Texas State named among top institutes for disadvantaged students

By Kayla J. Kennedy
University News Service
November 13, 2014

PayScale and CollegeNet have named Texas State University in the Social Mobility Index (SMI) as one of the top institutes that help disadvantaged students succeed, ranking 51 out of 539. 

The rankings focus directly on the problem of economic mobility and considers the percentage of student body whose families are below the U.S. median income, tuition, graduation rate, reported median salary zero-to-five years after graduation and endowment.  The colleges that rank highest in the SMI are institutes that educate more economically disadvantaged students at lower tuition, so they enter the work field with a well paying job, the website said. 

Robert D. Gratz, special assistant to Texas State’s president, said higher education opens the doors of opportunity for students and the ranking proves Texas State continues to benefit graduates.

“This latest ranking provides evidence that even as Texas State builds its reputation as an emerging research university, our graduates still gain significant benefits from the role we play in helping them move down the pathway to brighter futures,” Gratz said.

Texas State has 27.31 percent of low-income students, a graduation rate of 55.4 percent, with a median early career salary of $43,700 and a $165 million endowment, the website said. 

For a complete listing of the SMI rankings, please visit www.socialmobilityindex.org.