114 Parks & Recreation colleges in the South with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $55,243.
These 114 Parks & Recreation programs aren't just accessible—they deliver results. Each school ranks in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, meaning they actually enroll and graduate low-income students. Then we ranked them by graduate earnings, finding schools that are both accessible AND high-performing.
Rice University leads the rankings, producing Parks & Recreation graduates earning $89,718 while maintaining a 78th percentile mobility score. At the top end, earnings reach nearly $90,000—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes, not just access.
The University of Maryland-College Park serves 19% Pell Grant recipients while delivering $82,860 in graduate earnings and an excellent 7% payment burden. Rice University exemplifies the double win: 78th percentile mobility with just a 4% debt burden, meaning graduates keep most of their earnings while schools actually serve those who need them most.
Earnings: $89,718 | Mobility: 78th percentile
30% Pell students with $76,343 earnings
3.8% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
16.5% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Rice UniversityPrivate | $89,718 | $11,000 | Excellent | $35,338 | Manageable | 78th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Challenging | $28,903 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $82,860 | $19,000 | Excellent | $35,200 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Emory UniversityPrivate | $80,137 | $18,250 | Good | $30,480 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility |
| #5 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Challenging | $25,142 | High | 98th percentile mobility |
| #6 | University Of MiamiPrivate | $75,328 | $17,500 | Excellent | $37,267 | Challenging | 78th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Good | $26,632 | Challenging | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | William & MaryPublic | $73,490 | $18,500 | Excellent | $30,326 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility |
| #9 | University Of DelawarePublic | $72,950 | $24,572 | Excellent | $43,000 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $72,085 | $21,096 | Excellent | $33,899 | Challenging | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | University Of FloridaPublic | $71,588 | $15,000 | Excellent | $18,837 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #14 | Clemson UniversityPublic | $71,513 | $21,500 | Manageable | $35,463 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #15 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Good | $37,285 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #16 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Good | $23,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | University Of GeorgiaPublic | $68,726 | $18,500 | Excellent | $20,855 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility |
| #18 | Towson UniversityPublic | $64,390 | $18,718 | Good | $28,489 | High | 95th percentile mobility |
| #19 | $63,199 | $17,527 | Good | $12,313 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $63,126 | $20,654 | Good | $31,890 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #21 | Howard UniversityPrivate | $63,066 | $24,500 | Manageable | $58,682 | High | 84th percentile mobility |
| #22 | Texas Tech UniversityPublic | $62,454 | $21,500 | Good | $23,443 | High | 97th percentile mobility |
| #23 | University Of HoustonPublic | $62,377 | $18,194 | Good | $18,072 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility |
| #24 | $62,177 | $21,500 | Good | $31,393 | Challenging | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #25 | $61,767 | $20,705 | High | $20,297 | High | 73th 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 →
