102 Engineering colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $59,673.
We started with Engineering programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 103 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Georgia Institute Of Technology-Main Campus leads the rankings, producing Engineering graduates earning $102,772 while maintaining a 92nd percentile mobility score. At the top of this list, median earnings exceed $100,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. Georgia Institute Of Technology exemplifies this—92nd percentile for mobility with just a 4.5% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $102,772 | Mobility: 92nd percentile
19.8% Pell students with $87,555 earnings
1.9% 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 | $102,772 | $21,672 | Excellent | $32,216 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | $13,000 | Excellent | $27,998 | Excellent | 84th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | $14,000 | Excellent | $30,844 | Good | 86th percentile mobility |
| #4 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Good | 79th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Rice UniversityPrivate | $89,718 | $11,000 | Excellent | $35,338 | Good | 78th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Johns Hopkins UniversityPrivate | $87,555 | $10,250 | Excellent | $29,048 | Excellent | 87th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Excellent | $28,903 | Good | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Excellent | $35,200 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Loyola University MarylandPrivate | $82,652 | $27,000 | Excellent | $50,344 | Challenging | 73th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,325 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $77,369 | $22,996 | Excellent | $36,278 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,142 | Good | 98th percentile mobility |
| #13 | University Of MiamiPrivate | $75,328 | $17,500 | Excellent | $37,267 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Excellent | $26,632 | Good | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Excellent | $43,000 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $72,085 | $21,096 | Excellent | $33,899 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,837 | Good | 97th percentile mobility |
| #20 | Clemson UniversityPublic | $71,513 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,463 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #21 | $69,960 | $19,500 | Excellent | $26,987 | Good | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Excellent | $37,285 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Excellent | $23,000 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | University Of GeorgiaPublic | $68,726 | $18,500 | Excellent | $20,855 | Good | 95th percentile mobility |
| #25 | Texas Christian UniversityPrivate | $68,424 | $21,500 | Excellent | $54,925 | Manageable | 73th 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 →
