9 Health Professions colleges in Tennessee with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $48,111.
We started with Health Professions programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 9 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville leads the rankings, producing Health Professions graduates earning $60,249 while maintaining a 96th percentile mobility score. Across this list, average graduate earnings reach $48,111—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
Tennessee State University serves 52% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $42,730. The mobility leaders deliver a double win: Tennessee Technological University ranks 89th percentile for mobility with just a 6% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $60,249 | Mobility: 96th percentile
52% Pell students with $42,730 earnings
6% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
11% family burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $60,249 | $20,500 | Excellent | $30,610 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $51,151 | $19,500 | Excellent | $17,353 | Manageable | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $48,541 | $20,000 | Good | $14,229 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $48,501 | $15,650 | Excellent | $11,640 | Good | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | University Of MemphisPublic | $48,458 | $23,300 | Excellent | $15,393 | Manageable | 90th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $44,859 | $19,442 | Good | $16,938 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $44,301 | $20,547 | Excellent | $14,710 | Good | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $44,213 | $21,024 | Excellent | $13,218 | Good | 72th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $42,730 | $27,000 | Manageable | $18,771 | Challenging | 82th 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 →
