10 Art & Design colleges in Louisiana with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $48,178.
These 10 Art & Design programs in Louisiana 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.
Louisiana State University And Agricultural & Mechanical College leads the rankings, producing Art & Design graduates earning $61,251 while maintaining a 97th percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn over $41,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
The best mobility schools face a debt challenge: they serve students who need them most but graduates struggle with payments. Grambling State University serves 72% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—yet debt burdens across this list create concerning payment pressures, with most graduates facing over 25% of discretionary income going to loans.
Earnings: $61,251 | Mobility: 97th percentile
72% Pell students with $41,109 earnings
22.8% payment burden | High burden - payment over 25% of discretionary
38.4% family burden | High burden - payment over 25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $61,251 | $20,500 | High | $25,645 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $52,279 | $22,135 | Challenging | $18,071 | High | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $47,872 | $18,750 | High | $15,048 | High | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $47,089 | $22,902 | High | $13,655 | High | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $47,021 | $25,000 | High | $11,900 | High | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $46,769 | $21,500 | High | $10,174 | High | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $46,482 | $22,113 | High | $10,611 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Mcneese State UniversityPublic | $46,453 | $23,000 | High | $13,410 | High | 71th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $45,454 | $22,675 | High | $11,428 | High | 72th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $41,109 | $36,500 | High | $21,007 | High | 78th 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 →
