1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Bemidji State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Bemidji State University MN · Medium public institution · Overall rank #582 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/bemidji-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/bemidji-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/bemidji-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/bemidji-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/bemidji-state-university/similar/) ## Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth assigns Bemidji State University composite rank #582. ### Who it’s a good fit for Bemidji State University is a public university in Minnesota where Business, Health Professions, and Education lead the degree mix, and affordability is well above average. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes the part from the factors it measures as adding to expected earnings, while the remainder it cannot explain subtracts from them. Return is modestly below average. Pell recipients complete within a few points of the overall rate, and access is above average. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest pays closer to it. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the highest-earning program, Engineering Technologies/Technicians, awards far fewer degrees than Business Administration and Management. ## Bemidji State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 56.0% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 47.9% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $60,307 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $12,201 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $19,750 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $12,173 ## Bemidji State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Bemidji State University is a public university in Bemidji, Minnesota, enrolling 3,139 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits slightly above the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and the four pillars are spread well apart. The university admits 56.0% of applicants, against a median of 85.9% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 72.7% return for a second year, while the median among comparable institutions (the peer median) is 73.7%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/), which tracks the same first-time full-time cohort, is 47.9%, against a peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 54.6% of entrants arrive as transfers, which means the six-year graduation rate, measured only for first-time full-time students, describes a minority of the people who study here. At Bemidji State University, affordability is the strongest of the four pillars and return is the weakest. Access and mobility sit between them (at the 65th and 50th percentiles respectively), far from both extremes. Affordability is the clearest strength at Bemidji State University, giving the university a stronger standing on costs than on its return measures. Azimuth places its affordability pillar in the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, making it the strongest of the four pillars. Azimuth places access in the 65th percentile and mobility in the 50th percentile. The university falls in the 38th percentile for return, its weakest pillar. The pillar results point to a school whose affordability standing is stronger than its return standing. Enrolled students who submitted ACT scores posted a middle 50% range of 18 to 24. 28.3% of all undergraduates receive Pell Grants, the federal marker used to measure financial access. The access pillar turns on whether those students finish. Pell recipients complete at 44.7% within six years, a rate that sits 3.2 percentage points below the overall rate (47.9%). For access, Azimuth ranks Bemidji State University #510 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #737 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,538 less than the model expects for similar students. Access outranks mobility in this portrait, and the earnings gap coincides with the lower mobility position rather than the stronger access showing. [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/) Bemidji State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #582 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 50 **Access & reach** National percentile: 65 **[Affordability](/school/bemidji-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 81 **[Return on investment](/school/bemidji-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 38 01 / Bemidji State University briefing ## [Bemidji State University cost & financial aid](/school/bemidji-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) For aid recipients, Bemidji State University has an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $15,261, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. The published cost of attendance is $22,744. In-state tuition and fees are $10,237, and out-of-state tuition and fees are also $10,237. Published room and board is $10,462. Average aid savings of $7,483 offset the sticker price, and aid covers about 33% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $14,068. Bemidji State University stands above that figure by $1,193. Azimuth ranks Bemidji State University #275 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The affordability rank and peer price comparison point in different directions. At Bemidji State University, the published cost of attendance is $22,744, but aid-recipient costs differ markedly by family-income band. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $10,073 in the lowest family-income band; $10,207 in the next band; $12,201 in the middle band; $15,857 in the next-highest band; and $19,940 in the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,867. Azimuth ranks the university #275 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 33% of the published cost, an average savings of $7,483 against the sticker price. Across aid recipients, the average net price is $15,261, $1,193 above the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Published in-state and out-of-state tuition are each $10,237. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $19,750, which is $1,479 below the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). An estimated 88.9% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $224 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $12,173. 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**$12,201** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Bemidji State University Federal borrowing reaches 88.9% of federal aid recipients at Bemidji State University, making loan use a common part of the cost picture. Among federal-loan borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $19,750 at completion. Comparable institutions (same type and size) have a median federal debt of $21,229; the university’s median is below that benchmark by $1,479. