7 Social Work colleges in Tennessee with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $48,825.
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 8 Social Work programs made the cut.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville leads the rankings, producing Social Work graduates earning $60,249 while maintaining a 96th percentile mobility score. Across Tennessee, these mobility-focused programs average $48,063 in graduate earnings—proving schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes.
Tennessee State University serves 52% Pell Grant recipients—students from families earning under $60,000—while still producing graduates earning $42,730. The debt burden story varies widely: The University of Tennessee-Knoxville maintains a manageable 16% payment burden, while others face more challenging loads for graduates managing loan payments.
Earnings: $60,249 | Mobility: 96th percentile
52% Pell students with $42,730 earnings
16% payment burden | Manageable
30% family burden | High burden
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $60,249 | $20,500 | Good | $30,610 | High | 94th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | $51,151 | $19,500 | Good | $17,353 | Challenging | 74th percentile mobility | |
| #3 | $48,541 | $20,000 | Good | $14,229 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | University Of MemphisPublic | $48,458 | $23,300 | Manageable | $15,393 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $44,859 | $19,442 | Manageable | $16,938 | High | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $44,301 | $20,547 | Manageable | $14,710 | Challenging | 78th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | $44,213 | $21,024 | Manageable | $13,218 | Challenging | 70th 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 →
