13 English colleges in North Carolina with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $55,938.
We started with English programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 14 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
English outcomes peak at Duke University, where graduates earn $97,800 while maintaining 84th percentile mobility. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill follows at $72,200 with exceptional 95th percentile mobility. Across these 14 programs, earnings average $55,181—proving schools serving low-income students deliver competitive results.
Winston-Salem State University serves 62% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $45,344. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Duke University combines 84th percentile mobility with just a 4% payment burden, meaning graduates keep most of their earnings while schools maintain genuine accessibility.
Earnings: $97,800 | Mobility: 84th percentile
62% Pell students with $45,344 earnings
4% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
15% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | — | — | — | — | 84th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Good | $23,000 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $57,289 | $21,500 | Good | $19,809 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | East Carolina UniversityPublic | $55,146 | $22,750 | Manageable | $19,710 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $54,967 | $19,500 | Manageable | $22,737 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $51,836 | $20,231 | Good | $21,919 | High | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $49,458 | $21,868 | Manageable | $18,241 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $48,160 | $22,858 | Challenging | $14,638 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $44,440 | $27,000 | Challenging | $20,004 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $44,030 | $20,500 | High | $20,305 | High | 72th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $42,968 | — | — | — | — | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $40,144 | — | — | — | — | 80th 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