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $12,173. Lower borrowing softens an otherwise mixed return picture at Bemidji State University. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $60,307 four years after completion. Azimuth places those earnings in the 52nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) is weaker: graduates earn about $7,538 less than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places this measure in the 27th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The typical earnings scenario matches the reported median, while the downside scenario is $46,809 and the upside scenario is $81,062. Median federal student debt at completion is $19,750. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $21,229. The university is below by $1,479. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $224 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower debt and earnings above comparable institutions sit alongside earnings below the model’s expectation. Student and parent federal borrowing are separate measures here. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) parent borrowers have median borrowing of $12,173. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $224 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** $19,750 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $12,173 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $224/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $155/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=bemidji-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/bemidji-state-university/cost/) 02 / Bemidji State University briefing ## [Bemidji State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/bemidji-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Affordability is the clearer pillar: Azimuth places Bemidji State University in the 81st percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Its return pillar is in the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,538 less than the model expects for similar students. That earnings-beyond-expectations result is in the 27th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,255. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $13,793. Median earnings are $60,307 four years after completion, in the 52nd percentile. That is $3,006 above the peer median of $57,301, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). The return picture is mixed: earnings sit above the peer median but below the model’s expectation. Bemidji State University graduates who received federal aid and are working four years after completion earn a median of $60,307. That result is drawn from a cohort of 1,282 completers. It sits at the 52nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. It is $3,006 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Federal aid recipients who graduate earn about $7,538 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix stretch from a downside of $46,809 to an upside of $81,062, with the typical scenario at $60,307. An estimated 29.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Affordability is the strongest pillar at Bemidji State University, while the return figures are mixed. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $60,307 four years after completion, placing those earnings in the 52nd percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301; the university stands $3,006 above it. Graduates earn about $7,538 less than the model expects for similar students. That earnings-beyond-expectations result, the gap between graduate earnings and the model’s expectation for similar students, sits in the 27th percentile. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from $46,809 in the downside scenario to $81,062 in the upside scenario. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,255. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $13,793. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $562. Engineering Technologies/Technicians has the highest listed median earnings: 22 degrees awarded and $90,868 four years after completion, or 1.13x of the national median for its field. Nursing recorded 127 degrees awarded and median earnings of $84,436, equal to 0.95x of its field’s national median. Accounting awarded 56 degrees and had median earnings of $72,153, at 0.95x of the national field median. The program figures range from earnings above a field median to results below it. Program choice matters because earnings scenarios show a wide range at Bemidji State University. The downside earnings scenario is $46,809, the typical scenario is $60,307, and the upside scenario is $81,062. These are earnings scenarios based on the program mix, rather than observed groups. Among higher-earning fields, Engineering Technologies/Technicians has median earnings of $90,868 four years after completion, Nursing has $84,436, and Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians has $76,882. Some of these field medians sit above the upside scenario, showing that individual field results and schoolwide scenarios answer different questions. At Bemidji State University, median borrowing sits below comparable institutions, but the earnings model points the other way. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,261; aid covers about 33% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Borrowers who completed have median federal student loan debt of $19,750, compared with $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $224 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate parent-borrower population, have median debt of $12,173. Graduates earn about $7,538 less than the model expects for similar students. Lower borrowing and lower-than-expected earnings pull in different directions. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$6,255 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$13,793 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$7,538 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/bemidji-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / Bemidji State University briefing ## [Bemidji State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/bemidji-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Bemidji State University admitted 56.0% of applicants, below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The rate describes the share of applicants admitted for the reported entering class, rather than a forecast for an individual applicant. The lower rate is a useful context point alongside the academic profile of enrolled score submitters. Admissions **Admission rate** 56.0% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/bemidji-state-university/admissions/) 04 / Bemidji State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Bemidji State University?](/school/bemidji-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Program-level earnings vary by field, with Nursing among the larger programs and at the higher end. Its completers have median earnings of $84,436 four years after completion, and the program awarded 127 degrees in one academic year. Engineering Technologies/Technicians posts $90,868 with 22 degrees awarded, pairing the highest figure here with a smaller award count. At the more moderate end, Psychology reports median earnings of $49,116 four years after completion and awarded 98 degrees. Teacher Education comes in lower at $44,719, with 88 degrees awarded. The larger programs include both higher- and moderate-earning fields. Program choice shapes the earnings picture at Bemidji State University. Published median earnings are available for 17 fields, measured four years after completion. Engineering Technologies/Technicians is the highest-earning reported field, with 22 degrees awarded and median earnings of $90,868. Nursing pairs 127 degrees awarded with median earnings of $84,436. The range across these published medians makes field choice central to the earnings picture. The degree mix at Bemidji State University is led by Business, which accounts for 23.