1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Adelphi University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Adelphi University NY · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #370 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/adelphi-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/adelphi-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/adelphi-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/adelphi-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/adelphi-university/similar/) ## Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the composite standing is in the 75th percentile. ### Who it’s a good fit for Adelphi University is a private nonprofit university in Garden City, New York, where Health Professions leads the degree mix. Return is among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that to a remainder it does not explain than to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market. Pell recipients complete at a rate within a few points of the overall cohort, and mobility is above average. Affordability is below the levels seen at many peers: what the lowest-income families pay after aid sits well below the published cost, while the highest-income families pay closer to it. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions, and the largest program, Nursing, is also the best-paid. ## Adelphi University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 65.9% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 67.1% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $83,002 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $28,681 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $25,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $48,005 ## Adelphi University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Adelphi University is a private nonprofit university in Garden City, New York, enrolling 5,276 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the upper third of nonprofit four-year institutions, with return as the strongest pillar and affordability the weakest. The four pillars are spread wide, with access and mobility sitting between them. The university admits 65.9% of applicants, a rate that runs slightly below the 71.2% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 82.9% return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.4%. 67.2% complete a degree within six years, against a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 16.8% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes the first-time full-time cohort and not the full student body. The shape is a private university whose strongest pillar, return, sits far above the weakest, affordability. Return is the clearest strength at Adelphi University, whereas affordability is the main constraint in its Azimuth profile. Azimuth places return in the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, the school’s strongest pillar. Access sits in the 68th percentile, and mobility is in the 61st percentile. Affordability, the weakest pillar, is in the 10th percentile. The high return standing contrasts with a much lower affordability standing, so earnings measures and college costs point in different directions. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores at Adelphi University fell between 1,120 and 1,340. For the ACT, the middle 50% ranged from 24 to 30. 31.0% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access. Azimuth ranks the university #468 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate of 67.7%, which is 0.5 percentage points above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the entering cohort. Azimuth ranks Adelphi University #573 for mobility. Graduates earn about $16,364 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that coincides with a Pell completion rate that runs slightly ahead of the university's overall figure. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Adelphi University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #370 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 61 **Access & reach** National percentile: 68 **[Affordability](/school/adelphi-university/cost/)** National percentile: 10 **[Return on investment](/school/adelphi-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 93 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Social Work**#6** 2. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas**#8** 3. Biology, General**#25** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/adelphi-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Adelphi University briefing ## [Adelphi University cost & financial aid](/school/adelphi-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) With a published cost of attendance of $63,189 (an average across living arrangements), Adelphi University has a substantial sticker price before financial aid is considered. Tuition and fees are $49,110, and room and board are $20,028 under the published budget. Among aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $30,783. That represents $32,406 in average savings from the sticker cost. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $27,371; Adelphi’s figure is $3,412 above it. Azimuth places the university’s affordability pillar in the 10th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The high sticker price, net price above comparable institutions, and low affordability placement point in the same direction. Adelphi University has a published cost of attendance of $63,189 (an average across living arrangements), with [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s that vary across family-income bands. For aid recipients in the lowest family-income band, the average net price is $24,095; it is $24,700 in the lower-middle band, $28,681 in the middle band, $32,337 in the upper-middle band, and $35,672 in the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,577. Azimuth ranks Adelphi University #1,268 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Across all aid recipients, the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $30,783. Average aid offsets $32,406 of the sticker price, and aid covers about 51% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The peer median net price for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $27,371, with Adelphi’s average $3,412 above that figure. Published tuition and fees are $49,110, and room and board are listed at $20,028. Federal borrowing is common, and median debt is slightly higher than the comparable-institution figure. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $25,000, compared with $24,199 at comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $801 above. An estimated 89.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $48,005 for parent borrowers. