16 Social Sciences colleges in North Carolina with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $55,882.
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 | 91th percentile mobility |
| #2 | Wake Forest UniversityPrivate | $78,158 | $21,500 | Excellent | $30,000 | Good | 79th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $72,200 | $14,000 | Excellent | $25,072 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Good | $23,000 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $57,289 | $21,500 | Good | $19,809 | Manageable | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | East Carolina UniversityPublic | $55,146 | $22,750 | Manageable | $19,710 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $54,967 | $19,500 | Good | $22,737 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $51,836 | $20,231 | Good | $21,919 | High | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $49,458 | $21,868 | Manageable | $18,241 | Challenging | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $48,160 | $22,858 | Good | $14,638 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $45,344 | $25,000 | High | $12,030 | High | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $44,440 | $27,000 | Good | $20,004 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $44,030 | $20,500 | Excellent | $20,305 | High | 83th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $43,407 | $25,000 | Good | $10,984 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $42,968 | $28,250 | Manageable | $19,245 | High | 93th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | $40,144 | $22,987 | Manageable | $8,791 | Challenging | 90th 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 →
