Social Mobility

Opportunity That Moves You Forward

Where you start shouldn’t limit how high you soar. At Monmouth, social mobility means graduating with the opportunity to open new doors. It begins with access—getting in to college—but the most important part of the journey is using every available resource while you are in college to graduate prepared for a meaningful career and life … and a future on your terms.

Monmouth University is in the top 15 of nationally ranked private institutions in the United States among colleges that serve a student population with 30% or more of Pell grant-eligible students. In their most recent rankings, these third-party evaluators included social mobility in their assessment of Monmouth University:

U.S. News & World Report: Top Performers on Social Mobility

Washington Monthly: 2026 Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars

Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges

Forbes: America’s Top Colleges 2027

Opportunity, By Design.

What helps students move forward?

Social mobility is about more than opening a door. It means helping students make the most of the opportunity once they arrive — through strong academics, financial access, support, experience, and preparation for what comes next. It grows from the academic, financial, professional, and personal opportunities students can draw on throughout their Monmouth experience.

Learn: Strong academics + support

Faculty engagement, advising, tutoring, writing support and learning resources help students build a strong foundation. Home to one of seven centers in the nation to receive an Outstanding Institutional Advising Program Award from the American College Testing and the National Academic Advising Association, the Center for Student Success at Monmouth offers a wide portfolio of services to help students persist and graduate.

Experience: Learning beyond the classroom

Internships, research, clinical placements, fieldwork, entrepreneurship, and other applied experiences connect learning to real settings. Our coastal location, just a mile from the ocean, opens a world of possibilities, while still within easy reach of the urban engines of New York and Philadelphia. Combined with regular employment exploration trips as part of the Career Trek program, students can visit top employers, experience various career paths, and connect with professionals and alumni in a variety of industries.

Connect: Mentors + professional networks

Career Development, alumni engagement, mentoring, and leadership opportunities help students build relationships that can expand what they know and whom they know. Career development is not just for seniors. Our caring and knowledgeable counselors share practical advice and open pathways for discovery through site visits and organized trips to nearby industry-leading companies.

Launch: Graduation + career readiness

Our goal is not simply to enroll students. It is to help them persist, graduate, and move toward meaningful work, continued education and long-term opportunity. Through individualized coaching, career education, employer connections, internships, networking opportunities, and professional development resources, our team supports students at every stage of their career journey.

The strongest proof of social mobility at Monmouth comes from students and alumni whose experiences connect opportunity to next steps.

Academic opportunity → internship → first professional role

When Karla Avila ’20, ’23M walked across the stage to receive her MBA, she achieved a milestone that fewer than 8% of Latinas in the United States attain: earning a master’s degree. Now a research analyst at NBCUniversal, Avila leverages her Spanish-speaking skills and Monmouth education to support ad sales by forecasting and predicting show performance on NBC and Telemundo, contributing to high-profile projects like the Super Bowl and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As a first-generation college student, she hopes to one day pay it forward by mentoring others like her.

“At Monmouth, I explored my passion for media and communication while refining my Spanish through courses like Spanish for Business and a life-changing study abroad experience in Cádiz, Spain. Hosting the award-winning show ‘Nuestros Sonidos Latinos’ on WMCX and producing content with HawkTV provided invaluable hands-on experience in production and scriptwriting—skills that helped me get to where I am today.”

Mentorship → confidence → next step

For Connor Hughes ’15, football wasn’t just a passion—it was a way of life. By the time he graduated from Monmouth, he had a resume any aspiring journalist would envy—thanks in part to breaking his first national news story as an undergraduate.

Since then, Hughes has made a name for himself in sports journalism. He’s held high-profile positions at such outlets as USA Today, NJ Advance Media, and The Athletic, where his coverage of the NFL made him a regular guest on CBS 2 New York. In 2022, Hughes made the jump full time to broadcast TV, joining SportsNet New York (SNY) as an NFL Insider and Reporter.

Hughes credits faculty members Aaron Furgason [’92], Matt Harmon [’96, ’04M], and the late Chris Cavallaro [’95] for working with him on his delivery in radio, which helped when his career shifted to TV.

“The professor who undeniably I owe so much of my career to, though, is John Morano. I cannot put into words how much he meant to me and helped me,” Hughes said. “After I graduated, the Star-Ledger hired me as their Jets beat writer. I got that job at 23-years old and was the youngest person in the media room by 10-plus years. I got such a leg up on my competition in large part because of the time Professor Morano invested in helping me get better.”

Resources.

Support for the path ahead.

Students do not have to navigate college alone. Monmouth offers resources that support academic progress, financial stability, career preparation, and connection.

“We will continue to expand access, improve outcomes, and deliver a powerful return on investment for a Monmouth degree.”
Dr. Patrick F. Leahy, president, Monmouth University