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 14.0% and Education at 13.0%. The university has 17 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, at 168 degrees awarded, with Nursing close behind at 127 degrees awarded and Psychology third at 98 degrees awarded. The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Engineering Technologies/Technicians graduates earn a median of $90,868 four years after completion, from 22 degrees awarded a year. Nursing, the second-largest program, is also the second-highest-earning at $84,436. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians follows at $76,882 with 19 degrees awarded, and Accounting at $72,153 with 56 degrees awarded. The pattern is one of practical professional programs with earnings that cluster near the national medians for their fields. Criminal Justice is the only program among the largest five to exceed its national benchmark, at 1.06x, while the others sit slightly below. 13.4% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields, and the strongest earnings come from technical programs that graduate relatively few students. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business Administration, Management and Operations 168 degrees awarded** $64,086 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 127 degrees awarded** $84,436 **Psychology, General 98 degrees awarded** $49,116 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 88 degrees awarded** $44,719 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 60 degrees awarded** $58,519 **Biology, General 56 degrees awarded** $50,548 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/bemidji-state-university/majors/) 05 / Bemidji State University briefing ## How does Bemidji State University serve students from different backgrounds? Graduates earn about $7,538 less than the model expects for similar students, placing [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—in the 27th percentile. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 47.9%; Pell recipients’ six-year completion rate is 44.7%, below the overall rate by 3.2 percentage points. Azimuth puts Bemidji State University’s mobility pillar in the 50th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The completion rate and below-expected earnings make the mobility picture guarded. Bemidji State University admits 56.0% of applicants, setting a clear entry point for a public university with 3,139 undergraduates. Pell Grants reach 28.3% of undergraduates, and an estimated 54.6% enter as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places its access pillar in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. These measures describe applicant access alongside a substantial transfer presence. 06 / Bemidji State University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Bemidji State University?](/school/bemidji-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/bemidji-state-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Bemidji State University. Admissions peerMinnesota State University Moorhead58.8% admitted+ Comparison with Bemidji State University | Measure | Bemidji State University | Minnesota State University Moorhead | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,307 | $55,083\-$5,224 vs Bemidji State University | | Average annual net price | $15,261 | $17,997+$2,736 vs Bemidji State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 56.0% | 58.8% | [Explore Minnesota State University Moorhead →](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/) Higher-admission alternativeUniversity of Minnesota-Crookston87.9% admitted+ Comparison with Bemidji State University | Measure | Bemidji State University | University of Minnesota-Crookston | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,307 | $62,786+$2,479 vs Bemidji State University | | Average annual net price | $15,261 | $12,212\-$3,049 vs Bemidji State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 56.0% | 87.9% | Nearby alternativeMinnesota State University MoorheadNearby option · MN+ Comparison with Bemidji State University | Measure | Bemidji State University | Minnesota State University Moorhead | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,307 | $55,083\-$5,224 vs Bemidji State University | | Average annual net price | $15,261 | $17,997+$2,736 vs Bemidji State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 56.0% | 58.8% | [Explore Minnesota State University Moorhead →](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/) Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Tulsa$79,396 earnings+ Comparison with Bemidji State University | Measure | Bemidji State University | University of Tulsa | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,307 | $79,396+$19,089 vs Bemidji State University | | Average annual net price | $15,261 | $15,000\-$261 vs Bemidji State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 56.0% | 61.5% | Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Minnesota-Crookston$12,212 average net price+ Comparison with Bemidji State University | Measure | Bemidji State University | University of Minnesota-Crookston | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,307 | $62,786+$2,479 vs Bemidji State University | | Average annual net price | $15,261 | $12,212\-$3,049 vs Bemidji State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 56.0% | 87.9% | Similar profileIndiana University-NorthwestMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Bemidji State University | Measure | Bemidji State University | Indiana University-Northwest | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,307 | $59,535\-$772 vs Bemidji State University | | Average annual net price | $15,261 | $5,130\-$10,131 vs Bemidji State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 56.0% | 73.4% | [Explore Indiana University-Northwest →](/school/indiana-university-northwest/) 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/bemidji-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/)