138 Communication colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $55,439.
Most rankings ignore accessibility. We flipped the model: first, filter for schools that actually enroll and graduate low-income students (60th percentile+ mobility). Then rank by earnings. These 138 Communication programs in the South made the cut.
Georgia Institute Of Technology-Main Campus leads with Communication graduates earning $102,772 while achieving a 92nd percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn $68,227—proving that schools serving low-income students can deliver strong outcomes across the board.
The University of Texas at Austin serves 25% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $75,121. The debt story matters too: Vanderbilt University graduates face just a 4.8% payment burden, earning 'Excellent' affordability status and keeping more of their earnings.
Earnings: $102,772 | Mobility: 92nd percentile
25% Pell students with $75,121 earnings
4.8% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
14.6% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $102,772 | $21,672 | Excellent | $32,216 | Good | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $94,810 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | — | — | — | — | 86th percentile mobility |
| #4 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Excellent | $28,903 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Excellent | $35,200 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Loyola University MarylandPrivate | $82,652 | $27,000 | Excellent | $50,344 | Challenging | 72th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,325 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | University Of MiamiPrivate | $75,328 | $17,500 | Excellent | $37,267 | Manageable | 76th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Excellent | $26,632 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Excellent | $43,000 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,837 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Clemson UniversityPublic | $71,513 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,463 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $69,960 | $19,500 | Excellent | $26,987 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Excellent | $37,285 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Excellent | $23,000 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University Of GeorgiaPublic | $68,726 | $18,500 | Excellent | $20,855 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Texas Christian UniversityPrivate | $68,424 | $21,500 | Excellent | $54,925 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #21 | Auburn UniversityPublic | $65,337 | $21,000 | Excellent | $43,605 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #22 | Towson UniversityPublic | $64,390 | $18,718 | Excellent | $28,489 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $63,199 | — | — | — | — | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $63,126 | $20,654 | Good | $31,890 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Howard UniversityPrivate | $63,066 | $24,500 | Excellent | $58,682 | High | 75th 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 →
