1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Central Connecticut State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Central Connecticut State University CT · Medium public institution · Overall rank #175 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Central Connecticut State University #175 among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Central Connecticut State University is a public university in New Britain, Connecticut, where the degree mix is led by Business and Social Sciences, and mobility is among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them, and the model credits the factors it measures with adding to earnings, while the unexplained remainder subtracts. The typical graduate also earns above the median at comparable schools, so the raw and adjusted results point the same way. Pell recipients complete at a rate above the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is among the highest we track. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it, so the aid structure tilts toward families with less to spend. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools, and the degree mix leans toward business and the social sciences. ## Central Connecticut State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 73.3% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 48.4% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $67,245 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $15,091 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $22,300 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $19,642 ## Central Connecticut State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Central Connecticut State University is a public university in New Britain, Connecticut, enrolling 7,822 undergraduates. Its composite standing is in the top fifth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (88th percentile). The university admits 73.3% of applicants, a rate below the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 77.1% return for a second year, against a median of 73.7% for comparable institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 48.4%, compared to a median of 49.1% for comparable institutions. An estimated 39.2% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students. The four pillars sit some distance apart. Mobility is the strongest, while affordability is the weakest. Access and return fall between them, with the university's shape showing a public campus where the mobility pillar is the strongest and affordability is the weakest. Mobility is the clearest strength at Central Connecticut State University, with Azimuth placing that pillar in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Access stands in the 82nd percentile and return in the 67th percentile. Affordability is the weakest of the four pillars at the 67th percentile, so the overall picture is strongest on mobility rather than price. 38.4% of undergraduates at Central Connecticut State University receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks the university #271 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 57.0%, 8.6 percentage points above the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. For mobility, Azimuth ranks Central Connecticut State University #141 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,190 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/) Central Connecticut State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #175 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 90 **Access & reach** National percentile: 82 **[Affordability](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 67 **[Return on investment](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 67 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Criminology**#6** 2. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians**#11** 3. Construction Management**#13** 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/central-connecticut-state-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Central Connecticut State University briefing ## [Central Connecticut State University cost & financial aid](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) For aid recipients, Central Connecticut State University has a published cost of attendance of $24,870 and an average price that is above comparable institutions. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $6,998 and out-of-state tuition of $10,498 for the 2026-27 academic year. Required fees are $6,052, and on-campus food and housing are $13,472. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $16,857, with $8,013 in average financial aid savings against the sticker price. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068, placing the university above it by $2,789. Azimuth ranks the university #472 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The above-peer average net price and that affordability placement point in the same direction. For aid recipients, the published cost of attendance is $24,870, but prices vary 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 $13,589 for the lowest-income band; $13,636 for the lower-middle band; $15,091 for the middle band; $18,336 for the upper-middle band; and $21,562 for the highest-income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,973. Azimuth ranks Central Connecticut State University #472 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid lowers the published cost by $8,013 and covers about 32% of the published cost. The average net price across all aid recipients is $16,857. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068, with the university's average net price above it by $2,789. Aid reduces the sticker price, though the average price remains above the comparable-institution midpoint. Federal student loan borrowers who complete leave with median debt of $22,300, and 87.5% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That median is above the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,071. For parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $19,642. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $253 a month if repaid over ten years. 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**$15,091** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Central Connecticut State University At Central Connecticut State University, borrowers who complete typically leave with $22,300 in federal student loan debt. That is $1,071 above the $21,229 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 $19,642. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 63% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $26,504 per borrower. That includes 62% of graduates with federal loans averaging $21,559. Of graduates, 12% had private loans averaging $27,821. Central Connecticut State University has above-expected earnings, although its median federal debt is above the peer median. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $67,245; Azimuth places that figure in the 71st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,190 more than the model expects for similar students. This is [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; Azimuth places it in the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios put earnings at $54,363 in a downside case, $67,245 in a typical case, and $88,236 in an upside case. Median federal debt at completion is $22,300, which is $1,071 above the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $253 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and higher borrowing point in different directions. Families weighing parent borrowing should keep it separate from the student loan picture: median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $19,642 for parent borrowers. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $253 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** $22,300 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $19,642 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $253/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $250/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=central-connecticut-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/cost/) 02 / Central Connecticut State University briefing ## [Central Connecticut State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Graduates of Central Connecticut State University earn a median of $67,245 four years after completion, which is $9,944 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That places the university's median earnings in the 71st percentile nationally. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the return pillar in the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,190 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 72nd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $9,368. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,178. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,795. Central Connecticut State University graduates post earnings above the middle of comparable institutions, with a median of $67,245 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings level in the 71st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The measure covers 2,778 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301; Central Connecticut State University is above it by $9,944. A typical earnings scenario, based on the program mix, is $67,245. An estimated 30.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The typical scenario and the peer comparison both point to earnings above the comparable-institution middle. Graduates of Central Connecticut State University earn a median of $67,245 four years after completion, placing the university in the 71st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure is $9,944 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 #480 for return. Graduates earn about $5,190 more than the model expects for similar students. The gap sits at the 72nd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $9,368. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,178. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,795. Estimated from the program mix, the downside earnings scenario is $54,363 and the upside is $88,236. An estimated 30.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings vary substantially by modeled scenario and by field at Central Connecticut State University. The downside earnings scenario is $54,363, while the upside scenario reaches $88,236. The financial picture pairs higher-than-expected earnings with debt that is somewhat higher than the comparable-institution middle. Graduates earn about $5,190 more than the model expects for similar students. That figure measures [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. Borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $22,300, which is above the $21,229 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $253 a month if repaid over ten years. For aid recipients, average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $16,857. The peer median average net price is $14,068, and Central Connecticut State University is above it by $2,789. Above-expected earnings sit alongside higher debt and net price than the peer medians. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$9,368 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$4,178 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$5,190 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/central-connecticut-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / Central Connecticut State University briefing ## [Central Connecticut State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 10,176 first-year applicants, 8,070 admitted applicants, and 1,762 enrolled first-year students. For its reported entering class, Central Connecticut State University admitted 73.3% of applicants. That rate is below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 73.3% **25th percentile** 900 **Median** 1010 **75th percentile** 1140 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/admissions/) 04 / Central Connecticut State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Central Connecticut State University?](/school/central-connecticut-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Earnings differ markedly across the university’s larger programs, separating higher-earning business fields from more moderate-earning social science fields. Finance completers have median earnings of $78,910 four years after completion; [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the field #94 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, and it awarded 79 degrees. Accounting shows $74,408 in median earnings, 93 degrees awarded, and an Azimuth national field rank of #134 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Criminology records $61,950, with 142 degrees awarded and an Azimuth rank of #6 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Psychology is more moderate at $53,227; it awarded 116 degrees, and Azimuth ranks the field #149 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. The program roster has 28 fields with an Azimuth national rank, giving applicants several ranked options to compare. In Azimuth’s rankings among nonprofit four-year institutions, Criminology ranks #6 in its field, with 142 degrees awarded and median earnings of $61,950 four years after completion. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians ranks #11 in its field, awarded 20 degrees, and shows $90,472 in median earnings four years after completion. Construction Management ranks #13 in its field, with 41 degrees awarded and median earnings of $93,908 at the same point. The rankings and earnings vary by field, so the program pages matter more than a schoolwide average. The program mix at Central Connecticut State University is anchored by Business, which accounts for 25.9% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Social Sciences at 14.9% and Psychology at 7.0%. Across the university, 28 programs carry an Azimuth national rank, and 33 have published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Criminology, at 142 degrees awarded, with Psychology next at 116 and Business Administration and Management at 96. The largest programs are Criminology, Psychology, and Business Administration and Management. Criminology, the largest program on campus, earns its graduates a median of $61,950 four years after completion and ranks #1 in Connecticut within its field. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians is a smaller program at 20 degrees awarded, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #11 nationally within its field. Construction Management awards 41 degrees a year and ranks #13 nationally in its field, while Mechanical Engineering is the highest-earning program, with a median of $94,462 from 57 degrees awarded. Kinesiology and Physical Education also stands out with a benchmark ratio of 1.24x against the national median for its field. The pattern is one of strength spread across several fields rather than concentrated in a single department. The largest programs in business and social sciences carry solid national and state ranks, while the highest earnings come from engineering and technology fields that award fewer degrees. 26.9% of degrees awarded are in STEM. The mix includes both high-volume programs and high-earning fields. Four-year earnings for fields where graduate study is common understate later trajectories. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Criminology 142 degrees awarded** $61,950 **Psychology, General 116 degrees awarded** $53,227 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 96 degrees awarded** $71,392 **Accounting and Related Services 93 degrees awarded** $74,408 **Finance and Financial Management Services 79 degrees awarded** $78,910 **Marketing 68 degrees awarded** $67,290 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/central-connecticut-state-university/majors/) 05 / Central Connecticut State University briefing ## How does Central Connecticut State University serve students from different backgrounds? Mobility is the university’s strongest measured pillar, placing in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, according to Azimuth. Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort have a 57.0% six-year completion rate, above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) of 48.4% by 8.6 percentage points. Graduates earn about $5,190 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, stands in the 72nd percentile. Above-overall Pell completion appears alongside higher-than-expected modeled earnings. Admission is open to 73.3% of applicants at Central Connecticut State University, which enrolls 7,822 undergraduates in New Britain, Connecticut. Pell Grants reach 38.4% of undergraduates, and an estimated 39.2% arrive as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 82nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, combining a sizable undergraduate body with multiple entry routes. 06 / Central Connecticut State University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Central Connecticut State University?](/school/central-connecticut-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/central-connecticut-state-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Central Connecticut State University. Admissions peerLasell University81.2% admitted+ Comparison with Central Connecticut State University | Measure | Central Connecticut State University | Lasell University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,245 | $58,411\-$8,834 vs Central Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $16,857 | $27,511+$10,654 vs Central Connecticut State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 81.2% | Higher-admission alternativeRoger Williams University87.7% admitted+ Comparison with Central Connecticut State University | Measure | Central Connecticut State University | Roger Williams University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,245 | $68,129+$884 vs Central Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $16,857 | $37,999+$21,142 vs Central Connecticut State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 87.7% | Nearby alternativeWestern Connecticut State UniversityNearby option · CT+ Comparison with Central Connecticut State University | Measure | Central Connecticut State University | Western Connecticut State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,245 | $60,346\-$6,899 vs Central Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $16,857 | $17,604+$747 vs Central Connecticut State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 87.0% | [Explore Western Connecticut State University →](/school/western-connecticut-state-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Massachusetts-Lowell$81,163 earnings+ Comparison with Central Connecticut State University | Measure | Central Connecticut State University | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,245 | $81,163+$13,918 vs Central Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $16,857 | $17,163+$306 vs Central Connecticut State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 83.0% | [Explore University of Massachusetts-Lowell →](/school/university-of-massachusetts-lowell/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Brooklyn College$3,103 average net price+ Comparison with Central Connecticut State University | Measure | Central Connecticut State University | CUNY Brooklyn College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,245 | $62,833\-$4,412 vs Central Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $16,857 | $3,103\-$13,754 vs Central Connecticut State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 58.4% | [Explore CUNY Brooklyn College →](/school/cuny-brooklyn-college/) Similar profileBridgewater State UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Central Connecticut State University | Measure | Central Connecticut State University | Bridgewater State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,245 | $59,669\-$7,576 vs Central Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $16,857 | $16,383\-$474 vs Central Connecticut State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 87.8% | [Explore Bridgewater State University →](/school/bridgewater-state-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/central-connecticut-state-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 27, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 27, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance 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/)