25 Engineering colleges in Texas with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $58,219.
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 25 Engineering programs made the cut.
Rice University leads the rankings, producing Engineering graduates earning $89,718 while maintaining a 78th percentile mobility score. At the other end, The University Of Texas At Austin generates $75,121 graduates with a perfect 100th percentile mobility rating—proving accessible schools can deliver elite outcomes.
University Of Houston-Clear Lake serves 44% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $59,004. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Rice University achieves 78th percentile mobility with just a 2.6% payment burden, meaning graduates keep nearly all their earnings.
Earnings: $89,718 | Mobility: 78th percentile
44% Pell students with $59,004 earnings
2.6% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
8.1% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Rice UniversityPrivate | $89,718 | $11,000 | Excellent | $35,338 | Good | 78th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Excellent | $26,632 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Texas Christian UniversityPrivate | $68,424 | $21,500 | Excellent | $54,925 | Manageable | 73th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $68,227 | $18,000 | Excellent | $21,495 | Good | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $63,199 | $17,527 | Excellent | $12,313 | Excellent | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Texas Tech UniversityPublic | $62,454 | $21,500 | Excellent | $23,443 | Good | 97th percentile mobility |
| #8 | University Of HoustonPublic | $62,377 | $18,194 | Excellent | $18,072 | Good | 99th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $59,004 | $17,831 | Excellent | $14,731 | Good | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $57,131 | $20,500 | Excellent | $13,859 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $57,053 | $17,137 | Excellent | $15,463 | Good | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $57,010 | $19,250 | Excellent | $23,211 | Good | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Texas State UniversityPublic | $56,906 | $21,000 | Excellent | $22,500 | Good | 99th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $55,747 | $21,030 | Excellent | $19,367 | Manageable | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $53,040 | $19,606 | Good | $17,125 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $51,865 | $23,000 | Excellent | $25,348 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $51,450 | $22,934 | Excellent | $14,224 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $50,923 | $18,000 | Excellent | $11,916 | Good | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $50,741 | $19,500 | Excellent | $12,719 | Good | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $50,296 | $20,500 | Excellent | $15,265 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | Lamar UniversityPublic | $49,652 | $21,250 | Excellent | $11,359 | Excellent | 79th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $49,634 | $23,409 | Good | $18,080 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $49,620 | $12,950 | Excellent | $8,107 | Excellent | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $48,386 | $15,000 | Excellent | $8,721 | Excellent | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $45,411 | $27,000 | Excellent | $16,012 | 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 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
