23 Criminal Justice colleges in Texas with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $53,992.
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 23 Criminal Justice programs made the cut.
Texas A & M University-College Station leads the rankings, producing Criminal Justice graduates earning $72,097 while maintaining a 99th percentile mobility score. At the high end, top programs reach $72,097 in median earnings—proving that schools serving low-income students deliver competitive outcomes.
The University Of Texas At Arlington exemplifies the double win: serving 40% Pell Grant recipients while graduates face just an 8.8% payment burden, landing in the 'Good' affordability category. Meanwhile, Texas A & M achieves an even better 6.6% burden with 'Excellent' affordability—access AND manageable debt.
Earnings: $72,097 | Mobility: 99th percentile
42% Pell students with $57,131 earnings
6.6% payment burden | Excellent
14.2% family burden | Manageable
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Texas Christian UniversityPrivate | $68,424 | $21,500 | Good | $54,925 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $63,199 | $17,527 | Excellent | $12,313 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $57,131 | $20,500 | Good | $13,859 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $57,053 | $17,137 | Good | $15,463 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $57,010 | $19,250 | Excellent | $23,211 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Texas State UniversityPublic | $56,906 | $21,000 | Good | $22,500 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Texas Woman's UniversityPublic | $56,544 | $19,218 | Excellent | $13,471 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $55,747 | $21,030 | Good | $19,367 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $54,211 | $21,983 | Good | $19,433 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $53,551 | $18,750 | Good | $10,000 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $53,040 | $19,606 | Good | $17,125 | Manageable | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $51,865 | $23,000 | Good | $25,348 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $51,450 | $22,934 | Good | $14,224 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $50,923 | $18,000 | Good | $11,916 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $50,741 | $19,500 | Excellent | $12,719 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $50,296 | $20,500 | Good | $15,265 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | Lamar UniversityPublic | $49,652 | $21,250 | Good | $11,359 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $49,634 | $23,409 | Good | $18,080 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $49,620 | $12,950 | Excellent | $8,107 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $48,386 | $15,000 | Excellent | $8,721 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $45,411 | $27,000 | Manageable | $16,012 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $38,924 | $29,000 | Manageable | $19,929 | High | 88th 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 →
