8 Natural Resources colleges in North Carolina with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $60,307.
Top Natural Resources graduates on this list earn over $97,800—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 8 programs deliver both access and results.
Duke University leads the rankings, producing Natural Resources graduates earning $97,800 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill follows at $72,200 with a 95th percentile mobility rating, proving that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke serves 48% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $43,407. Meanwhile, Duke delivers exceptional affordability with just a 5% payment burden, meaning graduates keep nearly all their earnings for other priorities.
Earnings: $97,800 | Mobility: 84th percentile
48% Pell students with $43,407 earnings
5% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
18% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | $13,000 | Excellent | $27,998 | Challenging | 84th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Manageable | $23,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $54,967 | $19,500 | Manageable | $22,737 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $51,836 | $20,231 | Challenging | $21,919 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $49,458 | $21,868 | Manageable | $18,241 | High | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $44,030 | $20,500 | Challenging | $20,305 | High | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $43,407 | $25,000 | High | $10,984 | High | 77th 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 →
