6 Public Administration colleges in Alabama with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $52,384.
We started with Public Administration programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 6 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Auburn University leads the rankings, producing Public Administration graduates earning $65,337 while maintaining an 89th percentile mobility score. The University of Alabama follows at $59,221 with a 92nd percentile mobility rating. These outcomes demonstrate that schools serving low-income students can compete on results, not just access.
University of Alabama at Birmingham serves 33% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $54,501. Graduates face a manageable 17% payment burden, landing in the 'Manageable' category. Auburn delivers even better value at 13% burden with higher earnings—proving access and affordability can coexist.
Earnings: $65,337 | Mobility: 89th percentile
64% Pell students with $40,628 earnings
12.7% payment burden | Good
32.5% family burden | High burden
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Auburn UniversityPublic | $65,337 | $21,000 | Good | $43,605 | High | 89th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $59,221 | $22,750 | Manageable | $48,666 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $54,501 | $22,300 | Manageable | $20,498 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $49,379 | $24,929 | Challenging | $26,683 | High | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $45,235 | $22,189 | Challenging | $13,672 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | Alabama A & M UniversityPublic | $40,628 | $31,000 | Challenging | $19,266 | High | 81th 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 →
