6 Mathematics colleges in Tennessee with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $56,329.
We started with Mathematics programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 6 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Vanderbilt University leads the rankings, producing Mathematics graduates earning $91,565 while maintaining an 86th percentile mobility score. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville follows at $60,249 with an even stronger 96th percentile mobility rating, demonstrating that schools serving low-income students deliver competitive outcomes.
Middle Tennessee State University serves 31% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $48,541. Even better: graduates face just a 9% payment burden, landing in the 'Good' affordability category. These schools deliver both access AND manageable debt.
Earnings: $91,565 | Mobility: 86th percentile
46% Pell students with $44,301 earnings
1.9% payment burden | Excellent
6.6% family burden | Excellent
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Vanderbilt UniversityPrivate | $91,565 | $14,000 | Excellent | $30,844 | Excellent | 86th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $60,249 | $20,500 | Manageable | $30,610 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $48,541 | $20,000 | Good | $14,229 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | University Of MemphisPublic | $48,458 | $23,300 | Manageable | $15,393 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $44,859 | $19,442 | Good | $16,938 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $44,301 | $20,547 | Manageable | $14,710 | High | 81th 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 →
