The University of New Orleans ranks among universities that are national leaders in economic mobility, according to a new report from the policy institute Third Way. UNO is in the top tier of institutions in the 2023 Economic Mobility Index report.

Distinct from traditional rankings and measures of institutional value, the index attempts to highlight institutions that are fulfilling higher education’s purpose of promoting economic mobility for their students. According to the report’s authors, that means not only serving students from low-income backgrounds well and setting them up for economic success, but also enrolling significant proportions of students with high financial need in the first place.

Institutions that rank highly on the Economic Mobility Index do so because they enroll large proportions of low- to moderate-income students and provide a quick return on investment, demonstrating a commitment to helping students not only access college, but also get across the finish line to reap the benefits of a postsecondary credential.

According to Third Way, it is critical that students and families understand how long it will take to see a return on their investment. In response, the think tank developed the Price-to-Earnings Premium, a new way of determining how long it takes students to recoup their educational costs at institutions across the United States.

UNO appears in tier 1 of the index, which represents the top 20% of institutions on the Economic Mobility Index. The report’s authors say “the institutions in the top tier are unambiguously delivering strong economic mobility outcomes.”