14 Psychology colleges in Virginia with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $64,459.
These 14 Psychology programs in Virginia 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.
University Of Virginia-Main Campus leads the rankings, producing Psychology graduates earning $86,863 while maintaining a 93rd percentile mobility score. Virginia Polytechnic Institute follows at $81,698 with an even stronger 95th percentile mobility rating. These outcomes prove schools serving low-income students can compete at the highest levels.
Virginia Commonwealth University serves 30% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $58,128. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: University Of Virginia combines 93rd percentile mobility with just a 6.4% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability category.
Earnings: $86,863 | Mobility: 93rd percentile
30% Pell students with $58,128 earnings
6.4% payment burden | Excellent - payment under 8% of discretionary
18.4% 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 | Excellent | $28,903 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $81,698 | $21,500 | Manageable | $35,325 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $77,369 | $22,996 | Good | $36,278 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | George Mason UniversityPublic | $76,343 | $19,500 | Good | $25,142 | High | 98th percentile mobility |
| #5 | William & MaryPublic | $73,490 | $18,500 | Good | $30,326 | High | 85th percentile mobility |
| #6 | James Madison UniversityPublic | $69,954 | $20,093 | Good | $37,285 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $60,613 | $20,500 | Good | $26,240 | High | 79th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $60,509 | $25,000 | Manageable | $44,122 | High | 79th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Randolph-Macon CollegePrivate | $58,448 | $27,000 | Manageable | $46,254 | High | 78th percentile mobility |
| #10 | $58,128 | $21,500 | Manageable | $23,585 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | Old Dominion UniversityPublic | $54,914 | $24,000 | Manageable | $18,866 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #12 | Radford UniversityPublic | $53,739 | $24,000 | Manageable | $22,158 | High | 87th percentile mobility |
| #13 | $45,543 | $26,500 | Manageable | $22,181 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | Liberty UniversityPrivate | $44,813 | $24,500 | Challenging | $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 →
