1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Dartmouth College Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Dartmouth College NH · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #111 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/dartmouth-college/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/dartmouth-college/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/dartmouth-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/dartmouth-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/dartmouth-college/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Dartmouth College #111 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Dartmouth College is a private nonprofit university in Hanover, New Hampshire, where the largest share of degrees is in Social Sciences. Return is among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes the gap to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — which adds, while the unexplained remainder subtracts. An estimated share of graduates continue to graduate study, and the four-year earnings figure counts only graduates who are not enrolled. The price case turns on income. At the bottom of the income scale, aid can nearly cover the published cost entirely, while the highest band pays far more. Pell students complete below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is well above average. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. A student weighing the cost should know that affordability is modestly below average, and that the largest programs are not the highest-earning ones. ## Dartmouth College at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 5.4% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 95.5% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $111,883 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $2,695 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $17,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $44,481 ## Dartmouth College rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Dartmouth College enrolls 4,541 undergraduates. It is a private nonprofit university in Hanover, New Hampshire. In the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, it is near the top of the field (92nd percentile). The university admits 5.4% of applicants, against a median of 71.2% at comparable institutions (same type and size). The peer median is the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). 98.4% of full-time first-year students return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.4%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 95.5%, compared with 68.8% at comparable institutions (same type and size). An estimated 2.6% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year graduation figure describes nearly the entire student body. Dartmouth College shows a wide spread across its four pillars. Return is the strongest (99th percentile), while affordability is the weakest (26th percentile). Access and mobility sit between them (74th and 77th percentiles). Dartmouth College's strongest pillar is return, in the 99th percentile, while affordability is its weakest, in the 26th percentile. The two pillars sit far apart, and the gap is the central tension in the school's Azimuth profile. Access and mobility fall between them, at the 74th and 77th percentiles. 14.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Those students complete at 89.4%, 6.1 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. Azimuth ranks Dartmouth College #387 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Pell share and the completion gap together shape that standing. The mobility pillar sits at #337 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,690 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/) Dartmouth College rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #111 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 77 **Access & reach** National percentile: 74 **[Affordability](/school/dartmouth-college/cost/)** National percentile: 26 **[Return on investment](/school/dartmouth-college/outcomes/)** National percentile: 99 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Engineering Science**#1** 2. Neurobiology and Neurosciences**#1** 3. Research and Experimental Psychology**#1** 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/dartmouth-college/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Dartmouth College briefing ## [Dartmouth College cost & financial aid](/school/dartmouth-college/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published cost of attendance at Dartmouth College is $87,793, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $68,268, and room and board are $19,999. For aid recipients, financial aid lowers the average cost by $58,274, bringing the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) to $29,519. That net price sits $2,148 above the $27,371 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #1,051 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance at Dartmouth College is $87,793 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #1,051 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 $41, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $2,695, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $52,036. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $51,995. Aid covers about 66% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $29,519, which is $2,148 above the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $17,500 in federal student loans. That is $6,699 below the $24,199 peer median. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $44,481. If repaid over ten years, the median student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $199 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**$2,695** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Dartmouth College Federal borrowing is common at Dartmouth College, with 77.1% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $17,500. That median is $6,699 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parent borrowers are a separate population, with median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $44,481. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 27% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $24,255 per borrower. Among graduates, 4% held private loans, averaging $73,496 per private borrower. Dartmouth College graduates report a median of $111,883 four years after completing a degree. That is $43,633 above the median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places that earnings level in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,690 more than the model expects for similar students. That outcome is at the 78th percentile. The program mix yields earnings scenarios of $111,883 in a typical case, $62,609 on the downside and $177,947 on the upside. Borrowers who finish hold a median of $17,500 in federal loans, $6,699 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $199 a month if repaid over ten years. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $44,481. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $199 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** $17,500 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $44,481 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $199/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $565/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=dartmouth-college#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/dartmouth-college/cost/) 02 / Dartmouth College briefing ## [Dartmouth College career outcomes & earnings](/school/dartmouth-college/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Azimuth places the return pillar at the 99th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled is $111,883 four years after completion. That figure is $43,633 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $7,690 more than the model expects for similar students. That gap is at the 78th 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 $12,379. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,689. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $5,586. Four years after completing a degree, Dartmouth College graduates earn a median of $111,883. That figure is $43,633 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and Azimuth places it in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort is 797 completers. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from a downside of $62,609 to an upside of $177,947, with a typical scenario of $111,883. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. An estimated 38.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The four-year earnings picture captures those who enter the workforce shortly after finishing. Four years after completion, the median for federally aided graduates of Dartmouth College who are working and not enrolled is $111,883, at the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The comparable peer median for institutions of the same type and size is $68,250, and the university sits $43,633 above that benchmark. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Dartmouth College #10 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,690 more than the model expects for similar students. That result falls at the 78th 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 $12,379. