1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Benedictine University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Benedictine University IL · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #570 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/benedictine-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/benedictine-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/benedictine-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/benedictine-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/benedictine-university/similar/) ## Azimuth places Benedictine University in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Benedictine University is a private nonprofit university in Lisle, Illinois, where the degree mix is led by Business and Health Professions. Return is well above average. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools. The part the model attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds to expected earnings, while the factors it measures subtract from them. Pell recipients complete within a few points of the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. Families at the bottom of the income scale pay well below the published cost. Access is modestly below average and mobility is modestly below average. The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to the health professions or business should know that the single largest program is not the highest-earning one. ## Benedictine University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 95.2% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 50.3% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $72,460 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $18,628 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $22,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $22,900 ## Benedictine University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Benedictine University, a private nonprofit university in Lisle, Illinois, enrolls 1,942 undergraduates. The university falls just above the midpoint among nonprofit four-year institutions (61st percentile). Its overall profile is shaped by a wide spread across the four measured pillars. The admission rate is 95.2%, against a peer median of 75.7% for comparable institutions of the same type and size, meaning most applicants who apply are offered a place. First-year retention is 66.0%, against a peer median of 74.2%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) stands at 50.3%, against a peer median of 54.9%. An estimated 41.0% of undergraduates arrive as transfers, so the six-year rate describes only the first-time, full-time cohort and does not capture the experience of those who transfer in. The four pillars at Benedictine University are spread wide. Return is the strongest (at the 86th percentile) and mobility the weakest (at the 33rd percentile). Access and affordability sit between them (at the 35th and 47th percentiles), creating a profile where one pillar sits far above the rest. Benedictine University stands out most for return, while mobility is the least favorable part of its Azimuth profile. Azimuth places return in the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, making it the university’s strongest pillar. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, affordability is in the 47th percentile, access is in the 35th percentile, and mobility is in the 33rd percentile. The return result sits well above the access and mobility results. 39.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access for students at this university. Pell recipients complete at 48.6%, below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (50.3%) by 1.7 percentage points. Azimuth ranks Benedictine University #949 for access among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The access pillar combines the Pell share and that completion gap. Graduates earn about $18,650 more than the model expects for similar students, the mobility pillar's earnings signal. Azimuth ranks the university #979 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. [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/) Benedictine University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #570 | | [Illinois](/rankings/best-colleges-in-illinois/) | #23 | | [Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/) | #113 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 33 **Access & reach** National percentile: 35 **[Affordability](/school/benedictine-university/cost/)** National percentile: 47 **[Return on investment](/school/benedictine-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 86 01 / Benedictine University briefing ## [Benedictine University cost & financial aid](/school/benedictine-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) At Benedictine University, aid brings the average annual price well below the published cost for recipients. The published cost of attendance is $46,713, an average across living arrangements. Published tuition and fees are $35,940, and room and board is $10,850. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $22,313, with aid offsetting $24,400 of the sticker price on average. That average sits $34 below the $22,347 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places Benedictine’s affordability pillar in the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The net-price comparison is close to the peer benchmark, while aid still removes a large share of the published charge for the average recipient. Benedictine University publishes a cost of attendance of $46,713 (an average across living arrangements), before aid changes what families pay. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $20,168 for the lowest family-income band, $17,869 for the lower-middle band, $18,628 for the middle band, $23,517 for the upper-middle band, and $27,454 for the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,286, and Azimuth ranks the university #745 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 52% of the published cost, while the average net price across all aid recipients is $22,313. That average is $34 below the peer median of $22,347 at comparable institutions (same type and size). Published tuition and fees are $35,940, so the aid offset and slightly below-peer net price point in the same direction. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $22,500, and 88.8% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That median sits $2,500 below the $25,000 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month if repaid over ten years. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers have median borrowing of $22,900. 