13 Social Work colleges in North Carolina with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $49,121.
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 12 Social Work programs made the cut.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh leads the rankings, producing Social Work graduates earning $68,758 while maintaining a 95th percentile mobility score. The earnings range spans from $40,144 to $68,758, proving that schools serving low-income students deliver competitive outcomes.
Winston-Salem State University serves 62% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while producing graduates earning $45,344. The best mobility schools deliver a double win: Western Carolina University exemplifies this with 91st percentile mobility and just a 13% payment burden, meaning graduates keep more of their earnings.
Earnings: $68,758 | Mobility: 95th percentile
62% Pell students with $45,344 earnings
13% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
22% family burden | Challenging - payment 18-25% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $68,758 | $20,121 | Good | $23,000 | Challenging | 95th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $57,289 | $21,500 | Manageable | $19,809 | Challenging | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | East Carolina UniversityPublic | $55,146 | $22,750 | Good | $19,710 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility |
| #4 | $54,967 | $19,500 | Good | $22,737 | High | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #5 | $51,836 | $20,231 | Good | $21,919 | Challenging | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $49,458 | $21,868 | Excellent | $18,241 | Manageable | 86th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $48,160 | $22,858 | Manageable | $14,638 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #8 | $45,344 | $25,000 | Good | $12,030 | Manageable | 84th percentile mobility | |
| #9 | $44,440 | $27,000 | Manageable | $20,004 | High | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $43,407 | $25,000 | Good | $10,984 | Manageable | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $42,968 | $28,250 | Manageable | $19,245 | High | 87th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $40,144 | $22,987 | Manageable | $8,791 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | Bennett CollegePrivate | $36,654 | — | — | — | — | 62th 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 May 2026 refresh for 2026 rankings, based on Department of Education reporting standards. Learn about our methodology →
