17 Physical Sciences colleges in Texas with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $58,534.
We started with Physical Sciences programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 17 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
The University of Texas at Austin leads the rankings, producing Physical Sciences graduates earning $75,121 while maintaining a perfect 100th percentile mobility score. Texas A&M University-College Station follows at $72,097 with 99th percentile mobility, proving that top-performing programs can prioritize access without sacrificing outcomes.
The University of Texas at San Antonio serves 42% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $57,131. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley delivers an even stronger value proposition: 99th percentile mobility with just a 6% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' category for affordability.
Earnings: $75,121 | Mobility: 100th percentile
42% Pell students with $57,131 earnings
6% payment burden | Excellent
10% family burden | Good
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Excellent | $26,632 | Manageable | 100th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $72,097 | $17,804 | Excellent | $32,258 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | Texas Christian UniversityPrivate | $68,424 | $21,500 | Manageable | $54,925 | High | 73th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $68,227 | $18,000 | Good | $21,495 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $63,199 | $17,527 | Excellent | $12,313 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Texas Tech UniversityPublic | $62,454 | $21,500 | Good | $23,443 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #7 | University Of HoustonPublic | $62,377 | $18,194 | Excellent | $18,072 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility |
| #8 | $57,131 | $20,500 | Good | $13,859 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $57,010 | $19,250 | Good | $23,211 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | Texas State UniversityPublic | $56,906 | $21,000 | Excellent | $22,500 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility |
| #11 | $54,211 | $21,983 | Excellent | $19,433 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $53,551 | $18,750 | Good | $10,000 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $53,040 | $19,606 | Good | $17,125 | Challenging | 89th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $51,865 | $23,000 | Manageable | $25,348 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $50,923 | $18,000 | High | $11,916 | High | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $49,620 | $12,950 | Excellent | $8,107 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #17 | $38,924 | $29,000 | High | $19,929 | High | 88th 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 →
