1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Brandeis University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Brandeis University MA · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #799 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/brandeis-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/brandeis-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/brandeis-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/brandeis-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/brandeis-university/similar/) ## Azimuth’s overall standing is the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Brandeis University is a private nonprofit university in Waltham, Massachusetts, where Social Sciences and Biological Sciences lead the degree mix. Return is well above average, though affordability is below the levels seen at many peers. Graduates earn roughly what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures and a subtraction to the remainder it cannot explain, so the two effects nearly cancel. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, and the four-year earnings picture comes from those already in the workforce. Aid lowers the price well below the published cost for the lowest income band, yet the spread between bands is wide. Pell Grant recipients complete below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. The admission rate sits below the median for comparable institutions. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the highest-earning fields are not the ones that award the most degrees. ## Brandeis University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 40.5% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 86.0% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $76,742 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $20,536 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $25,648 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $35,451 ## Brandeis University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Brandeis University is a private nonprofit university in Waltham, Massachusetts, enrolling 3,618 undergraduates. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the university falls near the middle of the field (46th percentile). Admission runs below the peer median: Brandeis University accepts 40.5% of applicants, against 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Of full-time students who start here, 87.0% return for a second year, above the peer median of 83.4%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort stands at 86.0%, which is above the 68.8% median for comparable institutions. An estimated 10.0% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year figure covers only the first-time full-time cohort. Return is the only pillar near the top of the field (80th percentile), while affordability is the only one near the bottom (8th percentile). Access and mobility sit close together in the middle, at the 47th and 52nd percentiles. Return is Brandeis University's highest Azimuth pillar, but affordability sits at the other end of its profile. Azimuth places return in the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, making it the strongest pillar. Access stands in the 47th percentile, mobility in the 52nd percentile, and affordability in the 8th percentile, the weakest result. The high return standing and low affordability standing point in different directions for families weighing outcomes against cost. [Access and mobility](/analysis/intro-to-college-azimuth-the-data-of-higher-education-in-illinois/) at Brandeis University both sit near the middle of the national distribution, starting with a Pell Grant share of 15.0%. Azimuth ranks Brandeis University #778 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Among Pell recipients, the six-year completion rate is 76.6%, a rate that sits 9.4 percentage points below the figure for the entering cohort as a whole (86.0%). Azimuth ranks the university #705 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $217 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. [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/) Brandeis University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #799 | | [Massachusetts](/rankings/best-colleges-in-massachusetts/) | #36 | | [Northeast](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-northeast/) | #197 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 52 **Access & reach** National percentile: 47 **[Affordability](/school/brandeis-university/cost/)** National percentile: 8 **[Return on investment](/school/brandeis-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 80 01 / Brandeis University briefing ## [Brandeis University cost & financial aid](/school/brandeis-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Brandeis University has a high published price, and its average cost after aid remains above the comparable-school benchmark. The published cost of attendance is $86,448, an average across living arrangements. On-campus tuition and fees are $68,080, and room and board are $19,944. 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 $35,736, with $50,712 in average financial aid savings against the sticker price. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $27,371; this university is $8,365 above that figure. Azimuth ranks Brandeis University #1,300 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The aid discount is substantial, but the remaining average price and affordability standing point toward a costly comparison. The published cost of attendance at Brandeis University is $86,448, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $68,080, and room and board are $19,944. Azimuth ranks the university #1,300 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 $13,363, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $20,536, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $54,885. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $41,522. Aid covers about 59% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the overall average net price to $35,736. That is $8,365 above the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $25,648 in federal student loans, $1,449 above the peer median of $24,199. 94.5% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $35,451 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 $291 a month. 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**$20,536** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Brandeis University Federal borrowing is widespread at Brandeis University, where 94.5% of federal aid recipients take federal loans and the median federal student loan debt at completion is $25,648. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $24,199, leaving Brandeis’s median $1,449 above it. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $35,451. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 33% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $28,880 per borrower. This included 31% of graduates with federal loans averaging $17,646. Of graduates, 6% had private loans averaging $63,913. For a reader weighing cost against outcomes, Brandeis University posts median earnings of $76,742 four years after completion, placing the figure in the 85th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $217 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. [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 54th percentile. The earnings scenarios run from $57,215 in the downside case to $108,662 in the upside case, with $76,742 as the typical scenario. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $25,648, above the $24,199 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,449. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $291 a month if repaid over ten years. High earnings and debt above the peer median point in different directions. For parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $35,451, separate from federal student borrowing. For student borrowers with median federal debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $291 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** $25,648 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $35,451 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $291/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $450/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=brandeis-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/brandeis-university/cost/) 02 / Brandeis University briefing ## [Brandeis University career outcomes & earnings](/school/brandeis-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Brandeis University has four-year median earnings above comparable peers. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn $76,742 four years after completion, in the 85th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250; Brandeis University is $8,492 above it. Azimuth puts the return pillar in the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $217 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. The earnings-beyond-expectations result is in the 54th 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 $3,251. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $3,468. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled record a median of $76,742 at Brandeis University. That median falls in the 85th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, drawn from a cohort of 660 completers. The earnings-beyond-expectations metric weighs actual pay against the model's forecast for similar students; graduates earn about $217 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Earnings scenarios anchored to the program mix span from a downside of $57,215 to an upside of $108,662, with a typical outcome of $76,742. An estimated 41.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The above-average median and the wide scenario range contrast with the near-zero earnings-beyond-expectations result, so the early-pay picture is mixed. Brandeis University has median earnings of $76,742 four years after completion among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, placing it in the 85th percentile. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median, the middle value for that group, is $68,250; the university's median is $8,492 above it. Graduates earn about $217 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. [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 54th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $3,251. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $3,468. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $4,210. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from $57,215 in the downside scenario to $108,662 in the upside scenario. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #294 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer comparison is above its reference point, whereas the model-based expectation measure is effectively at the expected level. Computer Science is the highest-earning listed program, with 99 degrees awarded and median earnings of $123,460 four years after completion. Its median is 1.15x of the national median for its field. Biology had 154 degrees awarded, with median earnings of $58,384 four years after completion. The listed fields span markedly different earnings levels at the same point after completion. Outcomes vary considerably by field, with earnings scenarios extending from $57,215 on the downside to $108,662 on the upside. These are scenarios drawn from the program mix rather than observed groups of graduates. Among published program medians four years after completion, Computer Science reaches $123,460, Business/Commerce reaches $108,405, and Economics reaches $95,872. The program figures help explain the breadth of the modeled range. Brandeis University pairs a high average net price with borrower debt above peer levels. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $35,736. By income band, average net price is $13,363 for lowest-income aid recipients, $15,135 for lower-middle-income aid recipients, $20,536 for middle-income aid recipients, $26,784 for upper-middle-income aid recipients, and $54,885 for highest-income aid recipients. Among completing borrowers, median federal student loan debt is $25,648, above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $24,199. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $291 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $217 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Higher net prices and debt above peer levels sit alongside earnings at the expected level. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$3,251 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$3,468 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$217 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/brandeis-university/outcomes/) 03 / Brandeis University briefing ## [Brandeis University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/brandeis-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Brandeis University admitted 40.5% of applicants, a lower share than the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 9,756 first-year applicants, 4,430 admitted applicants, and 744 enrolled students. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 40.5% **25th percentile** 1370 **Median** 1430 **75th percentile** 1470 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/brandeis-university/admissions/) 04 / Brandeis University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Brandeis University?](/school/brandeis-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The program picture separates higher-earning options from more moderate ones four years after completion. Computer Science has median earnings of $123,460 and 99 degrees awarded, while Business/Commerce records $108,405 with 127 degrees awarded. These are the higher earnings figures among the fields cited here. Among larger programs with more moderate earnings, Biology records $58,384 and 154 degrees awarded. Research and Experimental Psychology has median earnings of $67,838 with 114 degrees awarded. The cited programs range from the moderate figures in biology and psychology to markedly higher figures in computer science and business. Business/Commerce combines a large degree count with the strongest earnings figure among the largest fields at Brandeis University. Published earnings data cover 19 bachelor’s programs, making field-level results useful alongside the schoolwide picture. Among the largest fields, Biology awarded 154 degrees, with median earnings of $58,384 four years after completion. The figures show that outcomes differ across Brandeis’s largest fields. Brandeis University has a degree mix led by Social Sciences and Biological Sciences, making its largest academic pathways more science and social-science oriented than business centered. Social Sciences accounts for 18.3% of bachelor’s degrees awarded, Biological Sciences for 17.0%, and Business for 9.4%. Published earnings data cover 19 programs four years after completion. The largest individual programs are Biology, with 154 degrees awarded, Business/Commerce with 127, and Economics with 125. The highest-earning program is Computer Science, where 99 degrees awarded match median earnings of $123,460 four years after completion. Business/Commerce, already one of the largest programs, has median earnings of $108,405, while Economics has $95,872. Smaller cohorts also appear among the higher earners: Mathematics awarded 21 degrees and shows $85,681, and Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services awarded 15 degrees with $78,746. The remaining large programs point to a broader set of outcomes rather than one single earnings path. Four-year earnings can understate later trajectories in fields that commonly involve graduate study. The large-program mix therefore includes both high-earning business and quantitative fields and sizeable science, psychology, and policy pathways with distinct early-career earnings. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Biology, General 154 degrees awarded** $58,384 **Business/Commerce, General 127 degrees awarded** $108,405 **Economics 125 degrees awarded** $95,872 **Research and Experimental Psychology 114 degrees awarded** $67,838 **Public Policy Analysis 111 degrees awarded** $75,580 **Computer Science 99 degrees awarded** $123,460 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/brandeis-university/majors/) 05 / Brandeis University briefing ## How does Brandeis University serve students from different backgrounds? Completion is a relative strength at Brandeis University: the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 86.0%. Pell recipients’ six-year completion rate is 76.6%, below the overall rate by 9.4 percentage points. Azimuth puts the mobility pillar in the 52nd 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, sits in the 54th percentile by Azimuth. Graduates earn about $217 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Strong completion coincides with modeled earnings near the expected level. Brandeis University admits 40.5% of applicants, giving its access profile a middle-range starting point rather than broad entry. Its undergraduate enrollment is 3,618 undergraduates; 15.0% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and an estimated 10.0% enter as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. These measures describe entry routes and the share of undergraduates receiving federal grant aid. 06 / Brandeis University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Brandeis University?](/school/brandeis-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/brandeis-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Brandeis University. Admissions peerMount Holyoke College36.0% admitted+ Comparison with Brandeis University | Measure | Brandeis University | Mount Holyoke College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,742 | $54,450\-$22,292 vs Brandeis University | | Average annual net price | $35,736 | $26,441\-$9,295 vs Brandeis University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 40.5% | 36.0% | Higher-admission alternativeUniversity of Connecticut52.4% admitted+ Comparison with Brandeis University | Measure | Brandeis University | University of Connecticut | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,742 | $78,925+$2,183 vs Brandeis University | | Average annual net price | $35,736 | $25,097\-$10,639 vs Brandeis University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 40.5% | 52.4% | [Explore University of Connecticut →](/school/university-of-connecticut/) Nearby alternativeWellesley CollegeNearby option · MA+ Comparison with Brandeis University | Measure | Brandeis University | Wellesley College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,742 | $72,449\-$4,293 vs Brandeis University | | Average annual net price | $35,736 | $25,496\-$10,240 vs Brandeis University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 40.5% | 14.1% | [Explore Wellesley College →](/school/wellesley-college/) Higher-earnings alternativeBentley University$108,577 earnings+ Comparison with Brandeis University | Measure | Brandeis University | Bentley University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,742 | $108,577+$31,835 vs Brandeis University | | Average annual net price | $35,736 | $37,930+$2,194 vs Brandeis University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 40.5% | 45.1% | [Explore Bentley University →](/school/bentley-university/) Lower-cost alternativeAmherst College$23,367 average net price+ Comparison with Brandeis University | Measure | Brandeis University | Amherst College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,742 | $79,243+$2,501 vs Brandeis University | | Average annual net price | $35,736 | $23,367\-$12,369 vs Brandeis University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 40.5% | 9.0% | [Explore Amherst College →](/school/amherst-college/) Similar profileUniversity of ScrantonMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Brandeis University | Measure | Brandeis University | University of Scranton | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,742 | $79,409+$2,667 vs Brandeis University | | Average annual net price | $35,736 | $32,568\-$3,168 vs Brandeis University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 40.5% | 81.2% | [Explore University of Scranton →](/school/university-of-scranton/) 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/brandeis-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/)