1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Emory University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Emory University GA · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #123 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/emory-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/emory-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/emory-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/emory-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/emory-university/similar/) ## A strong composite standing with an uneven return picture. ### Who it’s a good fit for Emory University is a private nonprofit university in Atlanta whose degree mix is led by the social sciences, business, and the biological sciences. Return is among the highest we track, while affordability is around the average. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes part of that gap to the factors it measures, which adds, and part to a remainder it cannot explain, which subtracts. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate within a point of the overall cohort, and mobility is well above average. At the bottom of the income scale, the average net price is a fraction of the published cost, while the highest band pays much closer to the sticker. The admission rate is far below the median for comparable institutions. An estimated share of graduates continues to graduate study, and the four-year earnings figure counts only graduates who are not enrolled. ## Emory University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 10.6% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 91.1% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $90,139 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $11,237 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $18,250 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $30,480 ## Emory University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Emory University sits near the top of the Azimuth ranking (92nd percentile). The private nonprofit university in Atlanta, Georgia, enrolls 7,298 undergraduates. The four pillars behind that position are spread across the spectrum, with return as the strongest and affordability as the weakest. Emory University admits 10.7% of applicants, against a median of 71.2% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 95.7% return for a second year and 91.1% complete within six years, the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for that cohort. Peer medians for comparable institutions of the same type and size are 83.4% and 68.8%. An estimated 29.2% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, which means the six-year rate describes only the first-time, full-time cohort. Return is the strongest pillar and affordability the weakest, with mobility and access falling between them. The four sit far apart across the spectrum. The profile is led by return, with affordability the clearest area to examine alongside costs. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth places return in the 94th percentile, access in the 82nd percentile, and mobility in the 86th percentile. Affordability is the weakest pillar, at the 55th percentile, so the profile is stronger on outcomes and access than on cost measures. 18.2% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Emory University #261 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 90.2%, 0.9 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. Azimuth ranks the university #202 for mobility. Graduates earn about $7,957 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/) Emory University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #123 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 86 **Access & reach** National percentile: 82 **[Affordability](/school/emory-university/cost/)** National percentile: 55 **[Return on investment](/school/emory-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 94 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Anthropology**#1** 2. Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness**#2** 3. Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services**#3** 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/emory-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Emory University briefing ## [Emory University cost & financial aid](/school/emory-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) With a published cost of attendance of $83,622 (an average across living arrangements), Emory University is costly before aid, though aid recipients pay less on average than peers. Tuition and fees are $64,280, and room and board are $20,220. For aid recipients, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $22,585. Financial aid offsets $61,037 of the published cost on average, rather than setting any family’s bill. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $27,371; Emory’s average is below that figure by $4,786. Azimuth places Emory’s affordability pillar in the 55th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The below-peer average net price and the aid offset both make the post-aid picture less costly than the sticker price alone suggests. At Emory University, the published cost of attendance is $83,622 (an average across living arrangements), but aid recipients’ prices differ sharply by family income. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $7,363 in the lowest-income family band, $9,220 in the lower-middle band, $11,237 in the middle band, $13,821 in the upper-middle band, and $53,018 in the highest-income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $45,655, a difference between band averages rather than a bill for any one family. Azimuth ranks the university #637 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 73% of the published cost, offsetting $61,037 against the sticker price. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $22,585. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $27,371, and the university’s average is $4,786 below it. Published tuition and fees are $64,280, with room and board listed at $20,220. The lower average price and the peer comparison point in the same direction. Among federal-loan borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $18,250, and 84.8% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The peer median debt for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $24,199, placing the university $5,949 below that amount. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers have median borrowing of $30,480. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $207 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**$11,237** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Emory University At Emory University, median federal student loan debt at completion is $18,250, which is $5,949 below the $24,199 peer median. The peer median is the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers, a separate parent-borrower population, have median borrowing of $30,480. