NEW ORLEANS - When it comes to elevating low-income students into the middle class, the University of New Orleans (UNO) is pulling its weight. According to the Social Mobility Index (SMI), an annual ranking developed by CollegeNET, UNO ranks in the top 10 percent of 4-year colleges and universities.
This achievement is particularly significant because it makes UNO the second highest ranked institution in Louisiana and the highest among Louisiana’s Carnegie R2 research universities.
In 2024, the University of New Orleans ranked No. 102 out of 1,205 U.S. institutions, placing it within the top 10 percent nationally. Such a ranking is a testament to UNO’s commitment to ensuring that students from low-income backgrounds are well-prepared to secure meaningful employment without the burden of excessive debt.
The Social Mobility Index (SMI) evaluates how effectively U.S. colleges and universities promote economic advancement for students from low-income backgrounds. Unlike traditional rankings that often emphasize institutional prestige, the SMI focuses on real-world outcomes. It evaluates factors such as tuition costs, the enrollment of economically disadvantaged students (for example, the percentage receiving Pell Grants), graduation and continuation rates, early career median salaries, and average student debt.
This is the 11th year the Social Mobility Index has been compiled by CollegeNET, a provider of web-based technologies for higher education.
UNO outperforms nearly 90 percent of U.S. institutions in its ability to support social mobility for low-income students. Although other institutions, such as several campuses in the California State University system, excel in areas like low tuition and robust academic support, UNO’s balanced performance across affordability, access, and post-graduation outcomes distinguishes it among the vast majority of universities.
According to the Social Mobility Index creators, CollegeNET, attending higher education is essential for winning higher-paying jobs and moving up economically, but rising tuition costs threaten to limit access, thereby widening income inequality and making it harder for low-income students to attend. From 1980 to 2004, the cost of college more than doubled as a percentage of family income.
Higher Education has become the new high school diploma in the U.S., essential for landing good jobs and moving up economically. However, rising tuition costs have made universities less accessible for low-income students. In 1980, tuition averaged about 26% of median family income, a figure that jumped to 56% by 2004.
Universities now spend tens of millions per student to improve their rankings, such as those by U.S. News & World Report, a move critics say deepens income inequality. In response, the Social Mobility Index recognizes schools that keep tuition low, enroll more disadvantaged students, and help graduates secure well-paying jobs. This ranking system offers a fresh model for higher education.
According to CollegeNET's report, the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best” rankings have been criticized as a “wealthist” system that privileges schools with large endowments and high percentages of students from the nation’s wealthiest families. This in turn reinforces racial and economic inequality as higher education institutions continue to push for higher rankings.
By ranking in the top ten percent of higher education institutions in the country, UNO has demonstrated that it is helping lift economically disadvantaged students up while keeping tuition affordable, that it supports students in securing higher-paying jobs shortly after graduation, and that it is substantially improving their economic mobility.
