94 Criminal Justice colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $52,098.
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 97 Criminal Justice programs made the cut.
George Washington University leads the rankings, producing Criminal Justice graduates earning $90,873 while maintaining a 79th percentile mobility score. George Mason University follows at $76,343 with an exceptional 98th percentile mobility rating—proving schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
George Mason University serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $76,343. Even better: graduates face just an 8% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. Howard University takes the accessibility lead, serving 41% Pell students with strong $63,066 outcomes.
Earnings: $90,873 | Mobility: 79th percentile
40% Pell students with $63,066 earnings
3.2% payment burden | Excellent
7.8% family burden | Excellent
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility |
| #2 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,142 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $72,085 | $21,096 | Excellent | $33,899 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | University Of GeorgiaPublic | $68,726 | $18,500 | Good | $20,855 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Texas Christian UniversityPrivate | $68,424 | $21,500 | Good | $54,925 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $63,199 | $17,527 | Excellent | $12,313 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $63,126 | $20,654 | Excellent | $31,890 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Howard UniversityPrivate | $63,066 | $24,500 | Good | $58,682 | High | 75th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $62,177 | $21,500 | Good | $31,393 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Florida State UniversityPublic | $61,675 | $18,000 | Excellent | $17,000 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $60,249 | $16,500 | Excellent | $13,610 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Nova Southeastern UniversityPrivate | $59,209 | $24,250 | Excellent | $21,738 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $58,308 | $18,190 | Excellent | $16,036 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | University Of ArkansasPublic | $58,191 | $21,500 | Good | $28,086 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $58,140 | $22,250 | Good | $15,753 | Challenging | 71th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $58,128 | $21,500 | Excellent | $23,585 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $57,552 | $23,833 | Good | $19,000 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $57,289 | $21,500 | Good | $19,809 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $57,131 | $20,500 | Good | $13,859 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $57,053 | $17,137 | Good | $15,463 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $57,010 | $19,250 | Excellent | $23,211 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | Texas State UniversityPublic | $56,906 | $21,000 | Good | $22,500 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $56,746 | $17,236 | Excellent | $15,000 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Texas Woman's UniversityPublic | $56,544 | $19,218 | Excellent | $13,471 | Manageable | 92th 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 →
