WINSTON-SALEM – The rankings Winston-Salem State University Chancellor Elwood Robinson cares about aren’t the ones that show how selective a university is.

It’s the rankings for social mobility.

“That’s almost a key hallmark of what we do at Winston-Salem State University,” Robinson says in the accompanying video.

“And that is providing opportunities to come here and get a wonderful educational experience and go out into the world – oftentimes changing the trajectory of their families by being employed and making a high salary.”

WSSU’s students often come from rural or under-resourced families, Robinson says. The university has a higher percentage of Pell-eligible students than most.

“So being able to provide a high-quality education for students who come out of that environment is important for us,” he says.

Robinson notes that for the past five years, WSSU has ranked among the top 20 schools in the nation in the Social Mobility Index, a measure of how well an institution adds to the economic and social advancement of its students.

Similarly, “We were so proud a couple years ago when we found that the seniors that were graduating from Winston-Salem State University were employed at the highest rate in the UNC System – very proud of that, at almost 80%,” he says, adding that the percentage is even higher in health fields.

“A university that does that – I consider that to be a great university,” he says.