1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Eastern Illinois University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Eastern Illinois University IL · Medium public institution · Overall rank #585 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/eastern-illinois-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/eastern-illinois-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/eastern-illinois-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/eastern-illinois-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/eastern-illinois-university/similar/) ## Azimuth's composite places Eastern Illinois University in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois, where the degree mix is led by Business, Education, and Psychology. Affordability is well above average, the strongest of the four pillars. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures and a subtraction to what it cannot explain. The shortfall does not follow neatly from what the model measures. Pell recipients complete at a rate above the overall six-year rate, and mobility is above average. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest pays closer to it. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. Most graduates are estimated to enter the workforce directly rather than continue to graduate study. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the highest-earning ones are much smaller. ## Eastern Illinois University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 65.3% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 47.4% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $53,620 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $11,412 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $21,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $17,781 ## Eastern Illinois University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois, enrolling 4,188 undergraduates. Its composite standing is in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. The four pillars are spread out, with affordability the strongest and return the weakest. The university admits 65.3% of applicants, a rate that is below the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 71.7% 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 47.4%, compared to a median of 49.1% for comparable institutions. An estimated 38.9% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so a large part of the student body did not start at Eastern Illinois University. Affordability is the strongest pillar, while mobility and access sit in the middle of the field and return is the weakest of the four. The shape is a public university where the cost case is the clearest strength and the earnings picture sits further down the ranking. Affordability is the clearest strength at Eastern Illinois University, with Azimuth placing that pillar in the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility also stands above the middle of nonprofit four-year institutions, at the 70th percentile. Azimuth places access in the 64th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Return is the weakest pillar, in the 24th percentile. The pattern pairs stronger affordability and mobility readings with a lower return reading. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 880 and 1,090. 29.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access that describes the share of students receiving that federal aid. Azimuth ranks Eastern Illinois University #523 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. 29.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and those students complete at 53.0%, which is 5.6 percentage points above the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. Azimuth ranks the university #435 for mobility. Graduates earn about $8,394 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 Illinois University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #585 | | [Illinois](/rankings/best-colleges-in-illinois/) | #24 | | [Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/) | #119 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 70 **Access & reach** National percentile: 64 **[Affordability](/school/eastern-illinois-university/cost/)** National percentile: 81 **[Return on investment](/school/eastern-illinois-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 24 01 / Eastern Illinois University briefing ## [Eastern Illinois University cost & financial aid](/school/eastern-illinois-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) At Eastern Illinois University, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $12,786, making affordability a relative strength in the school’s profile. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, sits against a published cost of attendance of $26,996. Published in-state tuition and fees are $13,679, out-of-state tuition and fees are $16,217, and room and board are $12,282. Average aid savings of $14,210 reduce the sticker cost for aid recipients. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $14,068; the university is below that figure by $1,282. Azimuth places the university in the 81st percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The lower campus price and peer comparison point in the same direction. Affordability is Eastern Illinois University's strongest measured pillar, with a published cost of attendance of $26,996. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $9,828 for the lowest family-income band, $8,619 for the lower-middle band, $11,412 for the middle band, $15,665 for the upper-middle band, and $21,027 for the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,199, and Azimuth ranks the university #272 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 53% of the published cost and offsets $14,210, leaving an average net price across aid recipients of $12,786. That average is $1,282 below the peer median net price of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size), pointing in the same direction as the affordability ranking. Published in-state tuition and fees are $13,679, while out-of-state tuition and fees are $16,217. Borrowing is common among undergraduates, even though the typical federal debt figure is close to that of comparable institutions. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,500; this is $271 above the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among federal aid recipients, 87.8% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $17,781. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 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**$11,412** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Eastern Illinois University Federal borrowing is common at Eastern Illinois University, and typical completion debt sits slightly above the comparable-school midpoint. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $21,500. Federal loans are used by 87.8% of federal aid recipients. Comparable institutions (same type and size) have a peer median federal debt of $21,229, placing Eastern Illinois $271 above that figure. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $17,781. The borrowing pattern is close to the peer midpoint, but it is modestly higher there. Affordability is Eastern Illinois University’s stronger pillar, but the return figures point to a less favorable earnings picture. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $53,620 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 28th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,394 less 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, falls in the 24th percentile. Earnings scenarios range from $45,526 in the downside case to $64,506 in the upside case, with $53,620 as the typical scenario. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,500, $271 above the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. Median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers, a separate parent-borrower population, had median borrowing of $17,781. [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** $21,500 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $17,781 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $244/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $226/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-illinois-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/eastern-illinois-university/cost/) 02 / Eastern Illinois University briefing ## [Eastern Illinois University career outcomes & earnings](/school/eastern-illinois-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) At Eastern Illinois University, median earnings are $53,620 four years after completion, placing those earnings in the 28th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Against the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $57,301, the university is $3,681 below. The return pillar registers in the 24th percentile of nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,394 less 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, sits in the 24th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $1,424. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,818. The peer comparison and model result point in the same direction. Eastern Illinois University shows a restrained earnings picture four years after completion: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $53,620. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 28th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 1,708 completers. Earnings scenarios tied to the program mix show how outcomes can differ across fields. Graduates earn about $8,394 less than the model expects for similar students. An estimated 29.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The low earnings standing and lower-than-expected result point in the same direction. Eastern Illinois University has a weak return picture: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $53,620 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 28th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301, with the university $3,681 below it. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) is the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students. That figure shows graduates earn about $8,394 less than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places this measure in the 24th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its return pillar in the 24th percentile. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $45,526 in the downside scenario to $64,506 in the upside scenario. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $1,424. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,818. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $269. The highest four-year program median belongs to Computer and Information Sciences, with 7 degrees awarded and median earnings of $72,220 four years after completion. Finance recorded 22 degrees awarded and $70,704 in median earnings, while Accounting had 21 degrees awarded and median earnings of $66,840. The largest program, Psychology, awarded 112 degrees and had median earnings of $49,478 four years after completion. Earnings vary across fields at Eastern Illinois University, where earnings scenarios run from $45,526 in the downside scenario to $64,506 in the upside scenario, four years after completion. The typical earnings scenario is $53,620. Affordability gives the clearest financial starting point at Eastern Illinois University: average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $12,786. That is $1,282 below the peer median of $14,068 at comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 53% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. For borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $21,500. It is $271 above the peer median of $21,229, and that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate population, have median borrowing of $17,781. Graduates earn about $8,394 less than the model expects for similar students. The lower average net price sits beside debt above the peer figure and earnings below the model’s expectation, leaving a mixed financial picture. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$1,424 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$9,818 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$8,394 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-illinois-university/outcomes/) 03 / Eastern Illinois University briefing ## [Eastern Illinois University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/eastern-illinois-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) For applicants, Eastern Illinois University admitted 65.3% of the reported applicant pool. That rate is below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 65.3% **Approximate lower endpoint** 880 **Reported average** 1000 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1090 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-illinois-university/admissions/) 04 / Eastern Illinois University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Eastern Illinois University?](/school/eastern-illinois-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Field choice makes a clear difference in the earnings picture at Eastern Illinois University. Computer and Information Sciences recorded median earnings of $72,220 four years after completion, with 7 degrees awarded in one academic year. Finance also sits among the higher-earning fields described here, at $70,704 and 22 degrees awarded. Accounting had median earnings of $66,840 four years after completion and 21 degrees awarded. In a larger, more moderate-earning field, Teacher Education recorded $43,190 alongside 84 degrees awarded. The contrast between these fields shows that the school’s four-year earnings figures vary considerably by field. Published earnings across 26 fields show a wide range