1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Eastern Connecticut State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Eastern Connecticut State University CT · Medium public institution · Overall rank #731 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Eastern Connecticut State University #731 overall among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Eastern Connecticut State University is a public university in Willimantic, Connecticut, where the degree mix is led by Business and Social Sciences. Mobility is above average, and most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model adds for the factors it measures and subtracts for what it cannot explain. Pell Grant recipients finish within a few points of the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones, like Computer and Information Sciences, are much smaller. ## Eastern Connecticut State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 83.0% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 57.5% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $57,759 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $19,340 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $24,250 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $21,628 ## Eastern Connecticut State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Eastern Connecticut State University is a public university in Willimantic, Connecticut, enrolling 3,418 undergraduates. Its composite standing is in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (50th percentile). The four pillars are not far apart, but mobility is the strongest and return the weakest. The university admits 83.0% of applicants, a rate close to the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 83.7% return for a second year, well above the peer median of 73.7%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 57.5%, which also exceeds the 49.1% median for peers. An estimated 25.9% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes the first-time full-time cohort and not the full student body. Mobility is the strongest pillar (70th percentile), with access and affordability sitting between it and the weakest pillar, return. The pillars sit relatively close together, with return at the 42nd percentile. Mobility is the clearest strength for readers comparing Eastern Connecticut State University across Azimuth’s measures. Azimuth places the university among nonprofit four-year institutions, with mobility in the 70th percentile. Azimuth puts affordability in the 48th percentile, access in the 48th percentile, and return, the weakest pillar, in the 42nd percentile. Mobility stands apart from a profile whose other pillars sit closer together, with return trailing them. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 1,070 and 1,260. 28.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Eastern Connecticut State University #768 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 53.6%, which is 3.9 percentage points below the overall six-year rate. Azimuth ranks the university #434 for mobility. Graduates earn about $1,408 less 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/) Eastern Connecticut State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #731 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 70 **Access & reach** National percentile: 48 **[Affordability](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 48 **[Return on investment](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 42 01 / Eastern Connecticut State University briefing ## [Eastern Connecticut State University cost & financial aid](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) For aid recipients, the price remains well above the comparable-school norm after grants and scholarships. Eastern Connecticut State University publishes a standard cost of attendance of $31,983. In-state tuition and fees are $13,928, compared with $17,428 for out-of-state tuition and fees; room and board are $17,445. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $21,067. Financial aid reduces the published cost by $10,916 on average. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068, placing Eastern Connecticut's average net price $6,999 above that benchmark. Azimuth places affordability in the 48th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The average aid-recipient price and the peer comparison both point to a cost picture above the comparable-school norm. The published cost of attendance at Eastern Connecticut State University is $31,983, and aid recipients’ costs 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 $17,654 in the lowest family-income band; $16,943 in the lower-middle band; $19,340 in the middle band; $21,109 in the upper-middle band; and $24,346 in the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $6,692. Azimuth ranks the university #738 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid offsets part of the published cost, but the average price remains higher than that at comparable institutions. Aid covers about 34% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average savings of $10,916, leaving an average net price of $21,067 across all aid recipients. That average is $6,999 above the peer median net price of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Published tuition and fees are $13,928 for in-state students and $17,428 for out-of-state students. The aid offset and the above-peer average price point in different directions. Borrowing is common among undergraduates here, and typical federal debt sits above the comparable-institution benchmark. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $24,250, while 92.4% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That median is $3,021 above the $21,229 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $21,628. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$19,340** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Eastern Connecticut State University Borrowing is widespread at Eastern Connecticut State University, and its typical federal debt sits above that of comparable colleges. For borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt at completion is $24,250. Federal loans are used by 92.4% of federal aid recipients. Comparable institutions (same type and size) have a peer median of $21,229, leaving the university's median $3,021 above that benchmark. Among separate parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $21,628. The investment picture at Eastern Connecticut State University is mixed: earnings sit near the middle of the pack, while borrowing runs above the peer median. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $57,759. Azimuth places that figure in the 42nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,408 less than the model expects for similar students, an outcome at the 50th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from $47,607 in a downside case to $74,774 in an upside case, with a typical scenario of $57,759. On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt at completion is $24,250, which is $3,021 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 a month if repaid over ten years. Among parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing was $21,628. For the median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 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** $24,250 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $21,628 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $276/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $275/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=eastern-connecticut-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/cost/) 02 / Eastern Connecticut State University briefing ## [Eastern Connecticut State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $57,759, at the 42nd percentile. That is $458 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $1,408 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 50th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $2,116. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $3,524. Azimuth places the return pillar at the 42nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, the weakest of the four for Eastern Connecticut State University. Eastern Connecticut State University records a median of $57,759 four years after completion among federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled. That median sits at the 42nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, drawn from an earnings cohort of 1,152 completers. Graduates earn about $1,408 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $47,607 on the downside to $74,774 on the upside, with a typical outcome of $57,759. These scenarios are estimates, not observed outcomes for a specific cohort. An estimated 32.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The typical earnings scenario is close to the overall median. The upside scenario runs much higher, so earnings vary widely across the program mix. Among federally aided graduates of Eastern Connecticut State University who are working and not enrolled, the median earnings four years after completion are $57,759, placing it at the 42nd percentile. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $57,301, and the university lands $458 above that level overall. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #848 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,408 less than the model expects for similar students. That result falls at the 50th 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 $2,116. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $3,524. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $492. The program mix largely centers on business, the social sciences and communication, with limited STEM representation. Earnings scenarios estimated from the university's program mix run from $47,607 on the downside to $74,774 on the upside. An estimated 32.3% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on the program mix. Mobility is the university’s strongest pillar, but program-level earnings are far from uniform. Earnings scenarios run from $47,607 on the downside to $74,774 on the upside, with $57,759 as the typical scenario. These scenarios are modeled from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. Within the higher-earning programs, median earnings four years after completion are $93,070 in Computer and Information Sciences, $77,395 in Finance, and $75,235 in Accounting. That spread places program choice alongside mobility in the post-completion picture. Eastern Connecticut State University lists a published cost of attendance of $31,983. After grants and scholarships, aid recipients in the lowest income band pay an average net price of $17,654, while those in the highest band pay $24,346. Borrowers who complete their degrees hold a median of $24,250 in federal student loans, $3,021 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt level yields an estimated monthly payment of $276. Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $21,628. Graduates earn about $1,408 less than the model expects for similar students. That shortfall, alongside debt that exceeds the peer median, leaves the value picture mixed. The financial case depends heavily on a family's income band and the specific program a student chooses. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$2,116 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$3,524 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$1,408 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/eastern-connecticut-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / Eastern Connecticut State University briefing ## [Eastern Connecticut State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Admission at Eastern Connecticut State University is broadly in line with comparable institutions, with 83.0% of applicants admitted in the reported entering-class pool. That rate is below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size), a modest difference in the direction of a smaller admitted share. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 83.0% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1070 **Reported average** 1160 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1260 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/admissions/) 04 / Eastern Connecticut State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Eastern Connecticut State University?](/school/eastern-connecticut-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At Eastern Connecticut State University, program earnings four years after completion vary markedly across fields, separating higher-earning options from larger programs with more moderate figures. Computer and Information Sciences records median earnings of $93,070 and 29 degrees awarded. Finance follows with median earnings of $77,395 from 19 degrees awarded. Among the larger programs, Health Sciences posts median earnings of $61,190 across 78 degrees awarded, while Psychology records $51,748 and 86 degrees awarded. The spread between these higher- and moderate-earning fields makes the chosen field central to how the school-level earnings figure is read. Reported program earnings vary across fields at Eastern Connecticut State University, even though Business is the largest program family at 15.5% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. The higher-earning fields span computing, business, earth science, and biology. Four years after completion, Computer and Information