20 Social Work colleges in Texas with strong social mobility outcomes. Average earnings: $54,883.
These 20 Social Work programs aren't just accessible—they deliver results. Each school ranks in the 60th percentile or above for social mobility, meaning they actually enroll and graduate low-income students. Then we ranked them by graduate earnings, finding schools that are both accessible AND high-performing.
The University of Texas at Austin leads the rankings, producing Social Work graduates earning $75,121 while maintaining a 100th percentile mobility score. At the other end, graduates still earn $38,924—demonstrating that schools serving low-income students can compete on outcomes across the earnings spectrum.
The University of Texas at Arlington exemplifies the double win: serving 40% Pell Grant recipients and 44% first-generation students while producing graduates earning $63,199. With an 11.6% payment burden landing in the 'Good' affordability tier, graduates keep most of their earnings while managing loan payments.
Earnings: $75,121 | Mobility: 100th percentile
52% Pell students with $53,551 earnings
8.5% payment burden | Good - payment 8-12% of discretionary
16.9% family burden | Manageable - payment 12-18% of discretionary
| Rank | School | Graduate Earnings | Student Debt | Student GPS | Parent Debt | Parent GPS | Mobility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | $75,121 | $20,500 | Excellent | $26,632 | Challenging | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #2 | Texas Christian UniversityPrivate | $68,424 | $21,500 | Excellent | $54,925 | High | 76th percentile mobility |
| #3 | $63,199 | $17,527 | Good | $12,313 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #4 | Texas Tech UniversityPublic | $62,454 | $21,500 | Good | $23,443 | Challenging | 97th percentile mobility |
| #5 | $59,004 | $17,831 | Good | $14,731 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #6 | $57,010 | $19,250 | Good | $23,211 | Challenging | 98th percentile mobility | |
| #7 | Texas State UniversityPublic | $56,906 | $21,000 | Excellent | $22,500 | Manageable | 99th percentile mobility |
| #8 | Texas Woman's UniversityPublic | $56,544 | $19,218 | Good | $13,471 | Challenging | 92th percentile mobility |
| #9 | $55,747 | $21,030 | Good | $19,367 | Challenging | 75th percentile mobility | |
| #10 | $53,551 | $18,750 | Excellent | $10,000 | Manageable | 96th percentile mobility | |
| #11 | $53,040 | $19,606 | Good | $17,125 | Challenging | 88th percentile mobility | |
| #12 | $51,450 | — | — | — | — | 76th percentile mobility | |
| #13 | $50,923 | $18,000 | Excellent | $11,916 | Manageable | 97th percentile mobility | |
| #14 | $50,741 | $19,500 | Manageable | $12,719 | Challenging | 80th percentile mobility | |
| #15 | $50,296 | $20,500 | Good | $15,265 | Manageable | 91th percentile mobility | |
| #16 | Lamar UniversityPublic | $49,652 | $21,250 | Good | $11,359 | Manageable | 79th percentile mobility |
| #17 | $49,634 | $23,409 | Good | $18,080 | Challenging | 90th percentile mobility | |
| #18 | $49,620 | $12,950 | Excellent | $8,107 | Good | 99th percentile mobility | |
| #19 | $45,411 | $27,000 | Manageable | $16,012 | High | 92th percentile mobility | |
| #20 | $38,924 | $29,000 | Manageable | $19,929 | High | 88th 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 →
