16 Legal Studies colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $54,393.
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 16 Legal Studies programs made the cut.
University Of Miami leads the rankings, producing Legal Studies graduates earning $75,328 while maintaining a 78th percentile mobility score. The top schools demonstrate earnings ranging from $44,140 to $75,328—proving that programs serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
Nova Southeastern University serves 37% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $59,209. Even better: graduates face just a 16% payment burden, landing in the 'Good' affordability category. Access AND manageable debt.
Earnings: $75,328 | Mobility: 78th percentile
44% Pell students with $59,004 earnings
6% payment burden | Excellent
18% family burden | Challenging
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | University Of MiamiPrivate | $75,328 | $17,500 | Excellent | $37,267 | Challenging | 78th percentile mobility |
| #2 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Good | $37,285 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Nova Southeastern UniversityPrivate | $59,209 | $24,250 | Good | $21,738 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $59,004 | $17,831 | Good | $14,731 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $58,308 | $18,190 | Challenging | $16,036 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $57,131 | $20,500 | High | $13,859 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $54,560 | $17,622 | Good | $18,946 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $53,236 | $23,250 | Manageable | $16,000 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $51,151 | $19,500 | Manageable | $17,353 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $50,994 | $20,000 | Manageable | $29,387 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Clayton State UniversityPublic | $49,179 | $25,706 | Manageable | $12,973 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $49,137 | $16,624 | Manageable | $12,269 | Challenging | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $48,351 | $21,000 | Manageable | $15,191 | High | 82th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $45,795 | $22,500 | Manageable | $14,685 | Challenging | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | Liberty UniversityPrivate | $44,813 | $24,500 | Challenging | $16,398 | High | 98th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $44,140 | $22,500 | High | $14,301 | High | 91th 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 →