Sciences had median earnings of $93,070 and 29 degrees awarded; Finance, $77,395 and 19 degrees awarded; Accounting, $75,235 and 29 degrees awarded; Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, $63,566 and 15 degrees awarded; and Biology, $62,726 and 49 degrees awarded. Awards count degrees awarded in one academic year, while the earnings figures describe program completers four years after completion. The bachelor's degrees at Eastern Connecticut State University spread across several fields, with no single family dominating. Business accounts for 15.5% of degrees awarded, followed by Social Sciences at 13.7% and Communication & Journalism at 10.0%. The university has 19 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest program with published earnings is Psychology, at 86 degrees awarded, with Health Sciences close behind at 78 and Communication and Media Studies at 70. The highest-earning program is a much smaller one: Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn a median of $93,070 four years after completion, from 29 degrees awarded a year. Finance and Accounting follow, with medians of $77,395 and $75,235, from 19 and 29 degrees awarded respectively. Among the largest programs with published earnings, Health Sciences shows the strongest earnings at $61,190, while Psychology graduates earn $51,748. The pattern is one of breadth rather than concentration, with the largest programs in the social sciences and communication fields and the highest earnings in technical and business fields. 13.0% of degrees awarded are in STEM. A student drawn to the largest departments should know that the best-paid outcomes sit in programs that award fewer degrees. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Psychology, General 86 degrees awarded** $51,748 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 80 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 78 degrees awarded** $61,190 **Communication and Media Studies 70 degrees awarded** $53,673 **Criminology 62 degrees awarded** $52,942 **English Language and Literature, General 54 degrees awarded** $51,257 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/eastern-connecticut-state-university/majors/) 05 / Eastern Connecticut State University briefing ## How does Eastern Connecticut State University serve students from different backgrounds? Mobility is the university’s strongest measured pillar, although the earnings model is less favorable. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 57.5%; for Pell recipients, it is 53.6%, below the overall rate by 3.9 percentage points. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth rates mobility in the 70th percentile. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 50th percentile. Graduates earn about $1,408 less than the model expects for similar students. Admission is open at 83.0%, and Eastern Connecticut State University enrolls 3,418 undergraduates. Pell Grants reach 28.7% of undergraduates, with an estimated 25.9% entering as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth rates the access pillar in the 48th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The admission rate, Pell participation, and transfer estimate describe several points of entry into this public university. 06 / Eastern Connecticut State University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Eastern Connecticut State University?](/school/eastern-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/eastern-connecticut-state-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Eastern Connecticut State University. Admissions peerFramingham State University83.6% admitted+ Comparison with Eastern Connecticut State University | Measure | Eastern Connecticut State University | Framingham State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,759 | $61,569+$3,810 vs Eastern Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $21,067 | $16,114\-$4,953 vs Eastern Connecticut State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 83.6% | Higher-admission alternativeSalem State University95.9% admitted+ Comparison with Eastern Connecticut State University | Measure | Eastern Connecticut State University | Salem State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,759 | $62,605+$4,846 vs Eastern Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $21,067 | $15,996\-$5,071 vs Eastern Connecticut State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 95.9% | [Explore Salem State University →](/school/salem-state-university/) Nearby alternativeWestern Connecticut State UniversityNearby option · CT+ Comparison with Eastern Connecticut State University | Measure | Eastern Connecticut State University | Western Connecticut State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,759 | $60,346+$2,587 vs Eastern Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $21,067 | $17,604\-$3,463 vs Eastern Connecticut State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 87.0% | [Explore Western Connecticut State University →](/school/western-connecticut-state-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Massachusetts-Dartmouth$69,251 earnings+ Comparison with Eastern Connecticut State University | Measure | Eastern Connecticut State University | University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,759 | $69,251+$11,492 vs Eastern Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $21,067 | $20,927\-$140 vs Eastern Connecticut State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 90.6% | [Explore University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth →](/school/university-of-massachusetts-dartmouth/) Lower-cost alternativeSUNY Old Westbury$11,282 average net price+ Comparison with Eastern Connecticut State University | Measure | Eastern Connecticut State University | SUNY Old Westbury | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,759 | $58,756+$997 vs Eastern Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $21,067 | $11,282\-$9,785 vs Eastern Connecticut State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 83.6% | [Explore SUNY Old Westbury →](/school/suny-old-westbury/) Similar profilePlymouth State UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Eastern Connecticut State University | Measure | Eastern Connecticut State University | Plymouth State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,759 | $57,351\-$408 vs Eastern Connecticut State University | | Average annual net price | $21,067 | $19,216\-$1,851 vs Eastern Connecticut State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 87.5% | 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/eastern-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 is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. 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/)