9 Social Sciences colleges in South Carolina with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $59,375.
We started with Social Sciences programs scoring 60th percentile or above for mobility—schools that actually serve low-income students. Then we ranked by earnings. The result: 9 programs that prove accessibility and strong outcomes aren't mutually exclusive.
Citadel Military College Of South Carolina leads the rankings, producing Social Sciences graduates earning $72,085 while maintaining a 78th percentile mobility score. With outcomes ranging from $47,185 to $72,085, these programs demonstrate that schools serving diverse student populations can compete on results.
University Of South Carolina-Upstate serves 46% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $48,587. The debt story varies: Presbyterian College achieves a 10% payment burden ('Good' affordability), while others reach higher levels—a meaningful difference for graduates managing loan payments.
Earnings: $72,085 | Mobility: 78th percentile
46% Pell students with $48,587 earnings
10% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
21% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $72,085 | $21,096 | Good | $33,899 | High | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Clemson UniversityPublic | $71,513 | $21,500 | Good | $35,463 | High | 90th percentile mobility |
| #3 | Wofford CollegePrivate | $68,964 | $25,732 | Manageable | $58,390 | High | 85th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $62,177 | $21,500 | Good | $31,393 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | Presbyterian CollegePrivate | $60,194 | $26,000 | Good | $26,491 | Challenging | 77th percentile mobility |
| #6 | College Of CharlestonPublic | $56,416 | $23,250 | Manageable | $35,971 | High | 77th percentile mobility |
| #7 | $48,587 | $22,310 | Manageable | $14,836 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $47,258 | $23,750 | Manageable | $35,414 | High | 85th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | Winthrop UniversityPublic | $47,185 | $26,975 | High | $23,888 | High | 76th 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 →
