9 Engineering colleges in Virginia with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $67,843.
Top Engineering graduates on this list earn over $86,863—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 9 programs deliver both access and results.
At $86,863 in median earnings, University Of Virginia-Main Campus tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining a 93rd percentile mobility score. Virginia Polytechnic Institute follows at $81,698 with an even stronger 95th percentile mobility rating, proving exceptional outcomes and accessibility can coexist.
Liberty University serves 39% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $44,813. Remarkably, all top programs achieve 'Excellent' affordability ratings, with payment burdens under 8% of discretionary income. University Of Virginia leads with just a 3.5% burden, meaning graduates keep nearly all their earnings.
Earnings: $86,863 | Mobility: 93rd percentile
39% Pell students with $44,813 earnings
3.5% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
10.1% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Excellent | $28,903 | Good | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,325 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $77,369 | $22,996 | Excellent | $36,278 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,142 | Good | 98th percentile mobility |
| #5 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Excellent | $37,285 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $60,509 | $25,000 | Excellent | $44,122 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $58,128 | $21,500 | Excellent | $23,585 | Manageable | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | Old Dominion UniversityPublic | $54,914 | $24,000 | Excellent | $18,866 | Good | 93th percentile mobility |
| #9 | Liberty UniversityPrivate | $44,813 | $24,500 | Excellent | $16,398 | Good | 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 →