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**$18,628** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Benedictine University Federal borrowing is a major part of the cost picture at Benedictine University, although completers’ typical debt sits below the comparable-school median. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $22,500. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median is $25,000; the university’s median is $2,500 below that figure. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers are a separate parent-borrower population, with median borrowing of $22,900. Four years after completion, graduates of Benedictine University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $72,460. That figure sits at the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median sits $16,545 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates of Benedictine University earn about $18,650 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios range from $49,321 in a downside case to $91,160 in an upside case, with $72,460 as the typical outcome. Borrowers who finish hold a median of $22,500 in federal student loans, $2,500 below the $25,000 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month if repaid over ten years. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing was $22,900. For borrowers with the median federal debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 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** $22,500 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $22,900 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $256/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $291/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=benedictine-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/benedictine-university/cost/) 02 / Benedictine University briefing ## [Benedictine University career outcomes & earnings](/school/benedictine-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Benedictine University graduates earn about $18,650 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median four years after completion is $72,460, in the 79th percentile. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $55,915, and the university sits $16,545 above that mark. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 86th percentile nationally. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $1,943. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $20,593. Pay sits above the peer median and the model gap is positive. At Benedictine University, the median earnings figure four years after completion is $72,460, which Azimuth places in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The measure draws on an earnings cohort of 1,360 completers. Graduates earn about $18,650 more than the model expects for similar students, a gap that sits at the 95th percentile. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix put typical earnings at $72,460, with a downside scenario of $49,321 and an upside scenario of $91,160. An estimated 26.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Among federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled, Benedictine University records a median of $72,460 four years after completion, placing it in the 79th percentile nationally. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $55,915, leaving the university $16,545 above that benchmark. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Benedictine University #206 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $18,650 more than the model expects for similar students. That outcome sits in the 95th 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) subtracts $1,943. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $20,593. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,336. The program mix concentrates in business and health fields, with psychology and management science also representing notable shares of degrees. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, span from $49,321 on the downside to $91,160 on the upside. An estimated 26.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Nursing marks the upper end of the program picture, with median earnings of $97,934 four years after completion. Across the program mix, the downside scenario is $49,321 and the upside scenario is $91,160; these are earnings scenarios rather than observed groups. Other higher-earning fields include Computer Science at $91,698 and Human Resources Management and Services at $90,891, both four years after completion. The range shows that earnings can differ substantially by field. Benedictine University combines a lower debt figure than comparable colleges with earnings that exceed the model’s expectation. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $22,500. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $25,000, and the university’s figure is below it by $2,500. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month if repaid over ten years. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $22,313, which is below the peer median by $34. Graduates earn about $18,650 more than the model expects for similar students. Lower borrowing relative to peers and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** \-$1,943 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$20,593 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$18,650 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/benedictine-university/outcomes/) 03 / Benedictine University briefing ## [Benedictine University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/benedictine-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) The admission rate at Benedictine University was 95.2%, meaning most applicants in the reported pool were admitted. It sits above the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 3,041 applicants, 2,896 admitted, and 451 enrolled in a recent first-year cycle. