1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Angelo State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Angelo State University TX · Medium public institution · Overall rank #645 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/angelo-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/angelo-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/angelo-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/angelo-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/angelo-state-university/similar/) ## Overall, Angelo State University sits in Azimuth’s 56th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Angelo State University is a public university in San Angelo, Texas, with a degree mix led by Business, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, and Health Professions. Affordability is its strongest pillar, sitting well above average, while return is the weakest, modestly below average. Graduates earn roughly what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes part of the result to STEM programs, which add to earnings, and part to the other factors it measures, which subtract, while the unexplained remainder also adds. Return is modestly below average, and the typical graduate earns below the median at comparable schools. The net price for the lowest income band sits well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it, and affordability is well above average. Pell students complete at a rate below the overall cohort, and mobility is around the average. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, so the four-year earnings figure is measured while most of the cohort is working. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid field, International Relations and National Security Studies, is not among the biggest ones. ## Angelo State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 83.0% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 44.0% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $54,923 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $14,787 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $20,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $15,000 ## Angelo State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Angelo State University is a public university in San Angelo, Texas, enrolling 5,643 undergraduates. Its composite standing among nonprofit four-year institutions is near the middle of the field (56th percentile). The university admits 83.0% of applicants, against a peer median of 85.9% — the middle value for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Among full-time entrants, 68.6% return after the first year, compared with a peer median of 73.7%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 44.0%, while the peer median sits at 49.1%. An estimated 23.4% of entrants arrive at Angelo State University as transfers, so that six-year figure does not capture the path of all students who earn a degree here. Affordability is the strongest of the four pillars (80th percentile), and return is the weakest (35th percentile). Access and mobility sit between them, both near the middle of the field (49th and 53rd percentiles). The gap between the strongest and weakest pillars is wide. Affordability is the clearest part of Angelo State University's profile, with a stronger showing on cost than on return. Azimuth places affordability in the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, its strongest pillar. Azimuth puts return in the 35th percentile and access in the 49th percentile among the same institutions. Mobility stands in the 53rd percentile. The profile is uneven: affordability is strongest, while return is the weakest pillar. Among enrolled students who submitted test scores, the middle 50% on the SAT spanned 910 to 1,150. The ACT middle 50% ran from 18 to 24. Pell Grants go to 27.6% of undergraduates. For access, Azimuth places Angelo State University at #744 among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year completion rate for Pell recipients is 38.4%, which sits 5.6 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (44.0%). Azimuth ranks the university #691 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $642 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. [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/) Angelo State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #645 | | [Texas](/rankings/best-colleges-in-texas/) | #48 | | [South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/) | #219 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 53 **Access & reach** National percentile: 49 **[Affordability](/school/angelo-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 80 **[Return on investment](/school/angelo-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 35 01 / Angelo State University briefing ## [Angelo State University cost & financial aid](/school/angelo-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) For aid recipients, Angelo State University has an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $15,091, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. That is below the published cost of attendance of $23,441, with average aid offsetting $8,350 of the published price. Published in-state tuition and fees are $8,460, compared with $18,300 for out-of-state tuition and fees; room and board are $12,140. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $14,068, and Angelo State sits $1,023 above that figure. Azimuth places the university in the 80th percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Its published charges are moderate, but the average net price remains somewhat above the comparable-school median. At Angelo State University, the published cost of attendance is $23,441, with aid-recipient prices varying by family-income band. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $12,008 for the lowest family-income band, $12,910 for the lower-middle band, $14,787 for the middle band, $17,958 for the upper-middle band, and $22,368 for the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,360. Azimuth ranks the university #289 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 36% of the published cost and averages $8,350 in savings against the sticker price. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $15,091. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068, and Angelo State’s average is $1,023 above it. Published in-state tuition is $8,460, compared with $18,300 for out-of-state tuition. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $20,000. That is $1,229 below the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and 76.3% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $15,000. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. 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**$14,787** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Angelo State University Federal borrowing at Angelo State University is lower than the comparable-school midpoint, though most undergraduates take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt at completion is $20,000. Federal loans are used by 76.3% of federal aid recipients. