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# Bay Path University

MA · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #549 nationally

Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026

Overview[Cost & aid](/school/bay-path-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/bay-path-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/bay-path-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/bay-path-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/bay-path-university/similar/)

## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Bay Path University #549 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.

### Who it’s a good fit for

Bay Path University is a private nonprofit university in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where Business and Psychology together account for more than half of bachelor's degrees. Access is the strongest pillar, well above average.

Graduates earn above the median at comparable schools. An estimate from the program mix suggests that most go into work rather than further study, so the four-year earnings figure captures a population largely done with school.

Return is around the average. What the lowest-income families pay after aid sits well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it.

Pell students complete at a rate above the overall cohort, and affordability is above average. The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and the degree mix is oriented toward professional fields: the largest program, Business Administration and Management, is also the best-paid.

## Bay Path University at a glance

### Admissions and outcomes

**Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)**
85.2%

**Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)**
43.9%

**Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)**
$62,912

### Cost and family borrowing

**Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)**
$12,698

**Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)**
$24,901

**Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)**
$16,500

## Bay Path University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings)

Near the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (63rd percentile), Bay Path University is a private nonprofit university in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, enrolling 1,108 undergraduates. The admission rate at Bay Path University is 85.2%, above the 75.7% median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

72.8% of the full-time first-year cohort return for a second year, below the peer median of 74.2%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort stands at 43.9%, below the peer median of 54.9%.

An estimated 48.7% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes a minority of the people who study there. Access is the strongest of the four pillars, at the 75th percentile, while affordability is close behind, at the 70th percentile.

Return and mobility are weaker, at the 48th and 44th percentiles respectively, leaving a wide gap between the top and bottom of the profile.

Bay Path University's strongest pillar is access, where it sits in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The affordability pillar follows at the 70th percentile, and the return pillar at the 48th percentile. Mobility is the weakest pillar, in the 44th percentile.

Among enrolled students who submitted SAT scores, the middle 50% at Bay Path University ran from 1,010 to 1,210. Pell Grants go to 63.8% of undergraduates.

Azimuth ranks the university #365 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest of the four pillars. Pell recipients finish at 60.4%, exceeding the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) (43.9%) by 16.5 percentage points.

Azimuth ranks the university #820 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility is the weakest of the four pillars, while access is the strongest.

[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/)

Bay Path University rankings in context

| Geography | Rank |
| --- | --- |
| National | #549 |
| [Massachusetts](/rankings/best-colleges-in-massachusetts/) | #25 |
| [Northeast](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-northeast/) | #143 |

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

### National pillar percentiles

**Economic mobility**
National percentile: 44

**Access & reach**
National percentile: 75

**[Affordability](/school/bay-path-university/cost/)**
National percentile: 70

**[Return on investment](/school/bay-path-university/outcomes/)**
National percentile: 48

01 / Bay Path University briefing

## [Bay Path University cost & financial aid](/school/bay-path-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)

Bay Path University publishes a cost of attendance of $47,308, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $38,302, and room and board are $13,582.

For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what families pay after grants and scholarships—drops to $14,271, a savings of $33,037 against the sticker total. That average net price sits below the peer median of $22,347 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $8,076, a gap that reflects the university's heavy aid packaging.

Azimuth ranks the university #418 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 70th percentile.

Bay Path University publishes a cost of attendance of $47,308, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $38,302 and room and board $13,582.

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 $11,948. For the middle band, families earning $48,001–$75,000, it is $12,698, and for families earning over $110,000 it is $25,475.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,527. Azimuth ranks the university #418 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 70% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average savings of $33,037 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $14,271, which sits below the peer median of $22,347 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $8,076.

Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, the median federal student debt is $24,901. That median is below the peer median of $25,000 for comparable institutions by $99, and 96.9% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

For a graduate at the median four-year earnings of $62,912, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $283 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who take out federal [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans borrow a median of $16,500.

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**$12,698**

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

### Borrowing and repayment at Bay Path University

Nearly every undergraduate at Bay Path University borrows federal loans—96.9% do—so debt is a shared experience here. Among those who complete a degree, the median federal student debt is $24,901.

That median sits below the $25,000 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $99, a narrow gap. Parent borrowers, a separate population, carry a median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan of $16,500.

Earnings at Bay Path University sit above the peer median, and borrowing comes in just below it. The two figures point the same way, and the gap between them is what a family weighs.

Four years after graduating, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $62,912, at the 60th percentile nationally. That is $6,997 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $46,076 in a downside case to $74,912 in an upside case. The typical outcome sits at $62,912.

