15 Business colleges in North Carolina with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $50,320.
These 14 Business programs in North Carolina 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 North Carolina At Chapel Hill leads the rankings, producing Business graduates earning $72,200 while maintaining a 95th percentile mobility score. North Carolina State University At Raleigh follows at $68,758, also with 95th percentile mobility. This demonstrates that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
Winston-Salem State University serves 62% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $45,344. Meanwhile, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill delivers the best value with just a 4% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. These schools prove accessibility and affordability can coexist.
Earnings: $72,200 | Mobility: 95th percentile
61.5% Pell students with $45,344 earnings
3.9% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
12.2% family burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Excellent | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Excellent | $23,000 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $57,289 | $21,500 | Excellent | $19,809 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | East Carolina UniversityPublic | $55,146 | $22,750 | Excellent | $19,710 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $54,967 | $19,500 | Excellent | $22,737 | Good | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $51,836 | $20,231 | Excellent | $21,919 | Good | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $49,458 | $21,868 | Good | $18,241 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $48,160 | $22,858 | Good | $14,638 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $45,344 | $25,000 | Excellent | $12,030 | Good | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $44,440 | $27,000 | Good | $20,004 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $44,030 | $20,500 | Good | $20,305 | Manageable | 72th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $43,407 | $25,000 | Good | $10,984 | Manageable | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $42,968 | $28,250 | Excellent | $19,245 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $40,144 | $22,987 | Manageable | $8,791 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | Bennett CollegePrivate | $36,654 | — | — | — | — | 62th 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 →