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $21,229, placing Angelo State University's median $1,229 below it. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $15,000. At Angelo State University, affordability is the stronger part of the cost picture, while the investment indicators are uneven. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $54,923 four years after completion; Azimuth places that figure in the 32nd 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, sit in the 57th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $642 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Earnings scenarios place downside earnings at $43,565, typical earnings at $54,923, and upside earnings at $79,744. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $20,000, below the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $21,229 by $1,229. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower borrowing and near-expected earnings point in different directions. Among the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $15,000. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 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** $20,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $15,000 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $227/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $191/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=angelo-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/angelo-state-university/cost/) 02 / Angelo State University briefing ## [Angelo State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/angelo-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) For federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $54,923 four years after completion, in the 32nd percentile. This is $2,378 below the peer median of $57,301, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $642 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. [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, falls in the 57th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth puts Angelo State University in the 35th percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $578. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $1,220. Earnings are below the peer median even as they sit effectively at the model's expected level. Angelo State University posts median earnings of $54,923 four years after completion. The measure covers federally aided completers who are working and no longer enrolled, making it a schoolwide earnings measure rather than a result for any one field. Azimuth places those earnings in the 32nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 1,138 completers. Scenarios modeled from the program mix put typical earnings at $54,923, with a downside scenario of $43,565 and an upside scenario of $79,744. An estimated 29.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The scenarios show a broad range around the schoolwide median. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $54,923, at the 32nd percentile nationally. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $57,301, leaving the university $2,378 below that figure. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Angelo State University #947 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $642 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. That places the gap at the 57th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $578. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $1,220. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,095. The program mix tilts toward fields with moderate earnings. The downside earnings scenario, estimated from that mix, is $43,565, while the upside scenario reaches $79,744. An estimated 29.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. At Angelo State University, field choice leaves a wide range in modeled earnings. The downside earnings scenario is $43,565, the typical scenario is $54,923, and the upside scenario is $79,744 four years after completion; these are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups. At Angelo State University, borrowing is lower than at comparable institutions, but the wider financial picture is mixed. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $20,000. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $21,229; the university's figure is below it by $1,229. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. [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, offer a separate lens. Graduates earn about $642 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,091, above the $14,068 peer median by $1,023. Lower debt sits alongside a higher average net price and earnings near the model's expected level, so the financial picture is mixed. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** \-$578 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$1,220 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$642 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/angelo-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / Angelo State University briefing ## [Angelo State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/angelo-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Angelo State University’s admission rate of 83.0% means that a large share of applicants in the reported entering-class pool received an offer. The rate is below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Applicants should compare their academic record and submitted scores with the university’s published ranges when building an application list. This rate summarizes a prior applicant pool and cannot predict an individual admission decision. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 83.0% **Approximate lower endpoint** 910 **Reported average** 1054 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1150 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/angelo-state-university/admissions/) 04 / Angelo State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Angelo State University?](/school/angelo-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At Angelo State University, the higher-earning end of the program picture includes International Relations and National Security Studies, where median earnings are $87,991 four years after completion across 45 degrees awarded. Nursing also sits toward that end, with $81,432 in median earnings and 72 degrees awarded. More moderate earnings appear in Psychology, at $45,910 across 82 degrees awarded, and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, at $44,296 across 153 degrees awarded. The contrast between these fields shows that four-year earnings vary substantially by program, including among programs with sizeable numbers of degrees awarded. Program earnings vary