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Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus NJ · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #834 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/admissions/)[Majors](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/similar/) ## Azimuth places the university in the 43rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus is a private nonprofit university in Teaneck, New Jersey, whose degree mix is led by Liberal Arts & General Studies and Business. Return is above average, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than on to further study. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to a remainder it does not explain and a subtraction to the factors it measures. The price students pay after aid and scholarships sits below the median at comparable institutions, and Pell students complete within a few points of the overall rate. Mobility is below the levels seen at many peers, and access is as well. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions. A student drawn to the largest program should know that the best-paid one, Nursing, is much smaller. ## Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 90.7% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 53.3% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $68,049 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $15,057 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $25,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $30,444 ## Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus is a private nonprofit university in Teaneck, New Jersey, enrolling 2,627 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (43rd percentile). The university admits 90.7% of applicants, a rate well above the 71.2% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 77.0% return for a second year and 53.3% finish within six years. Both figures run below the peer medians of 83.4% and 68.8%. An estimated 24.8% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students. The four pillars are spread out. Return is the strongest, at the 70th percentile, while mobility is the weakest, at the 15th percentile. Affordability and access sit between them, with access at the 21st percentile. Return is the clearest strength in this profile, with affordability also above the middle of nonprofit four-year institutions. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth puts return in the 70th percentile and affordability in the 60th percentile. Access is in the 21st percentile, while mobility is in the 15th percentile. The stronger return and affordability results sit beside lower access and mobility measures. Federal Pell Grants reach 21.9% of undergraduates at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus, a measure of financial access to the university. The access pillar rests on how those students fare after entry. The six-year completion rate for Pell recipients, 51.9%, runs 1.4 percentage points behind the rate for the entering cohort overall (53.3%). Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the access pillar sits at #1,161. For mobility, Azimuth ranks the university #1,240 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,065 more than the model expects for similar students. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #834 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 15 **Access & reach** National percentile: 21 **[Affordability](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/cost/)** National percentile: 60 **[Return on investment](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/outcomes/)** National percentile: 70 01 / Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus briefing ## [Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus cost & financial aid](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) At Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus, the published cost of attendance is $50,305, yet aid recipients have an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $15,404, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. Published tuition and fees are $38,004, and room and board are $16,270. Financial aid offsets $34,901 from the published price for the average recipient. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $27,371; this university’s average net price is $11,967 below it. Azimuth puts its affordability pillar in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. A lower-than-peer net price and that affordability standing point in the same direction. At Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus, the published cost of attendance is $50,305 (an average across living arrangements). The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $10,218 for families earning under $30,000, $10,475 for families earning $30,001-$48,000, $15,057 for families earning $48,001-$75,000, $23,123 for families earning $75,001-$110,000, and $28,735 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $18,517. Azimuth ranks the university #560 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 69% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $34,901 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $15,404, which sits $11,967 below the peer median of $27,371 at comparable institutions (same type and size). Published tuition and fees are $38,004, and room and board are $16,270. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $25,000, which is $801 above the $24,199 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size). 90.0% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers have median borrowing of $30,444. The below-peer net price and the slightly above-peer debt pull in different directions. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$15,057** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Federal borrowing is widespread at the university, with 90.0% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $25,000. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median is $24,199, and the university’s median is $801 above it. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers are a separate parent-borrower population; their median debt is $30,444. Borrowing is common, and median debt sits above the comparable-institution figure. At Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus, median earnings are $68,049 four years after completion. That earnings figure is in the 73rd 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, offers another lens. Graduates earn about $8,065 more than the model expects for similar students. This measure sits in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings scenarios range from $46,720 in a downside scenario to $85,868 in an upside scenario, with $68,049 as the typical scenario. Median federal debt is $25,000, which is $801 above the $24,199 peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings coexist with debt that is above the peer median. For the separate population of parents who borrow, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $30,444. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 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** $25,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $30,444 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $284/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=fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/cost/) 02 / Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus briefing ## [Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus career outcomes & earnings](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $68,049, in the 73rd percentile. Graduates earn about $8,065 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places [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, in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth assigns the return pillar a 70th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $203. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $8,268. The STEM component within the measured factors adds $726. For comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median, the middle value, is $68,250; the university stands $201 below it. The model result and peer comparison point the same way. At Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $68,049 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 2,129 completers. Graduates earn about $8,065 more than the model expects for similar students. Program-mix scenarios put typical earnings at $68,049; scenarios are modeled possibilities, not observed graduate groups. An estimated 31.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The earnings percentile and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction. Federally aided graduates of Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus who are working and not enrolled earn $68,049 four years after completion, in the 73rd percentile. The median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $68,250, so the university lands $201 below that median. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #443 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions nationally. Graduates of the university earn about $8,065 more than the model expects for similar students. That particular outcome places the university specifically in the 79th percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $203. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain in the model adds $8,268. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $726 amid a mix that includes various health fields, business, engineering, liberal arts and psychology programs. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, run from $46,720 on the low end to $85,868 on the high end for graduates. An estimated 31.1% of bachelor's graduates continue on to further graduate study, based on the program mix. The program mix leaves room for very different modeled earnings outcomes at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus. The downside scenario is $46,720 and the upside scenario is $85,868, representing earnings scenarios rather than observed groups of graduates. Among programs with published earnings four years after completion, Nursing reaches $98,585, Accounting reaches $87,753, and Finance reaches $84,606. Those program results help explain why the earnings scenarios span a broad range. [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, are favorable at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus. Graduates earn about $8,065 more than the model expects for similar students. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $25,000. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $24,199, leaving the university’s figure above it by $801. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. For aid recipients, average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,404, which is below the $27,371 peer median by $11,967. The lower net price and above-expected earnings point the same way, though borrower debt sits above the peer median. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** \-$203 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$8,268 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$8,065 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/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/outcomes/) 03 / Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus briefing ## [Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus acceptance rate & admissions](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus reported 11,478 first-year applicants and 10,665 admitted applicants. The federal admission rate of 90.7% sits above the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). That pattern means the reported applicant pool was admitted at a higher rate than at comparable institutions. Admissions **Admission rate** 90.7% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/admissions/) 04 / Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus?](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Program earnings vary sharply at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus, making field selection central to the return picture. Four years after completion, Nursing posts median earnings of $98,585 from 41 degrees awarded. Accounting follows with $87,753 and 14 degrees awarded. These higher-earning fields have comparatively limited award counts. At the more moderate end, Liberal Arts and General Studies records median earnings of $60,525 four years after completion across 233 degrees awarded. Psychology records $55,977 and 60 degrees awarded. The higher-earning pair and the larger award-count fields point to different earnings outcomes by field. Program choice matters here because published earnings differ across the available fields. Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus has 17 bachelor’s programs with published earnings data, while Liberal Arts & General Studies accounts for 38.4% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. The degree mix at Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus is anchored by a single large family: Liberal Arts & General Studies accounts for 38.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, far ahead of Business at 12.2% and Psychology at 9.9%. The largest single program is Liberal Arts and General Studies, at 233 degrees awarded, followed by Psychology with 60 and Nursing with 41. Across all fields, 14.4% of degrees awarded are in STEM. The highest-earning program is also the third-largest: Nursing graduates earn a median of $98,585 four years after completion. Accounting follows at $87,753, with 14 degrees awarded, and Finance at $84,606 from 9 degrees awarded. Electrical Engineering rounds out the top earners at $83,798, though it is a small program at 7 degrees awarded. The pattern is one of concentration: the largest family is also the broadest, and the highest earnings come from a professional program that is large enough to matter. The university has 17 programs with published four-year earnings data, and the earnings spread between the largest program and the highest-earning one is wide. The benchmark ratio for Liberal Arts and General Studies sits at 1.14x the national median for its field, while Nursing is at 1.11x. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 233 degrees awarded** $60,525 **Psychology, General 60 degrees awarded** $55,977 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 41 degrees awarded** $98,585 **Biology, General 39 degrees awarded** $56,559 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 38 degrees awarded** $65,593 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 24 degrees awarded** $51,148 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/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/majors/) 05 / Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus briefing ## How does Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus serve students from different backgrounds? Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus has a 53.3% [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort; Pell recipients complete within six years at 51.9%, below the overall rate by 1.4 percentage points. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 15th 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, point in another direction: Graduates earn about $8,065 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places earnings beyond expectations in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Completion and modeled earnings point in different directions. With 2,627 undergraduates, Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus has a modest undergraduate population and admits 90.7% of applicants. Pell Grants go to 21.9% of its undergraduates, and the estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group is 24.8%, showing that entry comes through more than the first-year applicant pool. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the access pillar sits in the 21st percentile. The admission rate, Pell participation, and transfer estimate describe access from different angles. 06 / Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus?](/school/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/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/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus. Admissions peerWilliam Paterson University of New Jersey90.1% admitted+ Comparison with Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | Measure | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | William Paterson University of New Jersey | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $68,049 | $59,272\-$8,777 vs Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | | Average annual net price | $15,404 | $18,745+$3,341 vs Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus · higher cost | | Admission rate | 90.7% | 90.1% | [Explore William Paterson University of New Jersey →](/school/william-paterson-university-of-new-jersey/) Nearby alternativeMonmouth UniversityNearby option · NJ+ Comparison with Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | Measure | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | Monmouth University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $68,049 | $68,968+$919 vs Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | | Average annual net price | $15,404 | $30,988+$15,584 vs Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus · higher cost | | Admission rate | 90.7% | 89.0% | [Explore Monmouth University →](/school/monmouth-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeSan Jose State University$89,614 earnings+ Comparison with Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | Measure | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | San Jose State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $68,049 | $89,614+$21,565 vs Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | | Average annual net price | $15,404 | $13,760\-$1,644 vs Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus · lower cost | | Admission rate | 90.7% | 84.6% | [Explore San Jose State University →](/school/san-jose-state-university/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Hunter College$2,984 average net price+ Comparison with Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | Measure | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | CUNY Hunter College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $68,049 | $73,236+$5,187 vs Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | | Average annual net price | $15,404 | $2,984\-$12,420 vs Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus · lower cost | | Admission rate | 90.7% | 53.8% | [Explore CUNY Hunter College →](/school/cuny-hunter-college/) Similar profileNiagara UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | Measure | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | Niagara University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $68,049 | $67,652\-$397 vs Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus | | Average annual net price | $15,404 | $17,248+$1,844 vs Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus · higher cost | | Admission rate | 90.7% | 87.4% | 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/fairleigh-dickinson-university-metropolitan-campus/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/)