1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Boston College Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Boston College MA · Large private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #156 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/boston-college/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/boston-college/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/boston-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/boston-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/boston-college/similar/) ## Azimuth places Boston College in the 89th percentile overall. ### Who it’s a good fit for Boston College suits a student who wants a private university in Massachusetts and expects to work after the degree. Most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study. Return is among the highest we track, while affordability is below the levels seen at many peers. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them, and the model attributes more of that to the factors it measures than to what it cannot explain. The typical graduate also earns above the median at comparable schools, so the raw and adjusted results point the same way. The price case turns on income: the lowest band pays well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it. Pell students also complete within a few points of the rate for the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is well above average. The admission rate is well below the median for comparable schools, and the degree mix leans toward business and the social sciences. A student drawn to those fields should go in knowing that the largest single program is not the highest-earning one. ## BC at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 16.4% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 90.8% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $96,145 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $13,112 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $19,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $45,000 ## BC rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Boston College is a private nonprofit university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, enrolling 10,085 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (89th percentile). The university admits 16.4% of applicants, a rate far below the 47.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Retention runs well above the peer median—the midpoint for comparable institutions—with 96.0% of first-year students returning against a peer median of 90.1%. Completion is similarly strong, as 90.8% finish within six years compared to a peer median of 80.0%. An estimated 12.5% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes the first-time, full-time cohort and not the full student body. The four pillars sit far apart. Return is the strongest (97th percentile), while affordability is the weakest (7th percentile). Access and mobility sit between them (81st and 82nd percentiles), giving the university the profile of a highly selective institution where outcomes are strong but the price is high. For readers weighing outcomes against price, Boston College is strongest on return, but affordability is its clear constraint. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth places return in the 97th percentile and access in the 81st percentile. Mobility stands in the 82nd percentile, compared with affordability in the 7th percentile, the weakest pillar. Strong return and access sit beside a cost profile that warrants close attention. 12.9% of undergraduates at Boston College receive Pell Grants, the federal aid program for students with the most financial need. Those Pell recipients complete their degrees at a rate of 89.4%, which is 1.4 percentage points below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the entering cohort. Azimuth ranks Boston College #279 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #271 for mobility. Graduates earn about $11,656 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that coincides with a Pell completion rate that runs close to the overall figure. [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/) BC rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #156 | | [Massachusetts](/rankings/best-colleges-in-massachusetts/) | #6 | | [Northeast](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-northeast/) | #37 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 82 **Access & reach** National percentile: 81 **[Affordability](/school/boston-college/cost/)** National percentile: 7 **[Return on investment](/school/boston-college/outcomes/)** National percentile: 97 ### Top-ranked majors 1. International/Globalization Studies**#1** 2. Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology**#1** 3. Natural Resources Conservation and Research**#2** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/boston-college/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / BC briefing ## [BC cost & financial aid](/school/boston-college/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Boston College carries a high published cost, and its average price after aid also sits above comparable institutions. The published cost of attendance is $89,493, an average across living arrangements. On-campus students face $70,702 in tuition and fees and $18,916 for room and board. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $41,704, with aid offsetting $47,789 from the sticker price on average. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $36,211; Boston College's average is above that figure by $5,493. Azimuth ranks Boston College #1,321 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The high published cost and above-peer average net price point to a less favorable affordability picture. At Boston College, the published cost of attendance is $89,493 (an average across living arrangements), and the price after aid varies widely across family-income bands. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $4,284 for the lowest family-income band, $7,304 for the lower-middle band, $13,112 for the middle band, $19,999 for the upper-middle band, and $60,308 for the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $56,024. Azimuth ranks the university #1,321 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 53% of the published cost, with average aid savings of $47,789. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $41,704, while published tuition and fees are $70,702. That overall price is $5,493 above the peer median net price of $36,211, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid reduces the published charge substantially, though the overall average remains above the peer benchmark. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $19,000, and 95.0% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. This is $4,168 below the peer median debt of $23,168 for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $216 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing for parent borrowers is $45,000. 