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 24% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $19,914 per borrower. That group included 23% of graduates with federal loans averaging $12,325 per federal borrower. It also included 3% of graduates with private loans averaging $52,734 per private borrower. For Emory University, the investment picture is mixed. Graduates earn a median of $90,139 four years after completion, a figure Azimuth places in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. But they earn about $7,957 less than the model expects for similar students, an outcome that sits at the 25th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from a downside of $58,628 to an upside of $132,063, with a typical outcome of $90,139. On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt at completion is $18,250, which is $5,949 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $207 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent borrowers at Emory University have median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $30,480. That federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $207 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** $18,250 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $30,480 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $207/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $387/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=emory-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/emory-university/cost/) 02 / Emory University briefing ## [Emory University career outcomes & earnings](/school/emory-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 $90,139, at the 94th percentile. That is $21,889 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the university's return pillar at the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,957 less than the model expects for similar students. That gap sits at the 25th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds $11,431. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $19,388. Graduates post a high earnings level, but the model comparison is less favorable. At Emory University, median earnings are $90,139 four years after completion for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that measure in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 2,194 completers. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250, with Emory above it by $21,889. Graduates earn about $7,957 less than the model expects for similar students. The typical earnings scenario matches the observed median, while the downside and upside scenarios are $58,628 and $132,063. An estimated 38.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. Earnings sit above comparable peers but below the model’s expectation for similar students. Emory University has median earnings of $90,139 four years after completion among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that figure in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250, and the university's median is $21,889 above it. [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, fall in the 25th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,957 less than the model expects for similar students. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $11,431. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $19,388. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $4,118. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix put the downside at $58,628 and the upside at $132,063. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #95 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The return picture is mixed: earnings are above the peer median, but graduates earn less than the model expects. Business Administration and Management is the largest reported program, with 358 degrees awarded and median earnings of $136,731 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #4 nationally within its field. Its earnings are 2.00x the national median for its field. Computer Science had 82 degrees awarded and median earnings of $159,541 four years after completion. Nursing had 297 degrees awarded and median earnings of $101,903 at the same point. These program figures range from the business field's national standing to distinct earnings levels in computing and nursing. The modeled range is wide enough that field choice is central to the earnings picture at Emory University. Downside and upside earnings scenarios run from $58,628 to $132,063, rather than describing observed groups of graduates. Among higher-earning fields, Computer Science has median earnings of $159,541 four years after completion; Business Administration and Management has $136,731, and Economics has $111,631. Those field-level results help explain the distance between the earnings scenarios. Emory University pairs lower borrower debt than comparable institutions with earnings that fall short of the model's expectation. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $18,250. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $24,199; the university's figure is below it by $5,949. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $207 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $7,957 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, is a separate modeled measure. For aid recipients, average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $22,585. Aid covers about 73% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Lower borrower debt and aid offset point one way, while lower-than-expected earnings point another. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$11,431 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$19,388 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$7,957 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/emory-university/outcomes/) 03 / Emory University briefing ## [Emory University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/emory-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, Emory University recorded 37,561 first-year applicants, with 3,869 admitted and 1,443 enrolled. Its admission rate of 10.7% sits below the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size), a wide difference in the reported outcomes. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 10.6% **25th percentile** 1480 **Median** 1510 **75th percentile** 1540 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/emory-university/admissions/) 04 / Emory University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Emory University?](/school/emory-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Business Administration and Management sits at the higher-earning end of Emory University’s largest fields, with median earnings of $136,731 four years after completion. Its 358 degrees awarded came alongside an Azimuth national field rank of #4 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Neuroscience offers a contrast: median earnings were $73,795 across 167 degrees awarded, yet [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the field #5 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Nursing recorded $101,903 in median earnings and 297 degrees awarded; Azimuth places it #55 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Biology, a more moderate-earning large field, had median earnings of $70,959 and 203 degrees awarded, with an Azimuth national field rank of #31 among nonprofit four-year institutions. The figures show that field-level earnings and national field standing do not move in lockstep. Emory University has 20 bachelor’s fields ranked by Azimuth, and their four-year earnings vary widely. Kinesiology and Physical Education ranks #2 nationally in Azimuth, with 90 degrees awarded and median earnings of $87,254 four years after completion. The program mix at Emory University is balanced across three families that each account for roughly one in seven degrees: Social Sciences at 14.