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$28,681** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Adelphi University Federal borrowing is common at Adelphi University: 89.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $25,000. The peer median is $24,199 at comparable institutions (same type and size); Adelphi’s median is above that figure by $801. These figures describe federal-loan borrowers who completed rather than every undergraduate. For the separate population of [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) parent borrowers, median borrowing is $48,005. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Adelphi University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $83,002. That earnings level is in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. It is $14,752 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $16,364 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 93rd percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, stretch from $51,256 in a downside case through $83,002 typical to $112,945 in an upside case. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $25,000 in federal loans, $801 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month. The investment picture is mixed: earnings land well above the peer median while debt sits slightly above it. Parent borrowing is separate from student federal debt: median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing was $48,005 for parent borrowers. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $25,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $48,005 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $284/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $610/mo Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=adelphi-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/adelphi-university/cost/) 02 / Adelphi University briefing ## [Adelphi University career outcomes & earnings](/school/adelphi-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Adelphi University has return results that rank near the top of nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $16,364 more than the model expects for similar students. That earnings-beyond-expectations result, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 93rd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,430. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $11,934. The median earnings figure is $83,002 four years after completion, placing it in the 91st percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250; Adelphi stands $14,752 above it. Above-expected earnings and an above-peer median point in the same direction. Adelphi University has strong early-career earnings for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Their median earnings four years after completion are $83,002. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, are also favorable. Graduates earn about $16,364 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios based on the program mix range from $51,256 in the downside to $112,945 in the upside; the typical scenario aligns with the reported median. The earnings cohort includes 1,614 completers. Separately, an estimated 31.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The high earnings percentile and above-expected result point in the same direction. Federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $83,002 four years after completing a degree, placing them at the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median is $14,752 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Adelphi University #107 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $16,364 more than the model expects for similar students. The earnings gap sits at the 93rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,430. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $11,934. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,428. Degrees awarded cluster heavily in Health Professions, Business and Biological Sciences, with other fields making up the remainder. Estimated from the program mix, the downside earnings scenario is $51,256 and the upside scenario is $112,945. An estimated 31.1% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on the current program mix. The income range at Adelphi University depends substantially on field. Earnings scenarios from the program mix run from a downside of $51,256 to an upside of $112,945, rather than describing observed groups. Adelphi University presents a favorable earnings picture, though both borrowing and aid-recipient costs sit above comparable institutions. Borrowers who completed with federal student loans had median debt of $25,000, compared with $24,199, the peer median, or middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). The debt figure is $801 above that peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $16,364 more than the model expects for similar students. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $30,783, which is $3,412 above the peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 51% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Above-expected earnings sit alongside above-peer debt and net price, making the cost side an important part of the return picture. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$4,430 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$11,934 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$16,364 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/adelphi-university/outcomes/) 03 / Adelphi University briefing ## [Adelphi University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/adelphi-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) At 65.9%, Adelphi University has an admission outcome below the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). That rate is the share of applicants admitted for the reported entering class, rather than a forecast for an individual applicant. Applicants should use this rate alongside schools with a range of admission rates when building a college list. It offers context for the institution's recent applicant pool without determining any one applicant's result. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 65.9% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1120 **Reported average** 1219 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1340 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/adelphi-university/admissions/) 04 / Adelphi University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Adelphi University?](/school/adelphi-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Adelphi University shows a wide earnings range across its larger fields, led by Nursing at $112,945 four years after completion. The program awarded 430 degrees, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #27 nationally within its field. More moderate figures appear in Business Administration and Management, with $69,087 and 45 degrees awarded; Azimuth places it at #208 nationally within its field. Kinesiology and Physical Education records $66,003 on 63 degrees and ranks #35 nationally within its field. Psychology has $61,393, 94 degrees awarded, and an Azimuth rank of #46 nationally within its field. The contrast between the higher- and moderate-earning fields is clear. At Adelphi University, the best-ranked field is Social Work. Azimuth identifies 14 ranked bachelor’s fields. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Social Work #6 nationally in its field; 43 degrees were awarded, and median earnings were $66,162 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks Subject-Area Teacher Education #8 nationally in its field, with 26 degrees awarded and median earnings of $70,416 four years after completion. Biology holds an Azimuth national field rank of #25, awarded 89 degrees, and had median earnings of $75,921. Azimuth ranks Nursing #27 nationally in its field; 430 degrees were awarded, with median earnings of $112,945 four years after completion. Adelphi University awards bachelor's degrees across 14 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 18 with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is anchored by Health Professions, which accounts for 37.0% of degrees awarded, followed by Business at 11.0% and Biological Sciences at 9.2%. The largest single program is Nursing, at 430 degrees awarded, with Psychology next at 94 and Biology at 89. Nursing is also the highest-earning program, with a median of $112,945 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #7 in New York within its field. Its earnings sit at a benchmark ratio of 1.27x against the national median for the field. Subject-Area Teacher Education ranks #8 nationally and #5 in New York within its field, with 26 degrees awarded and median earnings of $70,416. Biology ranks #25 nationally and #3 in New York within its field, with median earnings of $75,921. The strength is concentrated: the largest program is also the highest-earning, and the next two ranked programs are much smaller. 18.6% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 430 degrees awarded** $112,945 **Psychology, General 94 degrees awarded** $61,393 **Biology, General 89 degrees awarded** $75,921 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 63 degrees awarded** $66,003 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 45 degrees awarded** $69,087 **Social Work 43 degrees awarded** $66,162 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/adelphi-university/majors/) 05 / Adelphi University briefing ## How does Adelphi University serve students from different backgrounds? Completion is steady for the first-time full-time cohort: the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 67.2%, and Pell recipients complete within six years at 67.7%, above the overall rate by 0.5 percentage points. Graduates earn about $16,364 more than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, reaches the 93rd percentile. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the mobility pillar is in the 61st percentile. Completion and modeled earnings point in the same direction. Adelphi University enrolls 5,276 undergraduates, with an admission rate of 65.9% and Pell Grant recipients comprising 31.0% of the undergraduate body. Those figures describe a private nonprofit university with several entry paths into its undergraduate population. Transfer entrants are estimated to represent 16.8% of undergraduates. For access, Azimuth puts Adelphi University in the 68th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, placing its enrollment mix and admissions picture above the middle of that national cohort. 06 / Adelphi University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Adelphi University?](/school/adelphi-university/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/adelphi-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Adelphi University. Admissions peerQuinnipiac University72.2% admitted+ Comparison with Adelphi University | Measure | Adelphi University | Quinnipiac University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $83,002 | $84,363+$1,361 vs Adelphi University | | Average annual net price | $30,783 | $40,675+$9,892 vs Adelphi University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 65.9% | 72.2% | [Explore Quinnipiac University →](/school/quinnipiac-university/) Higher-admission alternativeWagner College88.0% admitted+ Comparison with Adelphi University | Measure | Adelphi University | Wagner College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $83,002 | $85,313+$2,311 vs Adelphi University | | Average annual net price | $30,783 | $28,241\-$2,542 vs Adelphi University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 65.9% | 88.0% | Nearby alternativeWagner CollegeNearby option · NY+ Comparison with Adelphi University | Measure | Adelphi University | Wagner College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $83,002 | $85,313+$2,311 vs Adelphi University | | Average annual net price | $30,783 | $28,241\-$2,542 vs Adelphi University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 65.9% | 88.0% | Higher-earnings alternativeColorado School of Mines$100,252 earnings+ Comparison with Adelphi University | Measure | Adelphi University | Colorado School of Mines | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $83,002 | $100,252+$17,250 vs Adelphi University | | Average annual net price | $30,783 | $28,690\-$2,093 vs Adelphi University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 65.9% | 60.7% | [Explore Colorado School of Mines →](/school/colorado-school-of-mines/) Lower-cost alternativeHoly Family University$13,143 average net price+ Comparison with Adelphi University | Measure | Adelphi University | Holy Family University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $83,002 | $82,892\-$110 vs Adelphi University | | Average annual net price | $30,783 | $13,143\-$17,640 vs Adelphi University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 65.9% | 71.0% | [Explore Holy Family University →](/school/holy-family-university/) Similar profileSaint Joseph's University - PhiladelphiaMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Adelphi University | Measure | Adelphi University | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $83,002 | $84,010+$1,008 vs Adelphi University | | Average annual net price | $30,783 | $29,689\-$1,094 vs Adelphi University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 65.9% | 88.8% | [Explore Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia →](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/adelphi-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)