63 Family & Consumer Sciences colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $55,468.
We started with Family & Consumer Sciences programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 63 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
University of Virginia-Main Campus leads the rankings, producing Family & Consumer Sciences graduates earning $86,863 while maintaining a 93rd percentile mobility score. At the top, graduates earn nearly $87,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
George Mason University serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $76,343. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Texas A&M University-College Station ranks 99th percentile for mobility with just an 8.3% payment burden, landing in the 'Good' affordability category.
Earnings: $86,863 | Mobility: 93rd percentile
29.5% Pell students with $76,343 earnings
8.3% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
18.1% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Challenging | $28,903 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Good | $35,200 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Good | $35,325 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Good | $25,142 | High | 98th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Good | $26,632 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Challenging | $43,000 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $72,200 | $14,000 | High | $25,072 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Good | $32,258 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Good | $18,837 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #10 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Good | $37,285 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #11 | University Of GeorgiaPublic | $68,726 | $18,500 | Excellent | $20,855 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Auburn UniversityPublic | $65,337 | $21,000 | Challenging | $43,605 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #13 | Towson UniversityPublic | $64,390 | $18,718 | Good | $28,489 | High | 95th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Howard UniversityPrivate | $63,066 | $24,500 | Good | $58,682 | High | 84th percentile mobility |
| #15 | Texas Tech UniversityPublic | $62,454 | $21,500 | Manageable | $23,443 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #16 | University Of HoustonPublic | $62,377 | $18,194 | Good | $18,072 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility |
| #17 | Florida State UniversityPublic | $61,675 | $18,000 | Good | $17,000 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #18 | $61,251 | $20,500 | High | $25,645 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $60,249 | $20,500 | Good | $30,610 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $59,221 | $22,750 | Manageable | $48,666 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | University Of KentuckyPublic | $59,025 | $22,500 | Good | $30,006 | High | 92th percentile mobility |
| #22 | University Of ArkansasPublic | $58,191 | $21,500 | Good | $28,086 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #23 | $57,413 | $20,500 | Manageable | $38,513 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #24 | $57,010 | $19,250 | Manageable | $23,211 | High | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Texas State UniversityPublic | $56,906 | $21,000 | Manageable | $22,500 | High | 99th 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 →
