147 Art & Design colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $56,079.
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #51 | $57,743 | $17,988 | Excellent | $15,541 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #52 | $57,552 | $23,833 | Manageable | $19,000 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #53 | $57,413 | $20,500 | Good | $38,513 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #54 | $57,289 | $21,500 | Manageable | $19,809 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #55 | $57,131 | $20,500 | Good | $13,859 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #56 | $57,053 | $17,137 | Good | $15,463 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #57 | $57,010 | $19,250 | Excellent | $23,211 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #58 | Texas State UniversityPublic | $56,906 | $21,000 | Good | $22,500 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility |
| #59 | $56,746 | $17,236 | Manageable | $15,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #60 | Texas Woman's UniversityPublic | $56,544 | $19,218 | Good | $13,471 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility |
| #61 | College Of CharlestonPublic | $56,416 | $23,250 | Challenging | $35,971 | High | 73th percentile mobility |
| #62 | $56,343 | $15,531 | Challenging | $13,835 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #63 | West Virginia UniversityPublic | $55,939 | $22,500 | Manageable | $32,980 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #64 | $55,747 | $21,030 | Good | $19,367 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility | |
| #65 | $55,493 | $21,105 | Manageable | $21,004 | High | 71th percentile mobility | |
| #66 | East Carolina UniversityPublic | $55,146 | $22,750 | Manageable | $19,710 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #67 | $54,967 | $19,500 | Challenging | $22,737 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #68 | Old Dominion UniversityPublic | $54,914 | $24,000 | Challenging | $18,866 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #69 | $54,560 | $17,622 | Good | $18,946 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #70 | Bowie State UniversityPublic | $54,537 | $22,985 | High | $23,158 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #71 | $54,501 | $22,300 | Manageable | $20,498 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #72 | $54,211 | $21,983 | Good | $19,433 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #73 | University Of LouisvillePublic | $53,899 | $20,500 | Manageable | $20,717 | High | 87th percentile mobility |
| #74 | Radford UniversityPublic | $53,739 | $24,000 | Manageable | $22,158 | High | 88th percentile mobility |
| #75 | $53,551 | $18,750 | Manageable | $10,000 | High | 96th 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 →
