1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Austin Peay State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Austin Peay State University TN · Medium public institution · Overall rank #375 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/austin-peay-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/austin-peay-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/austin-peay-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/austin-peay-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/austin-peay-state-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Austin Peay State University #375 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for The fit is clearest for a student who wants a public university in Tennessee with a strong health-professions orientation. Nursing is the largest program and one of the best-paid, and affordability 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 — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — and a subtraction to the remainder it cannot explain. Students who arrive at Austin Peay State University with Pell Grants finish below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. Mobility is well above average. What families in the lowest and highest income bands pay after aid sits below the published cost of attendance. The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. The earnings picture is mixed: the best-paid programs are in health and technology fields, while the largest programs outside of nursing earn below the national median for their fields. ## Austin Peay State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 96.4% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 40.2% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $52,456 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $10,077 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $20,547 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $14,710 ## Austin Peay State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Austin Peay State University is a public university in Clarksville, Tennessee, enrolling 7,560 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (the 74th percentile). The university admits 96.4% of applicants, a rate above the 85.9% median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Of the full-time first-year class, 70.0% continues into the second year, compared with a median of 73.7% for similar schools. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/), which counts only first-time full-time students, is 40.2%, below the median of 49.1% for comparable institutions. An estimated 35.9% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate tracks only a portion of the student body. The four pillars sit far apart. Affordability is the strongest, and return is the weakest. Access and mobility sit between them, closer to the top than the bottom. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Austin Peay State University on four pillars among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability leads, in the 90th percentile, and mobility and access are close behind at the 78th and 75th percentiles. Return is the weakest of the four, at the 28th percentile. The profile is a public university where cost and access are the clear strengths, while the earnings picture is the part of the profile that calls for closer attention. 43.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Those students complete at 33.8%, 6.4 percentage points below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) (40.2%). Azimuth ranks Austin Peay State University #361 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #324 for mobility. Graduates earn about $2,287 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/) Austin Peay State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #375 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 78 **Access & reach** National percentile: 75 **[Affordability](/school/austin-peay-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 90 **[Return on investment](/school/austin-peay-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 28 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Computer Systems Analysis**#4** 2. Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General**#10** 3. Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions**#15** 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/austin-peay-state-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Austin Peay State University briefing ## [Austin Peay State University cost & financial aid](/school/austin-peay-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published cost of attendance at Austin Peay State University is $22,233. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $8,028 and required fees of $1,824 for the 2026-27 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $12,420. Out-of-state students face tuition of $13,788. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $9,735, a reduction of $12,498 from the sticker price. That average is $4,333 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #144 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance is $22,233. Azimuth ranks Austin Peay State University #144 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $7,588, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $10,077, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $15,078. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,490. Aid covers about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $9,735, which is $4,333 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $20,547 in federal student loans, $682 below the $21,229 peer median. About 75.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $14,710 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $234 a month. 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**$10,077** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Austin Peay State University 75.2% of federal aid recipients at Austin Peay State University take federal loans. Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $20,547 in federal debt. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $21,229, so this university's median is $682 below it. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $14,710. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 47% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative debt of $10,850 per borrower. 46% of graduates held federal loans averaging $10,301, including some with private debt too. A smaller share of graduates, 3%, held private loans averaging $10,042. Graduates of Austin Peay State University earn about $2,287 less than the model expects for similar students. That result is at the 47th percentile. The median wage four years after completion is $52,456 among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. That earnings level sits in the 25th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a typical outcome of $52,456. The downside earnings scenario is $41,712 and the upside scenario is $75,537. Borrowers who complete owe a median of $20,547 in federal student loans. That figure is $682 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment is $234. The return picture is mixed: earnings trail the model's prediction while debt stays below the peer median. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $14,710. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $234 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** $20,547 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $14,710 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $234/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $187/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=austin-peay-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/austin-peay-state-university/cost/) 02 / Austin Peay State University briefing ## [Austin Peay State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/austin-peay-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after graduating, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled report median earnings of $52,456. That is in the 25th percentile. The university sits $4,845 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Return is the weakest of the four pillars, at the 28th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Federally aided completers earn about $2,287 less than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 47th 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 $3,352. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $5,639. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $211. Four years after completing a degree, Austin Peay State University graduates earn a median of $52,456. The figure comes from a cohort of 1,769 completers in the four-year earnings cohort. Azimuth places that earnings measure at the 25th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. It is $4,845 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $2,287 less than the model expects for similar students. That result is at the 47th percentile. Estimated earnings scenarios from the program mix range from $41,712 to $75,537, with the typical scenario matching that median. An estimated 26.