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**$13,112** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at BC Boston College pairs broad federal borrowing with a completion debt median below that of comparable institutions. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $19,000, $4,168 below the $23,168 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $45,000. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 38% of graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $24,892 in cumulative borrowing per borrower. The reported group included 37% of graduates with federal loans averaging $16,066. It also reported 10% of graduates with private loans averaging $37,925. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $96,145 at Boston College, at the 96th percentile. That is $12,530 above the $83,615 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $11,656 more than the model expects for similar students. That gap lands at the 86th percentile. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $69,823 in a downside case to $139,092 in an upside case, with $96,145 as the typical outcome. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $19,000 in federal student loans, $4,168 below the $23,168 peer median. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $216 a month. The return pillar is the strongest of the four, at the 97th percentile. Affordability is the weakest, at the 7th percentile. The earnings advantage sits alongside a debt load that is below the peer median. Parent borrowers have median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $45,000, a figure separate from federal student borrowing. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $216 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** $19,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $45,000 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $216/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $572/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=boston-college#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/boston-college/cost/) 02 / BC briefing ## [BC career outcomes & earnings](/school/boston-college/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Boston College has a return result near the top of Azimuth’s coverage. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,656 more than the model expects for similar students. [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, sits in the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $10,860. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $796. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $96,145, in the 96th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), matches that median; the $12,530 gap leaves the university above it. The model-beating result and peer-level median offer different reference points. Boston College shows high graduate earnings: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $96,145 four years after completion. Azimuth places that median in the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 2,195 completers. Graduates earn about $11,656 more than the model expects for similar students. Modeled from the program mix, scenarios put typical earnings at $96,145, with a downside scenario of $69,823 and an upside scenario of $139,092. An estimated 34.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The high median and the modeled range show that program choice can matter within an already strong earnings picture. Boston College posts $96,145 in median earnings four years after completion, placing it in the 96th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $83,615; the university is above it by $12,530. Graduates earn about $11,656 more than the model expects for similar students. [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, falls in the 86th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $10,860. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $796. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,217. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix put the downside at $69,823 and the upside at $139,092. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #38 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings-beyond-expectations result and return rank point in the same direction. Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations leads the program picture, with median earnings of $132,903 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Its median is 2.18x the national median for its field. Economics awarded 354 degrees and has median earnings of $121,337 four years after completion; Azimuth ranks it #25 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology awarded 138 degrees, with median earnings of $76,328 and an Azimuth national rank of #1 among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The contrast in earnings across these named fields makes program choice an important part of the return picture. The range of earnings scenarios is wide, from $69,823 in the downside scenario to $139,092 in the upside scenario. These scenarios are modeled from the program mix, rather than observed groups of graduates. Boston College presents a mixed cost-and-return picture: graduates earn about $11,656 more than the model expects for similar students. For borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $19,000, below the $23,168 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $4,168. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $216 a month if repaid over ten years. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $41,704. By family income band, average net prices are $4,284 in the lowest band, $7,304 in the lower-middle band, $13,112 in the middle band, $19,999 in the upper-middle band, and $60,308 in the highest band. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $36,211, and the university’s average net price is above it by $5,493. Lower debt and above-expected earnings sit beside a net price above the peer median. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$10,860 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$796 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$11,656 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/boston-college/outcomes/) 03 / BC briefing ## [BC acceptance rate & admissions](/school/boston-college/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Boston College admitted 16.4% of applicants, a smaller share than the median of 47.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 34,779 first-year applicants and 5,632 admitted applicants. Applicants should use the published score ranges and grade profile to decide how Boston College fits within an application list. