145 English colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $57,840.
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 144 English programs made the cut.
Georgetown University leads the rankings, producing English graduates earning $103,494 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. Duke University follows at $97,800, with Vanderbilt University at $91,565. These outcomes prove schools serving low-income students can compete at the highest levels.
Johns Hopkins University serves 20% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $87,555. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Duke University exemplifies this with 84th percentile mobility and just a 4% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $103,494 | Mobility: 84th percentile
19.8% Pell students with $87,555 earnings
4.2% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
14.6% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgetown UniversityPrivate | $103,494 | $15,500 | Excellent | $33,944 | Manageable | 83th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | — | — | — | — | 84th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $94,810 | — | — | — | — | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | $14,000 | Excellent | $30,844 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility |
| #5 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Manageable | 80th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Rice UniversityPrivate | $89,718 | — | — | — | — | 77th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Johns Hopkins UniversityPrivate | $87,555 | $10,250 | Excellent | $29,048 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Excellent | $28,903 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Excellent | $35,200 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Loyola University MarylandPrivate | $82,652 | $27,000 | Good | $50,344 | High | 72th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,325 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | Emory UniversityPrivate | $80,137 | $18,250 | Excellent | $30,480 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $77,369 | — | — | — | — | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,142 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #15 | University Of MiamiPrivate | $75,328 | — | — | — | — | 76th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Excellent | $26,632 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | William & MaryPublic | $73,490 | $18,500 | Excellent | $30,326 | Challenging | 84th percentile mobility |
| #18 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Good | $43,000 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,837 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #22 | Clemson UniversityPublic | $71,513 | $21,500 | Good | $35,463 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $69,960 | $19,500 | Excellent | $26,987 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Excellent | $37,285 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility |
| #25 | Wofford CollegePrivate | $68,964 | $25,732 | Good | $58,390 | High | 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
