Rank	School	Graduate Earnings	Student Debt	Student GPS	Parent Debt	Parent GPS	Mobility
#1	Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New OrleansPublic	$78,495	$19,500	Excellent	$16,935	Good	87th percentile mobility
#2	Northwestern State University Of LouisianaPublic	$47,021	$25,000	Excellent	$11,900	Good	83th percentile mobility
#3	University Of Louisiana At MonroePublic	$46,769	$21,500	Excellent	$10,174	Good	84th percentile mobility
#4	Southeastern Louisiana UniversityPublic	$46,482	$22,113	Manageable	$10,611	Challenging	92th percentile mobility
#5	Mcneese State UniversityPublic	$46,453	$23,000	Good	$13,410	Manageable	83th percentile mobility

#1Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans

New Orleans, LA • Public

💰

$78,495Graduate Earnings

🎓87th percentile mobility

Cohort

$19,500

Student Debt

$16,935

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

5.5% burden

11.1% burden

📚

35.1%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

36.3%

First-Gen

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#2Northwestern State University Of Louisiana

Natchitoches, LA • Public

💰

$47,021Graduate Earnings

🎓83th percentile mobility

Cohort

$25,000

Student Debt

$11,900

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

9.6% burden

14.8% burden

📚

35.2%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

42.4%

First-Gen

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#3University Of Louisiana At Monroe

Monroe, LA • Public

💰

$46,769Graduate Earnings

🎓84th percentile mobility

Cohort

$21,500

Student Debt

$10,174

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

6.8% burden

10.5% burden

📚

34.8%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

38.0%

First-Gen

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#4Southeastern Louisiana University

Hammond, LA • Public

💰

$46,482Graduate Earnings

🎓92th percentile mobility

—

Cohort

$22,113

Student Debt

$10,611

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

26.2% burden

40.6% burden

📚

33.3%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

39.9%

First-Gen

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#5Mcneese State University

Lake Charles, LA • Public

💰

$46,453Graduate Earnings

🎓83th percentile mobility

Cohort

$23,000

Student Debt

$13,410

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

8.5% burden

14.1% burden

📚

34.6%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

38.5%

First-Gen

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How These Rankings Work

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.

Two-Step Methodology

Filter for Accessibility: Schools must be in the 60th percentile or above for our mobility index. This filters out schools that don't meaningfully serve low-income students.

Rank by Outcomes: Among schools passing the filter, we rank by median graduate earnings. This surfaces schools with strong outcomes, not just high accessibility.

Mobility Index Components

• Pell Grant share: % of students receiving federal Pell Grants (proxy for low-income)
• First-generation share: % of first-generation college students
• Earnings mobility: How much graduates earn relative to their starting economic position

Important Caveats

• The 60th percentile threshold is a design choice — schools at 59th percentile are excluded
• Mobility index weights may not reflect every user's priorities
• Schools serving middle-income students well may be underrepresented
• Higher earnings doesn't always mean better outcomes (teaching, social work have high value but lower salaries)

Our Methodology →About Azimuth →

Data based on 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →