5 Criminal Justice colleges in Alabama with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $48,003.
We started with Criminal Justice programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 5 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
The University Of Alabama leads the rankings, producing Criminal Justice graduates earning $59,221 while maintaining a 92nd percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn $40,628—demonstrating that Alabama schools serving low-income students deliver meaningful career outcomes.
Alabama A & M University serves 64% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $40,628. The University Of Alabama combines strong mobility (92nd percentile) with manageable debt: graduates face just a 13.2% payment burden, keeping most of their earnings.
Earnings: $59,221 | Mobility: 92nd percentile
64.4% Pell students with $40,628 earnings
13.2% payment burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
28.9% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $54,501 | $22,300 | Good | $20,498 | Challenging | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Athens State UniversityPublic | $50,273 | $18,051 | Good | $12,896 | Manageable | 75th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $49,379 | $24,929 | Manageable | $26,683 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $45,235 | $22,189 | Good | $13,672 | Challenging | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Alabama A & M UniversityPublic | $40,628 | $31,000 | Manageable | $19,266 | High | 79th 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 →