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,689. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $5,586. The program mix spans Social Sciences, Computer & Information Sciences and Engineering, reaching across technical and liberal-arts disciplines. Earnings scenarios estimated from that mix range from $62,609 on the downside to $177,947 on the upside, a wide band that shows the range of outcomes across fields. An estimated 38.2% of graduates continue to graduate study based on the program mix, a path followed by a sizable share of those who finish. Earnings vary substantially by program. The downside earnings scenario is $62,609 and the upside reaches $177,947, a wide spread across scenarios. At the upper end, Computer Science graduates earn a median of $201,702 four years after completion, from 130 degrees awarded. Mathematics follows at $168,580, with 45 degrees awarded. Economics, the largest program on campus at 170 degrees a year, reports $152,929. Graduates of Dartmouth College earn a median of $111,883 four years after completion, and they earn about $7,690 more than the model expects for similar students. The return pillar sits at the 99th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The price case is more mixed. The published cost of attendance is $87,793 (an average across living arrangements), but aid covers about 66% of that for the average aid recipient. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $41, while those in the highest band average $52,036. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $17,500 in federal student loans, which is $6,699 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $199 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $44,481 in Parent PLUS loans. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$12,379 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$4,689 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$7,690 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/dartmouth-college/outcomes/) 03 / Dartmouth College briefing ## [Dartmouth College acceptance rate & admissions](/school/dartmouth-college/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Dartmouth College admits 5.4% of applicants, well below the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 28,230 first-year applicants and admitted 1,699, with 1,205 enrolling. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 5.4% **25th percentile** 1440 **Median** 1520 **75th percentile** 1550 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/dartmouth-college/admissions/) 04 / Dartmouth College briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Dartmouth College?](/school/dartmouth-college/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The earnings spread across Dartmouth College's largest programs is wide, and the highest-earning field is not the one awarding the most degrees. Computer Science graduates earn a median of $201,702 four years after completion, the strongest figure among the large programs. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #12 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field, with 130 degrees awarded a year. Economics is the largest program, at 170 degrees awarded, and its graduates earn $152,929. Azimuth ranks it #7 nationally. Political Science awards 153 degrees and posts median earnings of $106,153, with a national rank of #2. At the more moderate end, Research and Experimental Psychology awards 71 degrees and its graduates earn $99,344. Azimuth ranks it #1 nationally. A student choosing among the most popular fields faces a real earnings difference, even though every program here ranks at or near the top of its field nationally. Social Sciences accounts for 32.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Computer & Information Sciences second at 10.2%. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 15 programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Economics is the largest single program at 170 degrees awarded. Azimuth ranks it #7 within its field, and its graduates earn a median of $152,929 four years after completion. Computer Science reports the highest earnings, at $201,702 from 130 degrees awarded. Political Science is the second-largest program, with 153 degrees awarded, a national rank of #2, and median earnings of $106,153 four years after completion. The degree mix at Dartmouth College is anchored by the social sciences. Social Sciences accounts for 32.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Computer & Information Sciences at 10.2% and Engineering at 8.7%. The university has 15 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 16 with published four-year earnings data. The largest programs are Economics at 170 degrees awarded, Political Science at 153, and Computer Science at 130. Economics graduates earn a median of $152,929 four years after completion and the program ranks #1 in New Hampshire within its field. Engineering Science is the highest-ranked program in its field. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #1 in New Hampshire within its field, with median earnings of $113,749. The highest-earning program overall is Computer Science, at $201,702. Mathematics follows at $168,580, though it is a smaller program with 45 degrees a year. Across all fields, 43.8% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Strength is concentrated in a few programs that are both large and highly ranked. The highest earnings sit in quantitative fields, but the largest programs in the social sciences also post strong returns. The benchmark ratio for Economics sits at 1.85x, well above the national median for its field. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Economics 170 degrees awarded** $152,929 **Political Science and Government 153 degrees awarded** $106,153 **Computer Science 130 degrees awarded** $201,702 **Engineering Science 94 degrees awarded** $113,749 **Research and Experimental Psychology 71 degrees awarded** $99,344 **Applied Statistics 57 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report 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/dartmouth-college/majors/) 05 / Dartmouth College briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Dartmouth College?](/school/dartmouth-college/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/dartmouth-college/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Dartmouth College. Admissions peerWilliams College8.3% admitted+ Comparison with Dartmouth College | Measure | Dartmouth College | Williams College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $111,883 | $80,487\-$31,396 vs Dartmouth College | | Average annual net price | $29,519 | $17,716\-$11,803 vs Dartmouth College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 5.4% | 8.3% | [Explore Williams College →](/school/williams-college/) Higher-admission alternativeRensselaer Polytechnic Institute63.5% admitted+ Comparison with Dartmouth College | Measure | Dartmouth College | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $111,883 | $98,311\-$13,572 vs Dartmouth College | | Average annual net price | $29,519 | $36,228+$6,709 vs Dartmouth College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 5.4% | 63.5% | [Explore Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute →](/school/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/) Nearby alternativeRensselaer Polytechnic InstituteNearby option · NY+ Comparison with Dartmouth College | Measure | Dartmouth College | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $111,883 | $98,311\-$13,572 vs Dartmouth College | | Average annual net price | $29,519 | $36,228+$6,709 vs Dartmouth College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 5.4% | 63.5% | [Explore Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute →](/school/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute/) Higher-earnings alternativeCarnegie Mellon University$132,971 earnings+ Comparison with Dartmouth College | Measure | Dartmouth College | Carnegie Mellon University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $111,883 | $132,971+$21,088 vs Dartmouth College | | Average annual net price | $29,519 | $31,944+$2,425 vs Dartmouth College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 5.4% | 11.7% | [Explore Carnegie Mellon University →](/school/carnegie-mellon-university/) Lower-cost alternativePrinceton University$6,128 average net price+ Comparison with Dartmouth College | Measure | Dartmouth College | Princeton University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $111,883 | $108,590\-$3,293 vs Dartmouth College | | Average annual net price | $29,519 | $6,128\-$23,391 vs Dartmouth College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 5.4% | 4.6% | [Explore Princeton University →](/school/princeton-university/) Similar profileBentley UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Dartmouth College | Measure | Dartmouth College | Bentley University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $111,883 | $108,577\-$3,306 vs Dartmouth College | | Average annual net price | $29,519 | $37,930+$8,411 vs Dartmouth College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 5.4% | 45.1% | [Explore Bentley University →](/school/bentley-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/dartmouth-college/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/)