127 Nursing colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $56,885.
We started with Nursing programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 120 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Georgetown University leads the rankings, producing Nursing graduates earning $103,494 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. Duke University follows at $97,800, also with 84th percentile mobility. These numbers demonstrate that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
George Mason University serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $76,343. Even better: graduates face just a 5% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category. Access AND affordability delivered.
Earnings: $103,494 | Mobility: 84th percentile
30% Pell students with $76,343 earnings
5% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
13% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgetown UniversityPrivate | $103,494 | $15,500 | Excellent | $33,944 | Excellent | 83th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | $13,000 | Excellent | $27,998 | Excellent | 84th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $92,961 | $13,396 | Excellent | $19,051 | Good | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $92,348 | $12,268 | Excellent | $17,355 | Excellent | 71th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | George Washington UniversityPrivate | $90,873 | $20,449 | Excellent | $30,881 | Good | 80th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $88,757 | $13,063 | Excellent | $19,446 | Excellent | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Excellent | $28,903 | Good | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $82,206 | $15,000 | Excellent | $16,624 | Good | 79th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Emory UniversityPrivate | $80,137 | $18,250 | Excellent | $30,480 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $78,495 | $19,500 | Excellent | $16,935 | Good | 79th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $77,014 | $26,500 | Excellent | $19,457 | Good | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Excellent | $25,142 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #13 | University Of MiamiPrivate | $75,328 | $17,500 | Excellent | $37,267 | Good | 76th percentile mobility |
| #14 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Excellent | $26,632 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $73,827 | $14,000 | Excellent | $13,940 | Excellent | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Excellent | $43,000 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Good | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $72,085 | — | — | — | — | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,837 | Good | 97th percentile mobility |
| #21 | Clemson UniversityPublic | $71,513 | $21,500 | Excellent | $35,463 | Manageable | 89th percentile mobility |
| #22 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Excellent | $37,285 | Manageable | 93th percentile mobility |
| #23 | Texas Christian UniversityPrivate | $68,424 | $21,500 | Excellent | $54,925 | Challenging | 76th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $66,318 | $12,500 | Excellent | $20,027 | Manageable | 62th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | Auburn UniversityPublic | $65,337 | $21,000 | Excellent | $43,605 | Challenging | 89th 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 →
