57 Engineering Technology colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $51,491.
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 57 Engineering Technology programs in the South made the cut.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University leads with graduates earning $81,698 while maintaining 95th percentile mobility. Texas A & M University-College Station follows at $72,097 with an exceptional 99th percentile mobility score. These numbers prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
University Of Houston serves 41% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $62,377. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Florida International University exemplifies this with 99th percentile mobility and just 3.7% payment burden, earning 'Excellent' affordability status.
Earnings: $81,698 | Mobility: 95th percentile
40.9% Pell students with $62,377 earnings
3.7% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
7.2% family burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,325 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,837 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility |
| #4 | Clemson UniversityPublic | $71,513 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,463 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Excellent | $23,000 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | University Of HoustonPublic | $62,377 | $18,194 | Excellent | $18,072 | Good | 99th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $60,249 | $16,500 | Excellent | $13,610 | Excellent | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $57,552 | $23,833 | Excellent | $19,000 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $57,413 | $20,500 | Excellent | $38,513 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $57,289 | $21,500 | Excellent | $19,809 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $57,010 | $19,250 | Excellent | $23,211 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Texas State UniversityPublic | $56,906 | $21,000 | Excellent | $22,500 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $56,343 | $15,531 | Excellent | $13,835 | Excellent | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | East Carolina UniversityPublic | $55,146 | $22,750 | Excellent | $19,710 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Old Dominion UniversityPublic | $54,914 | $24,000 | Excellent | $18,866 | Good | 93th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $54,211 | $21,983 | Challenging | $19,433 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $53,551 | $18,750 | Excellent | $10,000 | Good | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $53,236 | $23,250 | Excellent | $16,000 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $53,040 | $19,606 | Excellent | $17,125 | Good | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $52,279 | $22,135 | Excellent | $18,071 | Good | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | $51,865 | $23,000 | Manageable | $25,348 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #22 | $51,836 | $20,231 | Good | $21,919 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $51,513 | $22,142 | Excellent | $25,567 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $51,450 | $22,934 | Good | $14,224 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $51,151 | $19,500 | Excellent | $17,353 | Manageable | 85th 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 →
