1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Auburn University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Auburn University AL · Large public institution · Overall rank #264 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/auburn-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/auburn-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/auburn-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/auburn-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/auburn-university/similar/) ## Azimuth places Auburn University in the 82nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Auburn University is a public university in Auburn, Alabama, where Business and Engineering account for the largest shares of degrees. Mobility is well above average. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures and a subtraction to the remainder it cannot explain. Pell students complete at a rate below the overall cohort, and affordability is modestly below average. 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 degree mix leans toward business and engineering. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are in engineering, not business. ## Auburn University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 45.9% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 82.0% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $73,151 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $20,558 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $21,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $43,605 ## Auburn University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Auburn University is a public university in Auburn, Alabama, enrolling 26,816 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the top fifth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (82nd percentile). The university admits 45.9% of applicants, a rate well below the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 94.8% return for a second year and 82.0% finish within six years. Both figures run above the medians for comparable institutions, which are 83.1% and 65.0%. An estimated 16.7% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students. The four pillars sit far apart. Mobility is the strongest, while affordability is the weakest. Return and access sit between them, creating a profile where the university's financial outcomes and selectivity are not matched by its net price. Mobility is the clearest strength in Auburn University’s Azimuth profile, whereas affordability is the constraint readers should weigh most closely. Azimuth puts mobility in the 89th percentile, the school’s strongest pillar. Return stands in the 76th percentile and access in the 75th percentile, while affordability is the weakest at the 32nd percentile. Strong mobility and solid return sit alongside a substantially lower affordability result. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores at Auburn University ran from 1,260 to 1,390, and the ACT middle 50% from 26 to 31. 12.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. For access, Azimuth ranks Auburn University #374 among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year completion rate for Pell recipients is 70.0%, 12.0 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (82.0%). Azimuth ranks the university #168 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,109 less than the model expects for similar students. [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/) Auburn University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #264 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 89 **Access & reach** National percentile: 75 **[Affordability](/school/auburn-university/cost/)** National percentile: 32 **[Return on investment](/school/auburn-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 76 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Architectural Engineering**#1** 2. Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management**#2** 3. Environmental Design**#3** 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/auburn-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Auburn University briefing ## [Auburn University cost & financial aid](/school/auburn-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published price at Auburn University leaves aid recipients with a higher average cost than at comparable institutions. The university lists a cost of attendance of $34,919, with in-state tuition and fees of $12,890 and room and board of $16,626. Nonresidents face tuition and fees of $34,922. For 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 $24,323. Financial aid reduces the published cost by $10,596 on average for that group. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $15,634; the university’s average is $8,689 above it. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 32nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer comparison and affordability standing both point to a relatively high average price after aid. At Auburn University, published cost of attendance is $34,919, and the price left after aid varies across family-income bands. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $16,681 in the lowest family-income band, $17,627 in the lower-middle band, $20,558 in the middle band, $25,808 in the upper-middle band, and $29,547 in the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,866. Azimuth ranks the university #956 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 30% of the published cost, or $10,596, leaving an average net price across all aid recipients of $24,323. Published in-state tuition and fees are $12,890, out-of-state tuition and fees are $34,922, and room and board are $16,626. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $15,634, with the university’s average net price $8,689 above it. Aid reduces the published cost, but the average price remains above the peer midpoint. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $21,000, and 88.8% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The peer median debt for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $20,076, placing the university $924 above that figure. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $43,605. 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**$20,558** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Auburn University Federal borrowing is common at Auburn University, with 88.8% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $21,000. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $20,076, placing Auburn's median $924 above it. Parent borrowers are a separate population, with median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $43,605. Four years after completion, Auburn University graduates earn a median of $73,151, a figure that reads differently against peers than against the model's expectation. That pay is $7,541 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That median falls in the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,109 less than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 32nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a typical outcome of $73,151, a downside of $50,796, and an upside of $94,907. Borrowers who finish hold a median of $21,000 in federal student loans, $924 above the peer median of $20,076. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing has a median of $43,605 for parent borrowers, separate from student federal loans. For borrowers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 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** $21,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $43,605 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $239/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $554/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=auburn-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/auburn-university/cost/) 02 / Auburn University briefing ## [Auburn University career outcomes & earnings](/school/auburn-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) At Auburn University, the return picture is mixed: Azimuth places its return pillar in the 76th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,109 less 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 32nd 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 $14,567. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $20,676. Four years after completion, median earnings are $73,151, in the 81st percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610, leaving the university $7,541 above it. For Auburn University, median earnings reach $73,151 four years after completion among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 4,129 completers. This is a broad institutional measure rather than a program-specific result. Earnings scenarios based on the program mix put typical earnings at $73,151, with a downside scenario of $50,796 and an upside scenario of $94,907. An estimated 28.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The scenario range gives a useful starting point for comparing outcomes across fields. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $73,151, at the 81st percentile. That is $7,541 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Auburn University #360 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,109 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 32nd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $14,567. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $20,676. