Art And DesignPrivate	$45,954	$25,148	Good	$99,784	High	77th percentile mobility
#31	Prairie View A & M UniversityPublic	$45,411	$27,000	Manageable	$16,012	Challenging	92th percentile mobility
#32	Florida Agricultural And Mechanical UniversityPublic	$44,349	$23,548	Good	$16,223	Manageable	92th percentile mobility
#33	Western Kentucky UniversityPublic	$43,889	$22,095	Good	$18,310	Manageable	79th percentile mobility

#26Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Public

💰

$56,746Graduate Earnings

🎓96th percentile mobility

Cohort

$17,236

Student Debt

$15,000

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

6.9% burden

13.7% burden

📚

35.1%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

38.8%

First-Gen

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#27Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS • Public

💰

$51,513Graduate Earnings

🎓90th percentile mobility

Cohort

$22,142

Student Debt

$25,567

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

10.6% burden

24.7% burden

📚

28.6%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

24.9%

First-Gen

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#28Morgan State University

Baltimore, MD • Public

💰

$50,698Graduate Earnings

🎓91th percentile mobility

Cohort

$27,250

Student Debt

$22,000

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

11.4% burden

22.0% burden

📚

54.4%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

33.1%

First-Gen

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#29University Of Louisiana At Lafayette

Lafayette, LA • Public

💰

$47,089Graduate Earnings

🎓91th percentile mobility

Cohort

$22,902

Student Debt

$13,655

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

12.0% burden

20.3% burden

📚

38.8%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

38.5%

First-Gen

🎓69% pursue grad school

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#30Savannah College Of Art And Design

Savannah, GA • Private nonprofit

💰

$45,954Graduate Earnings

🎓77th percentile mobility

Cohort

$25,148

Student Debt

$99,784

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

11.4% burden

63.7% burden

📚

18.5%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

17.6%

First-Gen

🎓42% pursue grad school

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#31Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, TX • Public

💰

$45,411Graduate Earnings

🎓92th percentile mobility

Cohort

$27,000

Student Debt

$16,012

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

12.9% burden

21.7% burden

📚

62.4%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

33.5%

First-Gen

🎓48% pursue grad school

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#32Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University

Tallahassee, FL • Public

💰

$44,349Graduate Earnings

🎓92th percentile mobility

Cohort

$23,548

Student Debt

$16,223

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

8.1% burden

14.6% burden

📚

55.6%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

36.6%

First-Gen

🎓56% pursue grad school

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#33Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY • Public

💰

$43,889Graduate Earnings

🎓79th percentile mobility

Cohort

$22,095

Student Debt

$18,310

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

8.2% burden

15.9% burden

📚

28.7%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

35.7%

First-Gen

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Showing 26–33 of 33 schools

How These Rankings Work

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.

Two-Step Methodology

Filter for Accessibility: Schools must be in the 60th percentile or above for our mobility index. This filters out schools that don't meaningfully serve low-income students.

Rank by Outcomes: Among schools passing the filter, we rank by median graduate earnings. This surfaces schools with strong outcomes, not just high accessibility.

Mobility Index Components

• Pell Grant share: % of students receiving federal Pell Grants (proxy for low-income)
• First-generation share: % of first-generation college students
• Earnings mobility: How much graduates earn relative to their starting economic position

Important Caveats

• The 60th percentile threshold is a design choice — schools at 59th percentile are excluded
• Mobility index weights may not reflect every user's priorities
• Schools serving middle-income students well may be underrepresented
• Higher earnings doesn't always mean better outcomes (teaching, social work have high value but lower salaries)

Our Methodology →About Azimuth →

Data based on 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →