6 Education colleges in Virginia with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $55,580.
These 6 Education programs in Virginia aren't just accessible—they deliver results. Each school ranks in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, meaning they actually enroll and graduate low-income students. Then we ranked them by graduate earnings, finding schools that are both accessible AND high-performing.
George Mason University leads the rankings, producing Education graduates earning $76,343 while maintaining a 98th percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn $44,813—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes across the earnings spectrum.
Virginia State University serves 71% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $45,543. The debt burden story varies: George Mason University graduates face just a 9.8% payment burden ('Good' affordability), while others reach higher burdens—a meaningful difference for new teachers managing loan payments.
Earnings: $76,343 | Mobility: 98th percentile
71% Pell students with $45,543 earnings
9.8% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
24.4% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Good | $25,142 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $58,128 | $21,500 | Manageable | $23,585 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Old Dominion UniversityPublic | $54,914 | $24,000 | Manageable | $18,866 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Radford UniversityPublic | $53,739 | $24,000 | Manageable | $22,158 | High | 87th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $45,543 | $26,500 | Challenging | $22,181 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Liberty UniversityPrivate | $44,813 | $24,500 | High | $16,398 | High | 98th 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 →