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 16.4% **25th percentile** 1460 **Median** 1500 **75th percentile** 1520 CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/boston-college/admissions/) 04 / BC briefing ## [What are the largest majors at BC?](/school/boston-college/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At Boston College, Finance sets the high-earning end: median earnings of $147,746 four years after completion, 325 degrees awarded, and an [Azimuth rank](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) of #5 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology recorded $76,328 in median earnings and 138 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #1 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Philosophy posted $97,519 with 95 degrees awarded and ranks #2 nationally by Azimuth among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations shows median earnings of $132,903 and 41 degrees awarded; Azimuth places it #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Business anchors the degree mix, accounting for 26.7% of bachelor’s degrees awarded, while Boston College has 24 bachelor’s fields with national [Azimuth ranking](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)s. In Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology, Azimuth places the program #1 nationally in its field; 138 degrees were awarded, and median earnings four years after completion were $76,328. International/Globalization Studies stands at #1 nationally in its field in Azimuth, with 83 degrees awarded and median earnings of $91,874 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks Philosophy #2 nationally in its field; 95 degrees were awarded, and median earnings were $97,519 four years after completion. Business accounts for 26.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded at Boston College, with Social Sciences next at 17.9% and Biological Sciences at 10.4%. The university has 24 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 24 with published four-year earnings data. The largest single programs are Economics at 354 degrees awarded, Finance at 325, and Communication and Media Studies at 191. Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology is the highest-ranked program, with median earnings of $76,328 four years after completion and 138 degrees awarded a year. Finance, the second-largest program, ranks #1 in Massachusetts within its field and reports median earnings of $147,746. Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations awards 41 degrees a year. Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations stands out for its return, with a benchmark ratio of 2.18x against the national median for its field. The pattern is one of concentrated strength: the largest programs are also among the best-ranked and best-paid. 23.4% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings for fields where graduates commonly continue to graduate study may understate later trajectories. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Economics 354 degrees awarded** $121,337 **Finance and Financial Management Services 325 degrees awarded** $147,746 **Communication and Media Studies 191 degrees awarded** $83,586 **Biology, General 182 degrees awarded** $83,614 **Political Science and Government 142 degrees awarded** $86,537 **Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology 138 degrees awarded** $76,328 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/boston-college/majors/) 05 / BC briefing ## How does BC serve students from different backgrounds? Boston College has a strong completion record, with Pell recipients finishing at a slightly lower rate than the full first-time cohort. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for that cohort is 90.8%, and the Pell recipient completion rate is 89.4%, below the overall rate by 1.4 percentage points. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 82nd 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 in the 86th percentile. Graduates earn about $11,656 more than the model expects for similar students. The completion figures and modeled earnings both favor the mobility picture. Entry to Boston College is selective, with an admission rate of 16.4%, across an undergraduate enrollment of 10,085 undergraduates. Pell Grants reach 12.9% of undergraduates, and the estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group is 12.5%. Azimuth places Boston College's access pillar in the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The admission rate, Pell participation, and transfer estimate show access through several entry routes within a large undergraduate population. 06 / BC briefing ## [What colleges are similar to BC?](/school/boston-college/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/boston-college/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with BC. Admissions peerBabson College17.1% admitted+ Comparison with BC | Measure | BC | Babson College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $96,145 | $117,794+$21,649 vs BC | | Average annual net price | $41,704 | $40,514\-$1,190 vs BC · lower cost | | Admission rate | 16.4% | 17.1% | [Explore Babson College →](/school/babson-college/) Higher-admission alternativeBryant University65.5% admitted+ Comparison with BC | Measure | BC | Bryant University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $96,145 | $90,592\-$5,553 vs BC | | Average annual net price | $41,704 | $41,219\-$485 vs BC · lower cost | | Admission rate | 16.4% | 65.5% | Nearby alternativeNortheastern UniversityNearby option · MA+ Comparison with BC | Measure | BC | Northeastern University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $96,145 | $101,903+$5,758 vs BC | | Average annual net price | $41,704 | $30,915\-$10,789 vs BC · lower cost | | Admission rate | 16.4% | 5.2% | [Explore Northeastern University →](/school/northeastern-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeBabson College$117,794 earnings+ Comparison with BC | Measure | BC | Babson College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $96,145 | $117,794+$21,649 vs BC | | Average annual net price | $41,704 | $40,514\-$1,190 vs BC · lower cost | | Admission rate | 16.4% | 17.1% | [Explore Babson College →](/school/babson-college/) Lower-cost alternativeNortheastern University$30,915 average net price+ Comparison with BC | Measure | BC | Northeastern University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $96,145 | $101,903+$5,758 vs BC | | Average annual net price | $41,704 | $30,915\-$10,789 vs BC · lower cost | | Admission rate | 16.4% | 5.2% | [Explore Northeastern University →](/school/northeastern-university/) Similar profileBrown UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with BC | Measure | BC | Brown University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $96,145 | $94,678\-$1,467 vs BC | | Average annual net price | $41,704 | $25,184\-$16,520 vs BC · lower cost | | Admission rate | 16.4% | 5.4% | [Explore Brown University →](/school/brown-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/boston-college/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/)