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 95.2% **25th percentile** 913 **Median** 1065 **75th percentile** 1273 CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/benedictine-university/admissions/) 04 / Benedictine University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Benedictine University?](/school/benedictine-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Benedictine University has a marked spread in program earnings, so the field selected matters greatly to the return picture. Nursing recorded median earnings of $97,934 four years after completion, with 55 degrees awarded. Computer Science followed at $91,698 across 7 degrees awarded. Human Resources Management and Services also sat near the higher end, posting $90,891 with 19 degrees awarded. At a more moderate earnings level, Psychology had median earnings of $53,994 four years after completion and 50 degrees awarded. The contrast between these fields shows why the university-level earnings figure does not describe every program equally. Business is the largest program family, accounting for 42.4% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. Published earnings data cover 18 bachelor’s programs, showing substantial variation across fields. Benedictine University's bachelor's degrees are concentrated in a few professional fields. Business accounts for 42.4% of degrees awarded, and Health Professions for another 22.4%, together making up nearly two-thirds of bachelor's degrees awarded. Psychology is a distant third at 8.3%. The university has 18 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, at 80 degrees awarded, followed by Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services with 75 and Nursing with 55. The highest-earning program is also one of the largest: Nursing graduates earn a median of $97,934 four years after completion. Computer Science, a much smaller program at 7 degrees awarded, follows at $91,698. Human Resources Management and Services graduates earn $90,891, a benchmark ratio of 1.33x against the national median for its field, from 19 degrees awarded. Management Science, with 32 degrees awarded, posts median earnings of $85,904. The pattern is one of strength concentrated in professional programs. Several large programs in health and business post earnings above their national field medians, though the largest health program falls below. The highest-earning list is dominated by business specializations and nursing. 24.1% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields; most degrees are awarded in health professions and business. Psychology, at 50 degrees awarded, posts median earnings of $53,994. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Health/Medical Preparatory Programs 80 degrees awarded** $50,130 **Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other 75 degrees awarded** $71,185 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 55 degrees awarded** $97,934 **Psychology, General 50 degrees awarded** $53,994 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 45 degrees awarded** $65,665 **Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods 32 degrees awarded** $85,904 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/benedictine-university/majors/) 05 / Benedictine University briefing ## How does Benedictine University serve students from different backgrounds? Modeled earnings are a brighter part of the mobility picture than completion rates at Benedictine University. For the first-time full-time cohort, the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 50.3%; Pell recipients complete within six years at 48.6%, below the overall rate by 1.7 percentage points. Azimuth assigns the mobility pillar to the 33rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is especially favorable: Graduates earn about $18,650 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth puts that measure in the 95th percentile nationally. Benedictine University admits 95.2% of applicants, making admission the clearest part of its access picture. The university enrolls 1,942 undergraduates; 39.5% receive Pell Grants, and an estimated 41.0% entered as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth rates the access pillar at the 35th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Admissions, Pell participation, and transfer entry show the main routes into the university. 06 / Benedictine University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Benedictine University?](/school/benedictine-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/benedictine-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Benedictine University. Admissions peerRoosevelt University97.2% admitted+ Comparison with Benedictine University | Measure | Benedictine University | Roosevelt University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $72,460 | $58,796\-$13,664 vs Benedictine University | | Average annual net price | $22,313 | $20,194\-$2,119 vs Benedictine University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 95.2% | 97.2% | [Explore Roosevelt University →](/school/roosevelt-university/) Nearby alternativeDePaul UniversityNearby option · IL+ Comparison with Benedictine University | Measure | Benedictine University | DePaul University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $72,460 | $73,466+$1,006 vs Benedictine University | | Average annual net price | $22,313 | $30,902+$8,589 vs Benedictine University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 95.2% | 75.9% | [Explore DePaul University →](/school/depaul-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeCal Poly Maritime Academy$108,757 earnings+ Comparison with Benedictine University | Measure | Benedictine University | Cal Poly Maritime Academy | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $72,460 | $108,757+$36,297 vs Benedictine University | | Average annual net price | $22,313 | $20,555\-$1,758 vs Benedictine University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 95.2% | 95.0% | [Explore Cal Poly Maritime Academy →](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/) Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Illinois Chicago$10,974 average net price+ Comparison with Benedictine University | Measure | Benedictine University | University of Illinois Chicago | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $72,460 | $72,839+$379 vs Benedictine University | | Average annual net price | $22,313 | $10,974\-$11,339 vs Benedictine University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 95.2% | 77.4% | [Explore University of Illinois Chicago →](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/) Similar profileDePauw UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Benedictine University | Measure | Benedictine University | DePauw University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $72,460 | $70,091\-$2,369 vs Benedictine University | | Average annual net price | $22,313 | $22,264\-$49 vs Benedictine University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 95.2% | 57.2% | [Explore DePauw University →](/school/depauw-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/benedictine-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 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/)