Rank	School	Graduate Earnings	Student Debt	Student GPS	Parent Debt	Parent GPS	Mobility
#1	University Of GeorgiaPublic	$68,726	$18,500	Good	$20,855	Challenging	97th percentile mobility
#2	Augusta UniversityPublic	$48,472	$20,500	Manageable	$15,568	Challenging	92th percentile mobility
#3	Georgia State UniversityPublic	$47,384	$20,903	Good	$14,837	Manageable	99th percentile mobility
#4	Albany State UniversityPublic	$40,674	$25,024	Manageable	$10,892	Challenging	88th percentile mobility
#5	Dalton State CollegePublic	$40,251	$12,937	Excellent	$8,848	Manageable	78th percentile mobility
#6	Fort Valley State UniversityPublic	$36,666	$31,000	High	$17,705	High	80th percentile mobility

#1University Of Georgia

Athens, GA • Public

💰

$68,726Graduate Earnings

🎓97th percentile mobility

Cohort

$18,500

Student Debt

$20,855

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

9.7% burden

22.3% burden

📚

16.8%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

18.2%

First-Gen

📊27% pursue grad school

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#2Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Public

💰

$48,472Graduate Earnings

🎓92th percentile mobility

Cohort

$20,500

Student Debt

$15,568

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

13.2% burden

24.8% burden

📚

38.8%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

28.3%

First-Gen

📊39% pursue grad school

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#3Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA • Public

💰

$47,384Graduate Earnings

🎓99th percentile mobility

Cohort

$20,903

Student Debt

$14,837

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

9.0% burden

16.4% burden

📚

50.7%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

32.3%

First-Gen

🎓53% pursue grad school

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#4Albany State University

Albany, GA • Public

💰

$40,674Graduate Earnings

🎓88th percentile mobility

Cohort

$25,024

Student Debt

$10,892

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

12.8% burden

19.2% burden

📚

69.3%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

33.5%

First-Gen

🎓80% pursue grad school

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#5Dalton State College

Dalton, GA • Public

💰

$40,251Graduate Earnings

🎓78th percentile mobility

Cohort

$12,937

Student Debt

$8,848

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

7.1% burden

12.7% burden

📚

49.9%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

51.2%

First-Gen

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#6Fort Valley State University

Fort Valley, GA • Public

💰

$36,666Graduate Earnings

🎓80th percentile mobility

Cohort

$31,000

Student Debt

$17,705

Parent Debt

GPS Affordability(What's this?)

28.4% burden

47.0% burden

📚

73.3%

Pell Share

👨‍👩‍👧

34.2%

First-Gen

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How These Rankings Work

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.

Two-Step Methodology

Filter for Accessibility: Schools must be in the 60th percentile or above for our mobility index. This filters out schools that don't meaningfully serve low-income students.

Rank by Outcomes: Among schools passing the filter, we rank by median graduate earnings. This surfaces schools with strong outcomes, not just high accessibility.

Mobility Index Components

• Pell Grant share: % of students receiving federal Pell Grants (proxy for low-income)
• First-generation share: % of first-generation college students
• Earnings mobility: How much graduates earn relative to their starting economic position

Important Caveats

• The 60th percentile threshold is a design choice — schools at 59th percentile are excluded
• Mobility index weights may not reflect every user's priorities
• Schools serving middle-income students well may be underrepresented
• Higher earnings doesn't always mean better outcomes (teaching, social work have high value but lower salaries)

Our Methodology →About Azimuth →

Data based on 2024-2025 Dept of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →