15 Social Sciences colleges in North Carolina with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $54,396.
Most rankings ignore accessibility. We flipped the model: first, filter for schools that actually enroll and graduate low-income students (60th percentile+ mobility). Then rank by earnings. These 15 Social Sciences programs made the cut.
Duke University leads the rankings, producing Social Sciences graduates earning $97,800 while maintaining an 84th percentile mobility score. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill follows at $72,200 with a 95th percentile mobility rating. Graduate earnings span from $40,144 to $97,800, proving accessible schools can deliver strong outcomes.
Winston-Salem State University serves 62% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $45,344. Duke exemplifies the double win: 84th percentile mobility with just a 3.5% payment burden, landing in the 'Excellent' affordability tier. These schools deliver both access AND manageable debt.
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Duke UniversityPrivate | $97,800 | $13,000 | Excellent | $27,998 | Good | 84th percentile mobility |
| #2 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Good | $23,000 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $57,289 | $21,500 | Manageable | $19,809 | High | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | East Carolina UniversityPublic | $55,146 | $22,750 | Good | $19,710 | High | 93th percentile mobility |
| #6 | $54,967 | $19,500 | Manageable | $22,737 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $51,836 | $20,231 | Manageable | $21,919 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $49,458 | $21,868 | Manageable | $18,241 | High | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $48,160 | $22,858 | Manageable | $14,638 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $45,344 | $25,000 | High | $12,030 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $44,440 | $27,000 | Manageable | $20,004 | High | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $44,030 | $20,500 | Challenging | $20,305 | High | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $43,407 | $25,000 | Challenging | $10,984 | High | 77th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $42,968 | $28,250 | Challenging | $19,245 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $40,144 | $22,987 | Challenging | $8,791 | High | 80th 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 →
