11 Natural Resources colleges in Texas with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $56,884.
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 11 Natural Resources programs made the cut.
Texas A & M University-College Station leads the rankings, producing Natural Resources graduates earning $72,097 while maintaining a 99th percentile mobility score. Texas Tech University follows at $62,454, also with strong mobility credentials at the 97th percentile—proving accessibility and outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
University of Houston serves 41% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $62,377. Even better: graduates face just an 8.2% payment burden, landing in the 'Good' category. The University of Texas at El Paso pushes accessibility further at 61% Pell students, demonstrating these programs truly serve those who need opportunity most.
Earnings: $72,097 | Mobility: 99th percentile
60.6% Pell students with $50,923 earnings
8.2% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
16.1% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Manageable | $32,258 | High | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Texas Tech UniversityPublic | $62,454 | $21,500 | Manageable | $23,443 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #3 | University Of HoustonPublic | $62,377 | $18,194 | Good | $18,072 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $59,004 | $17,831 | Good | $14,731 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $57,131 | $20,500 | Good | $13,859 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Texas State UniversityPublic | $56,906 | $21,000 | Challenging | $22,500 | High | 99th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $53,040 | $19,606 | Manageable | $17,125 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $51,865 | $23,000 | Manageable | $25,348 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $50,923 | $18,000 | High | $11,916 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $50,296 | $20,500 | High | $15,265 | High | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $49,634 | $23,409 | Manageable | $18,080 | High | 90th 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 →
