1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Bowie State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Bowie State University MD · Medium public institution · Overall rank #308 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/bowie-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/bowie-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/bowie-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/bowie-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/bowie-state-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Bowie State University #308 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Bowie State University is a public university in Bowie, Maryland, where Business and Communications Technologies account for the largest shares of degrees. Access is well above average. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that to what it cannot explain than to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market. Return is above average. Students who arrive with Pell Grants finish below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is above average. The lowest income band averages a net price well below the published cost, though affordability is the weakest pillar. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. A student drawn to Business should know that the largest program is not the best-paid one. An estimated share of graduates continue to graduate study rather than going straight into work. ## Bowie State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 72.4% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 38.2% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $65,066 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $19,163 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $22,985 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $23,158 ## Bowie State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Bowie State University is a public university in Bowie, Maryland, enrolling 5,043 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the upper third of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (79th percentile). The university admits 72.4% of applicants, a rate below the 85.9% median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among full-time first-year students, 68.2% return for a second year, against a median of 73.7% at comparable institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for that cohort is 38.2%, compared with a median of 49.1% at similar schools. An estimated 32.7% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the first-time full-time cohort describes a majority of the entering class. For many students, the path to a degree at Bowie State University does not begin here. The four pillars sit in a narrow band: access is the strongest (84th percentile) and affordability is the weakest (56th percentile). Return and mobility fall between them, with no pillar pulling far ahead or falling far behind. Access is the strongest pillar in the Azimuth profile, at the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility follows at the 75th percentile, and return at the 67th percentile. Affordability is the weakest of the four, at the 56th percentile. The spread between the strongest and weakest pillars is wide enough that a reader should weigh the cost picture separately from the access and mobility strengths. 44.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Those students complete at 31.9%, 6.3 percentage points below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) (38.2%). Azimuth ranks Bowie State University #231 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #371 for mobility. Graduates earn about $1,760 more than the model expects for similar students. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Bowie State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #308 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 75 **Access & reach** National percentile: 84 **[Affordability](/school/bowie-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 56 **[Return on investment](/school/bowie-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 67 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians**#2** 2. Criminal Justice and Corrections**#10** 3. Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services**#36** 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/bowie-state-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Bowie State University briefing ## [Bowie State University cost & financial aid](/school/bowie-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Bowie State University publishes a cost of attendance of $25,220 for the standard budget. In-state undergraduates see tuition and fees of $9,218 alongside published room and board of $12,241. Nonresidents pay $19,938 in tuition and fees instead. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is what first-time, full-time aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, and here that figure is $19,298. Aid covers about 23% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, lowering the sticker price by $5,922. The peer median is the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). That remaining cost is $5,230 above the peer median of $14,068. Azimuth ranks the university #629 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance at Bowie State University is $25,220. Azimuth ranks the university #629 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $17,071, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $19,163, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $24,919. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,848. Aid covers about 23% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $19,298, which is $5,230 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $22,985 in federal student loans. That is $1,756 above the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions. 84.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $23,158 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month. It estimates what a family might pay based on their own finances. 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**$19,163** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Bowie State University Federal loans reach most undergraduates at Bowie State University: 84.2% of federal aid recipients borrow. Among borrowers who finish, the median federal student debt is $22,985. That median runs $1,756 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is a separate figure for a separate population: parents who borrow hold a median of $23,158. Federally aided graduates of Bowie State University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $65,066 four years after completion. That amount is $7,765 above the peer median of $57,301 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among nonprofit four-year institutions, that figure sits at the 66th percentile. Graduates earn about $1,760 more than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 61st percentile. The downside earnings scenario is $50,000, the typical scenario is $65,066, and the upside is $86,075. Completers who borrowed hold a median of $22,985 in federal loans. For comparable institutions (same type and size), the median is $21,229, placing the university $1,756 above. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $23,158. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 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** $22,985 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $23,158 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $261/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $294/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=bowie-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/bowie-state-university/cost/) 02 / Bowie State University briefing ## [Bowie State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/bowie-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $65,066. That figure is at the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That is $7,765 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $1,760 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 61st percentile. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the return pillar in the 67th 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 $834. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $926. A median of $65,066 four years after completion shows where federally aided Bowie State University graduates typically land when they are working and not enrolled. That measurement draws on 1,033 completers tracked in the recent federal data. Azimuth places that median in the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,760 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places that gap in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $50,000 on the downside to $86,075 on the upside, with $65,066 as the typical outcome. These scenarios reflect the spread across program clusters rather than the path of any individual graduate. Based on the program mix, an estimated 27.3% of graduates continue on to graduate study. Graduates of Bowie State University earn a median of $65,066 four years after completing a degree. That is $7,765 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #478 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,760 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 61st percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $834. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $926. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,509. The program mix at Bowie State University tilts toward business, communications technologies, and psychology. Earnings scenarios estimated from that mix range from a downside of $50,000 to an upside of $86,075. An estimated 27.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings vary substantially by program mix. The earnings scenarios range from $50,000 on the downside to $86,075 on the upside, with $65,066 as the typical scenario. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the higher end, Nursing graduates earn $103,814 four years after completion, and Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services graduates earn $97,030. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, reports median earnings of $70,427. Borrowers who complete a degree at Bowie State University leave with a median of $22,985 in federal student loans. That is $1,756 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size), which is $21,229. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $23,158 in Parent PLUS loans. Graduates earn about $1,760 more than the model expects for similar students, but median debt sits above the peer median. The monthly payment estimate and the net price for a family's income band are the two numbers to weigh against the program-level earnings on the program pages. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$834 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$926 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$1,760 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/bowie-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / Bowie State University briefing ## [Bowie State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/bowie-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Bowie State University admits 72.4% of applicants, a rate that sits below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 5,842 first-year applicants, 4,814 admitted students, and 877 who enrolled. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 72.4% **25th percentile** 895 **Median** 1025 **75th percentile** 1208 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/bowie-state-university/admissions/) 04 / Bowie State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Bowie State University?](/school/bowie-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The highest-earning program at Bowie State University is Nursing, where graduates earn a median of $103,814 four years after completion. It is a small program, with 25 degrees awarded a year. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, awards 177 degrees annually and posts median earnings of $70,427. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #130 nationally within its field. Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services is a smaller but higher-earning field, with 81 degrees awarded and median earnings of $97,030. At the more moderate end, Psychology awards 98 degrees and reports median earnings of $54,082, with an Azimuth national rank of #132. Bowie State University has 10 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, with 15 programs reporting earnings data. The strongest ranking belongs to Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians, which [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) #2 in its field nationally and #2 in Maryland, with 100 degrees awarded and median earnings of $56,818 four years after completion. The largest program is Business Administration and Management, at 177 degrees awarded and median earnings of $70,427. The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Nursing graduates earn $103,814 four years out, from 25 degrees a year. Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services is both the fourth-largest program and the second-highest-earning, with 81 degrees awarded and median earnings of $97,030. Criminal Justice rounds out the top-ranked programs at #10 nationally, with 75 degrees awarded and earnings of $67,303. Bowie State University awards bachelor's degrees across 10 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 15 with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is led by Business, which accounts for 21.1% of degrees awarded, followed by Communications Technologies at 11.9% and Psychology at 11.7%. The largest single programs are Business Administration and Management at 177 degrees awarded, Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians at 100, and Psychology at 98. Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians is the highest-ranked program, with median earnings of $56,818 four years after completion. It carries a benchmark ratio of 1.27x against the national median for its field. Criminal Justice ranks #10 nationally and #1 in Maryland within its field, with 75 degrees awarded and median earnings of $67,303. The highest-earning program is Nursing, where graduates earn a median of $103,814 four years out, from 25 degrees awarded a year. Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services is the second-highest earner at $97,030, with 81 degrees awarded. 19.1% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. The strongest programs are concentrated rather than spread across the catalog. Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians and Criminal Justice both rank in the top ten nationally within their fields. Nursing awards 25 degrees a year, and Business Administration and Management awards 177. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business Administration, Management and Operations 177 degrees awarded** $70,427 **Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians 100 degrees awarded** $56,818 **Psychology, General 98 degrees awarded** $54,082 **Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other 81 degrees awarded** $97,030 **Biology, General 77 degrees awarded** $59,995 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 75 degrees awarded** $67,303 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/bowie-state-university/majors/) 05 / Bowie State University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Bowie State University?](/school/bowie-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/bowie-state-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Bowie State University. Admissions peerMorgan State University82.2% admitted+ Comparison with Bowie State University | Measure | Bowie State University | Morgan State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,066 | $62,308\-$2,758 vs Bowie State University | | Average annual net price | $19,298 | $14,985\-$4,313 vs Bowie State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 72.4% | 82.2% | [Explore Morgan State University →](/school/morgan-state-university/) Higher-admission alternativeSalisbury University87.5% admitted+ Comparison with Bowie State University | Measure | Bowie State University | Salisbury University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,066 | $61,985\-$3,081 vs Bowie State University | | Average annual net price | $19,298 | $17,743\-$1,555 vs Bowie State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 72.4% | 87.5% | [Explore Salisbury University →](/school/salisbury-university/) Nearby alternativeSalisbury UniversityNearby option · MD+ Comparison with Bowie State University | Measure | Bowie State University | Salisbury University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,066 | $61,985\-$3,081 vs Bowie State University | | Average annual net price | $19,298 | $17,743\-$1,555 vs Bowie State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 72.4% | 87.5% | [Explore Salisbury University →](/school/salisbury-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Delaware$77,675 earnings+ Comparison with Bowie State University | Measure | Bowie State University | University of Delaware | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,066 | $77,675+$12,609 vs Bowie State University | | Average annual net price | $19,298 | $17,799\-$1,499 vs Bowie State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 72.4% | 70.6% | [Explore University of Delaware →](/school/university-of-delaware/) Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Maryland Eastern Shore$13,338 average net price+ Comparison with Bowie State University | Measure | Bowie State University | University of Maryland Eastern Shore | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,066 | $55,733\-$9,333 vs Bowie State University | | Average annual net price | $19,298 | $13,338\-$5,960 vs Bowie State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 72.4% | 96.4% | Similar profileAugusta UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Bowie State University | Measure | Bowie State University | Augusta University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,066 | $62,546\-$2,520 vs Bowie State University | | Average annual net price | $19,298 | $13,787\-$5,511 vs Bowie State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 72.4% | 86.4% | [Explore Augusta University →](/school/augusta-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/bowie-state-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)