12 Physical Sciences colleges in Georgia with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $59,171.
These 11 Physical Sciences 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.
Georgia Institute Of Technology-Main Campus leads the rankings, producing Physical Sciences graduates earning $102,772 while maintaining a 92nd percentile mobility score. At the other end, programs still deliver $44,544 in median earnings—demonstrating that Georgia's mobility-focused schools compete on outcomes, not just access.
The best mobility schools deliver a double win: they serve low-income students AND leave them with manageable debt. Georgia Tech exemplifies this—92nd percentile for mobility with just a 5.1% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings. Emory University also achieves excellent affordability at 7.8% burden.
Earnings: $102,772 | Mobility: 92nd percentile
51% Pell students with $49,361 earnings
5.1% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
13.9% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $102,772 | $21,672 | Excellent | $32,216 | Manageable | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Emory UniversityPrivate | $80,137 | $18,250 | Excellent | $30,480 | Manageable | 87th percentile mobility |
| #3 | University Of GeorgiaPublic | $68,726 | — | — | — | — | 94th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $58,140 | $22,250 | Excellent | $15,753 | Good | 71th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $57,552 | $23,833 | Good | $19,000 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $53,236 | $23,250 | Excellent | $16,000 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $50,135 | $17,750 | Excellent | $12,100 | Good | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $49,587 | $23,970 | Good | $15,047 | Challenging | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $49,361 | — | — | — | — | 81th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Augusta UniversityPublic | $48,472 | — | — | — | — | 85th percentile mobility |
| #11 | Georgia State UniversityPublic | $47,384 | $20,903 | Good | $14,837 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility |
| #12 | $44,544 | $26,000 | Manageable | $13,815 | Challenging | 60th 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 →