On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt at completion is $24,901, which is $99 below the $25,000 peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $283 a month if repaid over ten years.

Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $16,500. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $283.

[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**
$24,901

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$16,500

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$283/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$210/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=bay-path-university#student-tool)

[Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/bay-path-university/cost/)

02 / Bay Path University briefing

## [Bay Path University career outcomes & earnings](/school/bay-path-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added)

Graduates of Bay Path University earn a median of $62,912 four years after completion. That figure runs above the peer median—the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size)—by $6,997.

That median places the university in the 60th percentile nationally. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the return pillar sits at the 48th percentile.

The strongest pillar at Bay Path University is access, where the university reaches the 75th percentile, while the return pillar's position is more modest. Earnings above the peer median coexist with a return ranking near the middle of the pack, a reminder that the pillar weighs cost and completion alongside pay.

At Bay Path University, the median earnings for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled is $62,912 four years after completion. Azimuth places that figure in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 552 completers.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix put typical earnings at $62,912, with a downside scenario of $46,076 and an upside scenario of $74,912. An estimated 34.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

The largest program, Business Administration and Management, reports median earnings of $74,912 from 81 degrees awarded a year. Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn $68,194, though the program is much smaller at 8 degrees a year.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Bay Path University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $62,912. That places them at the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That figure is $6,997 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Earnings scenarios, grounded in the university's program mix, show a range from a downside of $46,076 to an upside of $74,912, with the typical scenario at $62,912.

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #765 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The program mix leans toward business and psychology, which together account for over half of all degrees awarded.

An estimated 34.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The earnings scenarios capture the spread between the university's higher- and lower-earning fields, with the upside scenario reaching $74,912 and the downside at $46,076.

Earnings four years after completion at Bay Path University vary widely with the program a student chooses. Earnings scenarios, which reflect the university's program mix, span from a downside of $46,076 to an upside of $74,912.

The largest programs show the spread. Business Administration and Management, the biggest field with 81 degrees awarded, sits at the top of that range.

Health Sciences completers earn $65,018, while Psychology graduates earn $53,682. The dollar span between the highest- and lowest-earning large programs shown here is wide.

The average net price at Bay Path University is $14,271, which is what first-time, full-time aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the published cost. That figure is $8,076 below the median of $22,347 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Average net prices by family income band range from $11,948 in the lowest band to $25,475 in the highest, a spread of $13,527. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,901 in federal student loans, which is $99 below the peer median of $25,000.

If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $283 a month. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $16,500 through Parent PLUS.

[Read the full outcomes brief](/school/bay-path-university/outcomes/)

03 / Bay Path University briefing

## [Bay Path University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/bay-path-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention)

Bay Path University admits 85.2% of those who apply, so most who apply are offered a place. That figure sits above the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

SAT: approximate enrolled-student range

**Admission rate**
85.2%

**Approximate lower endpoint**
1010

**Reported average**
1120

**Approximate upper endpoint**
1210

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/bay-path-university/admissions/)

04 / Bay Path University briefing

## [What are the largest majors at Bay Path University?](/school/bay-path-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs)

The largest program at Bay Path University, Business Administration and Management, is also the highest-earning: its completers earn a median of $74,912 four years after graduation, alongside 81 degrees awarded. Computer and Information Sciences follows at $68,194, though it awarded only 8 degrees, and Health Sciences reaches $65,018 with 43 degrees awarded.

The contrast with the university's larger social-science and life-science programs is sharp. Psychology awarded 52 degrees and shows a median of $53,682.

Biology awarded 33 degrees and reports $55,827. A student's field choice at Bay Path University carries a wide earnings range, and the highest median sits in the most populous program while other high-earning fields remain smaller.

Bay Path University's largest programs are concentrated in business and psychology, which together account for more than half of bachelor's degrees awarded. Business Administration and Management is the largest, with 81 degrees awarded and a median of $74,912 four years after completion.

Psychology follows with 52 degrees awarded and a median of $53,682, while Health Sciences awarded 43 degrees and reports a median of $65,018. Earnings vary across the university's programs.

The highest-earning field outside of business is Computer and Information Sciences, which reaches $68,194 but awarded only 8 degrees. Security Science and Technology and Biology round out the top earners at $56,262 and $55,827, respectively.

The lowest median among the largest five programs belongs to Research and Experimental Psychology at $47,544.

Bay Path University's bachelor's degrees cluster in three program families that together account for more than two-thirds of awards. Business makes up 26.7% of degrees awarded, Psychology 26.4%, and Health Professions 15.5%.

Azimuth publishes four-year earnings data for 11 of the university's programs. The largest by degrees awarded is Business Administration and Management, with 81 degrees awarded, followed by Psychology at 52 and Health Sciences at 43.

