8 Engineering colleges in North Carolina with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $61,140.
These 8 Engineering programs in North Carolina 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.
Duke University leads the rankings, producing Engineering graduates earning $97,800 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill follows at $72,200 with a 95th percentile mobility rating. Across this list, graduate earnings range from $44,030 to $97,800—proving mobility-focused programs deliver strong outcomes.
North Carolina A & T State University serves 51% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $44,440. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Duke University combines 84th percentile mobility with just a 2.1% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category where graduates keep nearly all their earnings.
Earnings: $97,800 | Mobility: 84th percentile
51% Pell students with $44,440 earnings
2.1% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
7.0% family burden | Excellent - payment under 8% 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 | Excellent | 84th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Excellent | $23,000 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $57,289 | $21,500 | Excellent | $19,809 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | East Carolina UniversityPublic | $55,146 | $22,750 | Excellent | $19,710 | Good | 93th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $49,458 | $21,868 | Excellent | $18,241 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $44,440 | $27,000 | Excellent | $20,004 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $44,030 | $20,500 | Excellent | $20,305 | Good | 74th 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 →