by program, so the schoolwide figure does not describe every academic path. The amounts below are median earnings four years after completion, and the award totals are degrees awarded in an academic year. Computer and Information Sciences has the highest listed median, at $72,220, with 7 degrees awarded. Finance follows at $70,704 and 22 degrees awarded. Accounting shows $66,840 with 21 degrees awarded. Marketing records $62,994 and 31 degrees awarded, while Political Science records $61,519 with 15 degrees awarded. These program medians provide more detail than a single institutional earnings figure. The bachelor's degrees at Eastern Illinois University spread across several fields rather than concentrating in one. Business accounts for 12.9% of degrees awarded, followed closely by Education at 12.2% and Psychology at 10.0%. The university has 26 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Psychology, at 112 degrees awarded, with Liberal Arts and General Studies close behind at 102 and Teacher Education at 84. The highest-earning program is a much smaller one: Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn a median of $72,220 four years after completion, from just 7 degrees awarded a year. Finance and Accounting follow, with medians of $70,704 and $66,840 from 22 and 21 degrees awarded, respectively. Marketing, with 31 degrees awarded, reports median earnings of $62,994. The pattern is one of breadth: no single family dominates, and the largest programs are not the best-paid ones. The highest-earning fields are in business and computing, but they graduate relatively few students. The largest programs, in psychology, general studies, and education, sit closer to the national median for their fields, with benchmark ratios of 0.98x, 0.98x, and 0.91x, respectively. Across all fields, 11.7% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Psychology, General 112 degrees awarded** $49,478 **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 102 degrees awarded** $52,078 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 84 degrees awarded** $43,190 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 70 degrees awarded** $50,502 **Biology, General 50 degrees awarded** $53,725 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 46 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/eastern-illinois-university/majors/) 05 / Eastern Illinois University briefing ## How does Eastern Illinois University serve students from different backgrounds? Eastern Illinois University presents a mixed mobility picture: its first-time full-time cohort's [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 47.4%. Pell recipients complete at 53.0%, above the overall rate by 5.6 percentage points. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 70th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 24th percentile. Graduates earn about $8,394 less than the model expects for similar students. Pell completion exceeds overall completion, but modeled earnings are below expectations. A sizable estimated 38.9% of Eastern Illinois University undergraduates enter as transfers or part-time students, widening the entry routes represented in its undergraduate enrollment of 4,188. The university admits 65.3% of applicants, compared with a peer median of 85.9%. Pell Grant recipients make up 29.4% of undergraduates. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the access pillar lands in the 64th percentile. The transfer presence, Pell representation, and admission pattern describe an access profile with several paths into the university. 06 / Eastern Illinois University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Eastern Illinois University?](/school/eastern-illinois-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-illinois-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Eastern Illinois University. Admissions peerBlackburn College63.2% admitted+ Comparison with Eastern Illinois University | Measure | Eastern Illinois University | Blackburn College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,620 | $46,015\-$7,605 vs Eastern Illinois University | | Average annual net price | $12,786 | $18,460+$5,674 vs Eastern Illinois University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 65.3% | 63.2% | Higher-admission alternativeOakland City University82.5% admitted+ Comparison with Eastern Illinois University | Measure | Eastern Illinois University | Oakland City University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,620 | $57,090+$3,470 vs Eastern Illinois University | | Average annual net price | $12,786 | $15,210+$2,424 vs Eastern Illinois University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 65.3% | 82.5% | Nearby alternativeUniversity of Illinois SpringfieldNearby option · IL+ Comparison with Eastern Illinois University | Measure | Eastern Illinois University | University of Illinois Springfield | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,620 | $63,235+$9,615 vs Eastern Illinois University | | Average annual net price | $12,786 | $9,833\-$2,953 vs Eastern Illinois University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 65.3% | 85.9% | [Explore University of Illinois Springfield →](/school/university-of-illinois-springfield/) Higher-earnings alternativeFlorida Polytechnic University$86,952 earnings+ Comparison with Eastern Illinois University | Measure | Eastern Illinois University | Florida Polytechnic University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,620 | $86,952+$33,332 vs Eastern Illinois University | | Average annual net price | $12,786 | $11,853\-$933 vs Eastern Illinois University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 65.3% | 57.5% | [Explore Florida Polytechnic University →](/school/florida-polytechnic-university/) Lower-cost alternativeTrinity International University-Illinois$2,835 average net price+ Comparison with Eastern Illinois University | Measure | Eastern Illinois University | Trinity International University-Illinois | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,620 | $51,985\-$1,635 vs Eastern Illinois University | | Average annual net price | $12,786 | $2,835\-$9,951 vs Eastern Illinois University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 65.3% | 100.0% | Similar profileUniversity of Wisconsin-River FallsMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Eastern Illinois University | Measure | Eastern Illinois University | University of Wisconsin-River Falls | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $53,620 | $54,923+$1,303 vs Eastern Illinois University | | Average annual net price | $12,786 | $14,054+$1,268 vs Eastern Illinois University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 65.3% | 81.7% | [Explore University of Wisconsin-River Falls →](/school/university-of-wisconsin-river-falls/) 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-illinois-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/)