7 Parks & Recreation colleges in Virginia with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $65,731.
Top Parks & Recreation graduates on this list earn over $86,863—and these schools actually serve the students who need them most. With mobility scores at the 60th percentile or above, these 7 programs deliver both access and results.
University Of Virginia-Main Campus leads the rankings, producing Parks & Recreation graduates earning $86,863 while maintaining a 93rd percentile mobility score. George Mason University follows at $76,343 with an even stronger 98th percentile mobility rating—proving schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
George Mason University serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $76,343. However, debt burdens vary: William & Mary achieves an excellent 7% payment burden versus 22% at other top programs, meaning graduates keep significantly more of their earnings.
Earnings: $86,863 | Mobility: 93rd percentile
39.1% Pell students with $44,813 earnings
7.1% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
20.6% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $86,863 | $17,500 | Challenging | $28,903 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Challenging | $25,142 | High | 98th percentile mobility |
| #3 | William & MaryPublic | $73,490 | $18,500 | Excellent | $30,326 | Challenging | 85th percentile mobility |
| #4 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Good | $37,285 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #5 | Old Dominion UniversityPublic | $54,914 | $24,000 | Manageable | $18,866 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #6 | Radford UniversityPublic | $53,739 | $24,000 | Manageable | $22,158 | High | 87th percentile mobility |
| #7 | Liberty UniversityPrivate | $44,813 | $24,500 | Manageable | $16,398 | High | 98th 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 →