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,694. The program mix tilts toward business and engineering, with a smaller but notable share in the biological sciences. Earnings scenarios, estimated from that mix, run from a downside of $50,796 to an upside of $94,907. An estimated 28.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings vary substantially by program mix: earnings scenarios range from $50,796 on the downside to $94,907 on the upside, with $73,151 as the typical scenario. These are earnings scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. The upper end includes Computer Engineering at $110,927 four years after completion, Chemical Engineering at $106,726, and Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering at $102,756. Program choice therefore matters within the wider modeled range. Graduates of Auburn University earn about $6,109 less than the model expects for similar students. The median federal student loan debt for borrowers who finish is $21,000, $924 above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $43,605 in Parent PLUS loans. The published cost of attendance is $34,919, but aid covers about 30% of that for the average aid recipient. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, ranges from $16,681 in the lowest income band to $29,547 in the highest, a spread of $12,866. These are averages within each band, not what any individual family pays. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$14,567 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$20,676 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$6,109 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/auburn-university/outcomes/) 03 / Auburn University briefing ## [Auburn University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/auburn-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Auburn University admits a smaller share of applicants than comparable institutions of its type and size. Its admission rate is 45.9%, below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 45.9% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1260 **Reported average** 1345 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1390 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/auburn-university/admissions/) 04 / Auburn University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Auburn University?](/school/auburn-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Auburn University shows a wide program-level earnings range, with engineering at the higher end and natural sciences and design fields at more moderate levels. Architectural Engineering had median earnings of $97,759 four years after completion and 138 degrees awarded; [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #1 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management posted $54,449 with 35 degrees awarded, ranking #2 nationally by Azimuth among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. At the more moderate end, Environmental Design recorded $62,697 and 27 degrees awarded; Azimuth places it #3 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Apparel and Textiles showed $62,807 with 94 degrees awarded and an Azimuth rank of #8 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The figures show that a strong field rank can accompany distinctly different earnings levels across programs. Auburn University has 45 nationally ranked bachelor’s fields, with rankings that range from engineering to natural resources and design. Azimuth ranks Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 35 degrees awarded and median earnings of $54,449 four years after completion. Business is the largest program family at Auburn University, accounting for 23.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Engineering next at 17.6% and Biological Sciences at 10.3%. The university has 45 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 54 with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, at 545 degrees awarded, followed by Biology at 315 and Finance at 313. Architectural Engineering is the highest-ranked program, with 138 degrees awarded and median earnings of $97,759 four years after completion, and it ranks #1 in Alabama within its field. Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management, with 35 degrees awarded, ranks #1 in Alabama within its field. Its median earnings are $54,449 and its benchmark ratio is 1.20x against the national median for its field. Environmental Design ranks #3 nationally within its field with 27 degrees awarded and median earnings of $62,697. The highest-earning program is Computer Engineering, where graduates earn $110,927 from 112 degrees awarded a year. Program strength is spread across large and small fields alike, with top national ranks in both the biggest programs and in niche areas like Environmental Design. The highest-earning fields are concentrated in engineering, while the largest program, Business Administration and Management, posts earnings of $80,323 with a benchmark ratio of 1.18x. 32.3% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields, and four-year earnings for programs whose graduates frequently go on to graduate study understate later trajectories. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business Administration, Management and Operations 545 degrees awarded** $80,323 **Biology, General 315 degrees awarded** $83,053 **Finance and Financial Management Services 313 degrees awarded** $84,352 **Marketing 250 degrees awarded** $74,702 **Mechanical Engineering 238 degrees awarded** $93,246 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 215 degrees awarded** $73,228 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/auburn-university/majors/) 05 / Auburn University briefing ## How does Auburn University serve students from different backgrounds? The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 82.0%, while Pell recipients complete within six years at 70.0%, below the overall rate by 12.0 percentage points. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 89th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,109 less than the model expects for similar students. That measure sits in the 32nd percentile. Completion and [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) point in different directions. At Auburn University, the access picture combines a 45.9% admission rate with undergraduate enrollment of 26,816. Pell Grant recipients make up 12.5% of undergraduates, and an estimated 16.7% enter as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Admission, Pell participation, and transfer entry together describe who reaches the university. 06 / Auburn University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Auburn University?](/school/auburn-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/auburn-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Auburn University. Admissions peerClemson University38.3% admitted+ Comparison with Auburn University | Measure | Auburn University | Clemson University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $73,151 | $75,142+$1,991 vs Auburn University | | Average annual net price | $24,323 | $22,253\-$2,070 vs Auburn University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 45.9% | 38.3% | [Explore Clemson University →](/school/clemson-university/) Higher-admission alternativeSamford University82.4% admitted+ Comparison with Auburn University | Measure | Auburn University | Samford University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $73,151 | $66,567\-$6,584 vs Auburn University | | Average annual net price | $24,323 | $32,622+$8,299 vs Auburn University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 45.9% | 82.4% | Nearby alternativeGeorgia Southwestern State UniversityNearby option · GA+ Comparison with Auburn University | Measure | Auburn University | Georgia Southwestern State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $73,151 | $62,132\-$11,019 vs Auburn University | | Average annual net price | $24,323 | $12,019\-$12,304 vs Auburn University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 45.9% | 75.2% | Higher-earnings alternativeMaine Maritime Academy$113,298 earnings+ Comparison with Auburn University | Measure | Auburn University | Maine Maritime Academy | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $73,151 | $113,298+$40,147 vs Auburn University | | Average annual net price | $24,323 | $23,414\-$909 vs Auburn University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 45.9% | 54.1% | [Explore Maine Maritime Academy →](/school/maine-maritime-academy/) Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham$18,749 average net price+ Comparison with Auburn University | Measure | Auburn University | University of Alabama at Birmingham | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $73,151 | $64,969\-$8,182 vs Auburn University | | Average annual net price | $24,323 | $18,749\-$5,574 vs Auburn University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 45.9% | 88.2% | [Explore University of Alabama at Birmingham →](/school/university-of-alabama-at-birmingham/) Similar profileNorth Carolina State University at RaleighMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Auburn University | Measure | Auburn University | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $73,151 | $75,943+$2,792 vs Auburn University | | Average annual net price | $24,323 | $17,303\-$7,020 vs Auburn University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 45.9% | 41.7% | [Explore North Carolina State University at Raleigh →](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/) 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/auburn-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/)