153 English colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $57,558.
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 | 90th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | $13,000 | Good | $27,998 | High | 91th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | $14,000 | Excellent | $30,844 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility |
| #4 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Rice UniversityPrivate | $89,718 | $11,000 | Excellent | $35,338 | High | 86th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Johns Hopkins UniversityPrivate | $87,555 | $10,250 | Excellent | $29,048 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Excellent | $28,903 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Excellent | $35,200 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Loyola University MarylandPrivate | $82,652 | $27,000 | Good | $50,344 | High | 83th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,325 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Emory UniversityPrivate | $80,137 | $18,250 | Excellent | $30,480 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $78,354 | $19,500 | Manageable | $40,025 | High | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Wake Forest UniversityPrivate | $78,158 | $21,500 | Excellent | $30,000 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility |
| #14 | American UniversityPrivate | $77,370 | $22,750 | Good | $39,169 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #15 | $77,369 | $22,996 | Manageable | $36,278 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,142 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility |
| #17 | University Of RichmondPrivate | $76,178 | $21,000 | Good | $30,512 | Challenging | 79th percentile mobility |
| #18 | University Of MiamiPrivate | $75,328 | $17,500 | Challenging | $37,267 | High | 86th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Excellent | $26,632 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | William & MaryPublic | $73,490 | $18,500 | Excellent | $30,326 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility |
| #21 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Good | $43,000 | High | 94th percentile mobility |
| #22 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #23 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,837 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility |
| #25 | Clemson UniversityPublic | $71,513 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,463 | Challenging | 94th 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 →
