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

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Best Area Studies Colleges for Social Mobility in the South (2025)

28 Area Studies colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $69,454.

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

Average Graduate Earnings: $69,454

All 28 Schools

Rank	School	Graduate Earnings	Student Debt	Student GPS	Parent Debt	Parent GPS	Mobility
#26	The University Of Texas Rio Grande ValleyPublic	$49,620	$12,950	High	$8,107	High	99th percentile mobility
#27	University Of North Carolina At GreensboroPublic	$48,160	$22,858	High	$14,638	High	93th percentile mobility
#28	Georgia State UniversityPublic	$47,384	$20,903	High	$14,837	High	98th percentile mobility

#26The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Edinburg, TX • Public

💰

$49,620Graduate Earnings

🎓99th percentile mobility

—

Cohort

$12,950

Student Debt

$8,107

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

175.0% burden

300.8% burden

📚

63.8%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

52.6%

First-Gen

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#27University Of North Carolina At Greensboro

Greensboro, NC • Public

💰

$48,160Graduate Earnings

🎓93th percentile mobility

Cohort

$22,858

Student Debt

$14,638

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

53.5% burden

92.8% burden

📚

47.1%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

31.3%

First-Gen

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#28Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA • Public

💰

$47,384Graduate Earnings

🎓98th percentile mobility

—

Cohort

$20,903

Student Debt

$14,837

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

📚

50.1%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

32.3%

First-Gen

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Showing 26–28 of 28 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 →