The highest-earning program is also the largest: Business Administration and Management. The median completer earns $74,912 four years after completion, a benchmark ratio of 1.10x against the national median for its field.

Computer and Information Sciences follows at $68,194, though with 8 degrees awarded it is a much smaller program and its earnings sit below the national field median at 0.74x. Health Sciences, the third-largest program, earns $65,018 and clears the national median at 1.06x.

Security Science and Technology and Biology round out the top five at $56,262 and $55,827, respectively. The pattern is one of earnings strength concentrated in the programs that award the most degrees.

Business and Health Professions, the largest and third-largest families, both show median earnings above their national field medians. The smaller high-earning programs in computer science and security add pockets of higher pay for fewer graduates.

Psychology, the second-largest family, shows more modest earnings, a common pattern for fields where many graduates continue to graduate study and four-year earnings understate later trajectories. The overall picture is a program mix where the largest pipelines coincide with earnings at or above the national benchmark for their fields.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields

**Business Administration, Management and Operations 81 degrees awarded**
$74,912

**Psychology, General 52 degrees awarded**
$53,682

**Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 43 degrees awarded**
$65,018

**Biology, General 33 degrees awarded**
$55,827

**Research and Experimental Psychology 25 degrees awarded**
$47,544

**Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 19 degrees awarded**
$37,411

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/bay-path-university/majors/)

05 / Bay Path University briefing

## How does Bay Path University serve students from different backgrounds?

Pell recipients at Bay Path University complete at a rate of 60.4%, above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) of 43.9% for the first-time full-time cohort by 16.5 percentage points. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 44th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Bay Path University, a private nonprofit university in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, admits 85.2% of applicants, above the peer median of 75.7% — the middle value for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Its 1,108 undergraduates include a 63.8% Pell Grant share and an estimated 48.7% who arrive as transfers or part-time students.

Azimuth places the access pillar in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

06 / Bay Path University briefing

## [What colleges are similar to Bay Path University?](/school/bay-path-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/bay-path-university/similar/#peer-matching).

### A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Bay Path University.

Admissions peerWestern Connecticut State University87.0% admitted+

Comparison with Bay Path University

| Measure | Bay Path University | Western Connecticut State University |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $62,912 | $60,346\-$2,566 vs Bay Path University |
| Average annual net price | $14,271 | $17,604+$3,333 vs Bay Path University · higher cost |
| Admission rate | 85.2% | 87.0% |

[Explore Western Connecticut State University →](/school/western-connecticut-state-university/)

Higher-admission alternativeSalem State University95.9% admitted+

Comparison with Bay Path University

| Measure | Bay Path University | Salem State University |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $62,912 | $62,605\-$307 vs Bay Path University |
| Average annual net price | $14,271 | $15,996+$1,725 vs Bay Path University · higher cost |
| Admission rate | 85.2% | 95.9% |

[Explore Salem State University →](/school/salem-state-university/)

Nearby alternativeNichols CollegeNearby option · MA+

Comparison with Bay Path University

| Measure | Bay Path University | Nichols College |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $62,912 | $64,532+$1,620 vs Bay Path University |
| Average annual net price | $14,271 | $33,036+$18,765 vs Bay Path University · higher cost |
| Admission rate | 85.2% | 80.8% |

Higher-earnings alternativeSan Jose State University$89,614 earnings+

Comparison with Bay Path University

| Measure | Bay Path University | San Jose State University |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $62,912 | $89,614+$26,702 vs Bay Path University |
| Average annual net price | $14,271 | $13,760\-$511 vs Bay Path University · lower cost |
| Admission rate | 85.2% | 84.6% |

[Explore San Jose State University →](/school/san-jose-state-university/)

Lower-cost alternativeFarmingdale State College$10,867 average net price+

Comparison with Bay Path University

| Measure | Bay Path University | Farmingdale State College |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $62,912 | $65,444+$2,532 vs Bay Path University |
| Average annual net price | $14,271 | $10,867\-$3,404 vs Bay Path University · lower cost |
| Admission rate | 85.2% | 63.3% |

[Explore Farmingdale State College →](/school/farmingdale-state-college/)

Similar profileMount Aloysius CollegeMatched across several measures+

Comparison with Bay Path University

| Measure | Bay Path University | Mount Aloysius College |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $62,912 | $62,211\-$701 vs Bay Path University |
| Average annual net price | $14,271 | $22,344+$8,073 vs Bay Path University · higher cost |
| Admission rate | 85.2% | 82.1% |

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/bay-path-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/)