widely at Angelo State University, so the field a student chooses matters more than a schoolwide figure alone. The university has 17 bachelor's programs with published earnings data, and the highest-earning fields include International Relations and National Security Studies, Nursing, Accounting, and Finance. Angelo State University awards bachelor's degrees across a wide mix of fields. Business is the largest family at 16.2% of degrees awarded, followed by Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at 13.0% and Health Professions at 11.1%. The university has 17 programs with published four-year earnings data. The single largest program is Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, with 153 degrees awarded, ahead of Psychology at 82, Kinesiology and Physical Education at 76, Nursing at 72, and Business Administration and Management at 65. The highest-earning program is International Relations and National Security Studies, where graduates earn $87,991 four years after completion from 45 degrees awarded. Nursing, also one of the five largest programs, shows median earnings of $81,432. Accounting follows at $68,230 from 32 degrees awarded, while Finance earns $61,740 from 29. Computer and Information Sciences records $57,583 from 33 degrees awarded. No largest program besides Nursing appears among the top three earners. The highest earnings are concentrated in a narrow set of professional and technical fields, while the largest programs by degrees awarded show four-year medians well below the top earners. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, the biggest program, records $44,296, and Psychology shows $45,910. 16.6% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings for programs whose graduates commonly continue to graduate study may understate what those graduates earn later on, since the four-year horizon captures only early-career pay. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 153 degrees awarded** $44,296 **Psychology, General 82 degrees awarded** $45,910 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 76 degrees awarded** $53,743 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 72 degrees awarded** $81,432 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 65 degrees awarded** $54,543 **Social Work 62 degrees awarded** $50,651 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/angelo-state-university/majors/) 05 / Angelo State University briefing ## How does Angelo State University serve students from different backgrounds? Mobility at Angelo State University is mixed, with lower completion for Pell recipients and graduate earnings effectively at the expected level. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 44.0%; Pell recipients complete within six years at 38.4%, below the overall rate by 5.6 percentage points. Graduates earn about $642 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. [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, is in the 57th percentile. Azimuth puts the mobility pillar in the 53rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The completion difference and near-expected earnings give mobility a mixed picture. Angelo State University presents several routes into undergraduate study: its reported entering class had an admission rate of 83.0%. The university enrolls 5,643 undergraduates; 27.6% receive Pell Grants, and an estimated 23.4% arrive as transfers or part-time students. For context, Azimuth puts the access pillar in the 49th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The admission, Pell, and transfer figures describe access through both direct entry and transfer. 06 / Angelo State University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Angelo State University?](/school/angelo-state-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/angelo-state-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Angelo State University. Admissions peerHardin-Simmons University90.0% admitted+ Comparison with Angelo State University | Measure | Angelo State University | Hardin-Simmons University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $54,923 | $53,769\-$1,154 vs Angelo State University | | Average annual net price | $15,091 | $19,555+$4,464 vs Angelo State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 90.0% | Higher-admission alternativeWest Texas A & M University98.7% admitted+ Comparison with Angelo State University | Measure | Angelo State University | West Texas A & M University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $54,923 | $55,166+$243 vs Angelo State University | | Average annual net price | $15,091 | $19,487+$4,396 vs Angelo State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 98.7% | [Explore West Texas A & M University →](/school/west-texas-a-m-university/) Nearby alternativeHardin-Simmons UniversityNearby option · TX+ Comparison with Angelo State University | Measure | Angelo State University | Hardin-Simmons University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $54,923 | $53,769\-$1,154 vs Angelo State University | | Average annual net price | $15,091 | $19,555+$4,464 vs Angelo State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 90.0% | Higher-earnings alternativeSan Jose State University$89,614 earnings+ Comparison with Angelo State University | Measure | Angelo State University | San Jose State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $54,923 | $89,614+$34,691 vs Angelo State University | | Average annual net price | $15,091 | $13,760\-$1,331 vs Angelo State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 84.6% | [Explore San Jose State University →](/school/san-jose-state-university/) Lower-cost alternativeTexas A & M International University$3,637 average net price+ Comparison with Angelo State University | Measure | Angelo State University | Texas A & M International University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $54,923 | $50,288\-$4,635 vs Angelo State University | | Average annual net price | $15,091 | $3,637\-$11,454 vs Angelo State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 44.4% | [Explore Texas A & M International University →](/school/texas-a-m-international-university/) Similar profileSouthern University and A & M CollegeMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Angelo State University | Measure | Angelo State University | Southern University and A & M College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $54,923 | $54,666\-$257 vs Angelo State University | | Average annual net price | $15,091 | $20,077+$4,986 vs Angelo State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 35.1% | 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/angelo-state-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 27, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 27, 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 is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. 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/)