10 Liberal Arts colleges in North Carolina with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $51,303.
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 10 Liberal Arts programs made the cut.
At $72,200 in median earnings, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill tops this list of mobility-focused programs while maintaining 95th percentile mobility. The earnings range spans from $40,144 to $72,200, proving schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
Winston-Salem State University serves 62% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $45,344. Meanwhile, North Carolina State University At Raleigh delivers the best debt outcome with just 8% payment burden, landing in the 'Good affordability' category.
Earnings: $72,200 | Mobility: 95th percentile
62% Pell students with $45,344 earnings
8% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
19% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Excellent | $23,000 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | East Carolina UniversityPublic | $55,146 | $22,750 | Good | $19,710 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $51,836 | — | — | — | — | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $48,160 | $22,858 | Manageable | $14,638 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $45,344 | $25,000 | Manageable | $12,030 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $44,440 | $27,000 | Manageable | $20,004 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $44,030 | $20,500 | Manageable | $20,305 | High | 72th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $42,968 | — | — | — | — | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $40,144 | $22,987 | Manageable | $8,791 | Challenging | 80th 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 →