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The median earnings figure at Austin Peay State University is $52,456, at the 25th percentile, four years after completion. That sits below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $4,845. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #1,050 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,287 less than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 47th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $3,352. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $5,639. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $211. The program mix tilts toward health professions and business, with a small STEM footprint. Earnings scenarios estimated from that mix range from $41,712 on the downside to $75,537 on the upside. An estimated 26.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread between the downside and upside: $41,712 on one end and $75,537 on the other. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the higher end, Engineering Technologies/Technicians graduates earn $79,309 four years after completion, from 44 degrees awarded. Computer and Information Sciences follows at $77,125, and Computer Systems Analysis at $76,824. Affordability is the strongest pillar at Austin Peay State University, and the debt figures bear that out. Borrowers who complete a degree leave with a median of $20,547 in federal student loans, which is $682 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $234 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $14,710 in Parent PLUS loans. The return picture is more mixed. Graduates earn about $2,287 less than the model expects for similar students, and the median earnings four years after completion sit below the peer median. A low debt load alongside earnings that trail peers means the value case here rests squarely on keeping borrowing in check. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$3,352 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$5,639 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$2,287 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/austin-peay-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / Austin Peay State University briefing ## [Austin Peay State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/austin-peay-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Austin Peay State University admits 96.4% of applicants, a rate that sits above the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 96.4% **25th percentile** 870 **Median** 970 **75th percentile** 1080 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/austin-peay-state-university/admissions/) 04 / Austin Peay State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Austin Peay State University?](/school/austin-peay-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The highest-earning programs at Austin Peay State University are concentrated in technical and health fields, and they are not the largest programs by degrees awarded. Engineering Technologies/Technicians leads with median earnings of $79,309 four years after completion, from 44 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #10 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Computer Systems Analysis and Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions follow closely, at $76,824 and $75,261 respectively. Both are small programs, with 36 and 78 degrees awarded. Their national ranks are strong: #4 and #15 in their fields. The largest program, Nursing, awards 165 degrees a year and posts median earnings of $73,564. That is a solid figure, though it sits below the technical programs. At the more moderate end, Kinesiology and Physical Education awards 162 degrees and its graduates earn $45,080, a gap of over $30,000 from the top-earning field. Austin Peay State University has 20 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, and the strongest of them sit in health and technology fields. Computer Systems Analysis is the highest-ranked, at #4 nationally and #1 in Tennessee, with 36 degrees awarded and median earnings of $76,824 four years after completion. Engineering Technologies/Technicians follows at #10 nationally, with 44 degrees awarded and median earnings of $79,309. Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ranks #15 nationally, awarded 78 degrees, and its completers earn a median of $75,261. The largest program is Nursing, with 165 degrees awarded and median earnings of $73,564. Kinesiology and Physical Education and Liberal Arts and General Studies are also large, at 162 and 134 degrees, though their earnings run lower. The program mix at Austin Peay State University is led by Health Professions, which accounts for 16.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Business at 13.1% and Parks, Recreation & Fitness at 10.3%. The university has 20 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 25 with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Nursing, at 165 degrees awarded a year. Kinesiology and Physical Education is nearly as large, with 162 degrees awarded, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #7 in Tennessee within its field. The highest-earning programs are smaller. Engineering Technologies/Technicians graduates report the top median at $79,309, from 44 degrees awarded. Computer and Information Sciences and Computer Systems Analysis follow, with medians of $77,125 and $76,824 from 26 and 36 degrees awarded, respectively. The pattern is one of concentrated strength in health and technical fields, with the largest programs in nursing and kinesiology and the highest earnings in engineering technologies and computer sciences. 8.8% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings for fields where graduate study is common, such as psychology and liberal arts, understate later trajectories. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 165 degrees awarded** $73,564 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 162 degrees awarded** $45,080 **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 134 degrees awarded** $48,177 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 92 degrees awarded** $53,376 **Psychology, General 89 degrees awarded** $41,303 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 88 degrees awarded** $55,567 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/austin-peay-state-university/majors/) 05 / Austin Peay State University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Austin Peay State University?](/school/austin-peay-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/austin-peay-state-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Austin Peay State University. Admissions peerThe University of Tennessee Southern86.7% admitted+ Comparison with Austin Peay State University | Measure | Austin Peay State University | The University of Tennessee Southern | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $52,456 | $46,181\-$6,275 vs Austin Peay State University | | Average annual net price | $9,735 | $12,798+$3,063 vs Austin Peay State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 96.4% | 86.7% | Nearby alternativeTennessee State UniversityNearby option · TN+ Comparison with Austin Peay State University | Measure | Austin Peay State University | Tennessee State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $52,456 | $53,808+$1,352 vs Austin Peay State University | | Average annual net price | $9,735 | $15,796+$6,061 vs Austin Peay State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 96.4% | 70.1% | [Explore Tennessee State University →](/school/tennessee-state-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeOakland University$68,708 earnings+ Comparison with Austin Peay State University | Measure | Austin Peay State University | Oakland University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $52,456 | $68,708+$16,252 vs Austin Peay State University | | Average annual net price | $9,735 | $9,120\-$615 vs Austin Peay State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 96.4% | 87.8% | [Explore Oakland University →](/school/oakland-university/) Lower-cost alternativeIndiana University-Kokomo$3,968 average net price+ Comparison with Austin Peay State University | Measure | Austin Peay State University | Indiana University-Kokomo | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $52,456 | $54,618+$2,162 vs Austin Peay State University | | Average annual net price | $9,735 | $3,968\-$5,767 vs Austin Peay State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 96.4% | 86.5% | [Explore Indiana University-Kokomo →](/school/indiana-university-kokomo/) Similar profileFlorida Agricultural and Mechanical UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Austin Peay State University | Measure | Austin Peay State University | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $52,456 | $52,657+$201 vs Austin Peay State University | | Average annual net price | $9,735 | $13,739+$4,004 vs Austin Peay State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 96.4% | 20.6% | [Explore Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University →](/school/florida-agricultural-and-mechanical-university/) 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/austin-peay-state-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/)