10 Physical Sciences colleges in North Carolina with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $59,489.
These 10 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.
Duke University leads the rankings, producing Physical Sciences graduates earning $97,800 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill follows at $72,200 with an impressive 95th percentile mobility ranking, demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
University of North Carolina at Pembroke serves 48% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $43,407. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Western Carolina University achieves 91st percentile mobility with just an 8.3% payment burden, meaning graduates keep most of their earnings.
Earnings: $97,800 | Mobility: 84th percentile
48% Pell students with $43,407 earnings
8.3% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
16.2% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | $13,000 | High | $27,998 | High | 84th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Manageable | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Manageable | $23,000 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $57,289 | $21,500 | Good | $19,809 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | East Carolina UniversityPublic | $55,146 | $22,750 | Good | $19,710 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $54,967 | $19,500 | Good | $22,737 | Challenging | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $51,836 | $20,231 | Good | $21,919 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $49,458 | $21,868 | Good | $18,241 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $44,030 | $20,500 | Manageable | $20,305 | High | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $43,407 | $25,000 | Manageable | $10,984 | Challenging | 77th 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 →
