107 Education colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $54,025.
We started with Education programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 107 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Duke University leads the rankings, producing Education graduates earning $97,800 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. At the top end, graduates reach nearly six figures—demonstrating that 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. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University of Maryland-College Park ranks 96th percentile for mobility with just a 8% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $97,800 | Mobility: 84th percentile
30% Pell students with $76,343 earnings
5.1% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
12.5% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | $13,000 | Excellent | $27,998 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | $14,000 | Good | $30,844 | High | 86th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Excellent | $35,200 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Loyola University MarylandPrivate | $82,652 | $27,000 | Manageable | $50,344 | High | 73th percentile mobility |
| #5 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Good | $25,142 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility |
| #6 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Good | $43,000 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Good | $25,072 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Good | $18,837 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Clemson UniversityPublic | $71,513 | $21,500 | Manageable | $35,463 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Manageable | $23,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | University Of GeorgiaPublic | $68,726 | $18,500 | Good | $20,855 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Texas Christian UniversityPrivate | $68,424 | $21,500 | Good | $54,925 | High | 73th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Auburn UniversityPublic | $65,337 | $21,000 | Manageable | $43,605 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Towson UniversityPublic | $64,390 | $18,718 | Good | $28,489 | High | 95th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $63,199 | $17,527 | Excellent | $12,313 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $63,126 | $20,654 | Manageable | $31,890 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $62,177 | $21,500 | Challenging | $31,393 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $61,767 | $20,705 | Manageable | $20,297 | High | 73th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | Florida State UniversityPublic | $61,675 | $18,000 | Good | $17,000 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Salisbury UniversityPublic | $61,515 | $21,000 | Good | $33,815 | High | 84th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $61,251 | $20,500 | Manageable | $25,645 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $60,249 | $16,500 | Manageable | $13,610 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $60,249 | $20,500 | Manageable | $30,610 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | Presbyterian CollegePrivate | $60,194 | $26,000 | High | $26,491 | High | 77th percentile mobility |
| #25 | $59,221 | $22,750 | Manageable | $48,666 | High | 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 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