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, Business at 14.4%, and Biological Sciences at 14.0%. The university has 20 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 23 with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, at 358 degrees awarded, followed by Nursing with 297 and Biology with 203. The top-ranked programs span several academic fields. Anthropology carries a benchmark ratio of 1.69x against the national median for its field and median earnings of $78,768 four years after completion. Kinesiology and Physical Education ranks #2 nationally within its field and #1 in Georgia, with 90 degrees awarded and median earnings of $87,254. Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services ranks #3 nationally in its field and #1 in Georgia, with median earnings of $76,993 four years after completion. The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Computer Science graduates earn $159,541, from 82 degrees awarded annually. Some of the largest programs also carry strong national ranks and high earnings, and the earnings spread between the top and the middle of the list is wide. 34.9% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields, a share that sits alongside strong outcomes in business and nursing. Four-year earnings for fields where many graduates continue to graduate study understate later trajectories. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business Administration, Management and Operations 358 degrees awarded** $136,731 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 297 degrees awarded** $101,903 **Biology, General 203 degrees awarded** $70,959 **Economics 178 degrees awarded** $111,631 **Neurobiology and Neurosciences 167 degrees awarded** $73,795 **Psychology, General 153 degrees awarded** $59,628 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/emory-university/majors/) 05 / Emory University briefing ## How does Emory University serve students from different backgrounds? Completion is high for Emory University’s first-time full-time cohort: its [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 91.1%. Pell recipients’ six-year completion rate is 90.2%, below the overall rate by 0.9 percentage points. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth puts Emory’s mobility pillar at the 86th percentile. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between graduates’ earnings and the model’s expectation for similar students, sits at the 25th percentile. Graduates earn about $7,957 less than the model expects for similar students. The completion figures and modeled earnings measure point in different directions. At Emory University, access is shaped by admission alongside Pell participation and transfer entry. 10.7% of applicants were admitted, and 7,298 undergraduates are enrolled. Pell Grant recipients account for 18.2% of undergraduates, and an estimated 29.2% arrive as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 82nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Admission, Pell participation, and transfer entry describe routes into the university. 06 / Emory University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Emory University?](/school/emory-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/emory-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Emory University. Admissions peerGeorgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus14.1% admitted+ Comparison with Emory University | Measure | Emory University | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $90,139 | $119,180+$29,041 vs Emory University | | Average annual net price | $22,585 | $12,116\-$10,469 vs Emory University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 10.6% | 14.1% | [Explore Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus →](/school/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus/) Higher-admission alternativeGeorge Washington University47.1% admitted+ Comparison with Emory University | Measure | Emory University | George Washington University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $90,139 | $95,967+$5,828 vs Emory University | | Average annual net price | $22,585 | $36,586+$14,001 vs Emory University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 10.6% | 47.1% | [Explore George Washington University →](/school/george-washington-university/) Nearby alternativeUniversity of GeorgiaNearby option · GA+ Comparison with Emory University | Measure | Emory University | University of Georgia | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $90,139 | $74,144\-$15,995 vs Emory University | | Average annual net price | $22,585 | $13,936\-$8,649 vs Emory University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 10.6% | 37.7% | [Explore University of Georgia →](/school/university-of-georgia/) Higher-earnings alternativeColumbia University in the City of New York$115,519 earnings+ Comparison with Emory University | Measure | Emory University | Columbia University in the City of New York | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $90,139 | $115,519+$25,380 vs Emory University | | Average annual net price | $22,585 | $21,590\-$995 vs Emory University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 10.6% | 4.0% | [Explore Columbia University in the City of New York →](/school/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york/) Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill$11,655 average net price+ Comparison with Emory University | Measure | Emory University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $90,139 | $81,033\-$9,106 vs Emory University | | Average annual net price | $22,585 | $11,655\-$10,930 vs Emory University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 10.6% | 15.3% | [Explore University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill →](/school/university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill/) Similar profileNova Southeastern UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Emory University | Measure | Emory University | Nova Southeastern University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $90,139 | $81,582\-$8,557 vs Emory University | | Average annual net price | $22,585 | $30,371+$7,786 vs Emory University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 10.6% | 73.2% | 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/emory-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/)