1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Farmingdale State College Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Farmingdale State College NY · Medium public institution · Overall rank #128 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/farmingdale-state-college/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/farmingdale-state-college/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/farmingdale-state-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/farmingdale-state-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/farmingdale-state-college/similar/) ## Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Farmingdale State College sits at the 91st composite percentile. ### Who it’s a good fit for Farmingdale State College is a public university in New York whose degree mix is led by Business, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, and Engineering Technologies. Affordability and mobility are both among the highest we track, while return is modestly below 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 add to expected earnings, and part to a remainder it does not explain, which subtracts from them. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than on to further study, so the four-year figure captures the bulk of the early-career picture. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it. Pell students complete at a rate above the overall six-year rate, and mobility is among the highest we track. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools. The degree mix is oriented toward applied fields: the largest programs are in business and technology, while the highest-earning program, Nursing, is a much smaller one. ## Farmingdale State College at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 63.3% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 52.8% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $65,444 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $11,834 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $14,718 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $18,349 ## Farmingdale State College rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Farmingdale State College enrolls 9,552 undergraduates as a public university in Farmingdale, New York, and sits near the top of nonprofit four-year institutions (composite at the 91st percentile). Affordability and mobility are the strong pair among its four pillars, while return is the weakest, a spread that shapes the whole profile. Farmingdale State College accepts 63.3% of those who apply, a share that sits well below the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. First-year retention is 81.6%, against a peer median of 73.7%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 52.8%, compared with a peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 36.7% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes only the first-time, full-time minority. The four pillars sit far apart at Farmingdale State College. Affordability is the strongest and mobility is close behind, while return is the weakest, with access between the two. That split between the strongest and weakest pillars is the central tension of the profile. Farmingdale State College is strongest on affordability and mobility, with return the part of its profile that trails the other pillars. Azimuth places affordability in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, the university’s strongest pillar, and mobility in the 93rd percentile. Access sits in the 85th percentile, while return is in the 41st percentile, its weakest pillar. Low cost and mobility point in the same direction, but the return measure is less favorable. 36.2% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access. Among enrolled students who submitted SAT scores, the middle 50% of results stretched from 1,040 to 1,240. For the ACT, the middle 50% of submitted scores ran from 20 to 28. Azimuth ranks Farmingdale State College #219 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year completion rate for Pell recipients is 57.0%, which sits 4.2 percentage points above the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (52.8%). That completion figure, alongside the Pell share, gives the access pillar its shape. Azimuth ranks the university #101 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,433 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/) Farmingdale State College rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #128 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 93 **Access & reach** National percentile: 85 **[Affordability](/school/farmingdale-state-college/cost/)** National percentile: 94 **[Return on investment](/school/farmingdale-state-college/outcomes/)** National percentile: 41 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians**#3** 2. Security Science and Technology**#3** 3. Science, Technology and Society**#4** 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/farmingdale-state-college/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Farmingdale State College briefing ## [Farmingdale State College cost & financial aid](/school/farmingdale-state-college/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Affordability is a clear strength at Farmingdale State College: aid recipients have an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $10,867, which is what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. Against a published cost of attendance of $18,966 (an average across living arrangements), financial aid offsets $8,099 of the sticker price on average. Published in-state tuition and fees are $8,626; room and board are $14,926, and out-of-state tuition and fees are $18,536. Among comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price, the middle value for comparable institutions, is $14,068. The college’s average is $3,201 below that figure. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The lower average price and peer comparison point in the same direction for aid recipients. The published cost of attendance at Farmingdale State College is $18,966 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks the university #86 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 average $4,933, those in the $48,001–$75,000 band average $11,834, and those earning over $110,000 average $17,919. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,986. Aid covers about 43% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) across all aid recipients is $10,867, which is $3,201 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $14,718 in federal student loans. That is $6,511 below the $21,229 peer median. About 63.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $18,349 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $167 a month. 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**$11,834** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Farmingdale State College Federal borrowing reaches 63.2% of federal aid recipients at Farmingdale State College. Among borrowers who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $14,718, which is $6,511 below the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow through the separate [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a median of $18,349. Lower debt gives the investment picture a useful counterweight at Farmingdale State College. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $14,718, $6,511 below the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $167 a month if repaid over ten years. Median earnings four years after completion are $65,444, matching the typical modeled scenario. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,433 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, sit in the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The downside earnings scenario is $54,295, while the upside scenario is $91,029. Lower debt sits alongside earnings that exceed comparable institutions but fall short of the model’s expectation. Among parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $18,349, a separate population from student federal borrowers. For borrowers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $167 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** $14,718 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $18,349 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $167/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $233/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=farmingdale-state-college#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/farmingdale-state-college/cost/) 02 / Farmingdale State College briefing ## [Farmingdale State College career outcomes & earnings](/school/farmingdale-state-college/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) At Farmingdale State College, affordability is stronger than return, whose evidence points in different directions. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 41st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,433 less than the model expects for similar students. The earnings-beyond-expectations measure, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, falls in the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds $7,788. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $12,221. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $65,444; Azimuth places that figure in the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301, putting the college above it by $8,143. The return picture is mixed: school-level earnings are above the peer median alongside the model result. At $65,444, Farmingdale State College’s median earnings four years after completion sit well into the upper range of nonprofit four-year institutions. This measure covers federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, across an earnings cohort of 2,141 completers. Azimuth places the four-year earnings measure in the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The typical scenario, based on the program mix, matches the schoolwide median; it is a scenario rather than an observed graduate group. An estimated 21.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. Graduates earn about $4,433 less than the model expects for similar students. The return picture is mixed: the earnings percentile is comparatively high, but earnings fall short of the model’s expectation. Among federally aided graduates of Farmingdale State College who are working and not enrolled, the median four years after completion is $65,444, in the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The college's median is $8,143 above the $57,301 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the college #863 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,433 less than the model expects for similar students. That result falls at the 38th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,788. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $12,221. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,284. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups, span from $54,295 on the downside to $91,029 on the upside across the degree fields. An estimated 21.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The program mix centers on applied technology, health and business fields, with both technology and health especially prominent areas. Program choice leaves a wide modeled range in earnings at Farmingdale State College. The downside earnings scenario is $54,295, and the upside scenario is $91,029 four years after completion. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix rather than observed groups. Among selected fields, median earnings four years after completion are $108,029 in Nursing, $104,169 in Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions, and $91,941 in Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians. Those field results help explain the distance between the modeled bounds. Lower borrowing gives Farmingdale State College a favorable cost starting point, though its modeled earnings gap points the other way. For borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $14,718, excluding Parent PLUS. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $21,229, and the college's debt is below it by $6,511. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $167 a month if repaid over ten years. [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 less favorable here. Graduates earn about $4,433 less than the model expects for similar students. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $10,867. The debt figure and reported net price sit alongside lower-than-expected earnings, so the return picture is mixed. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$7,788 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$12,221 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$4,433 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/farmingdale-state-college/outcomes/) 03 / Farmingdale State College briefing ## [Farmingdale State College acceptance rate & admissions](/school/farmingdale-state-college/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Farmingdale State College admitted 63.3% of applicants, a rate below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). That difference means the reported admission outcome was less common here than at its comparison group, without indicating any individual applicant’s prospect. This rate summarizes one reported applicant pool rather than setting a personal likelihood of admission. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 63.3% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1040 **Reported average** 1147 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1240 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/farmingdale-state-college/admissions/) 04 / Farmingdale State College briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Farmingdale State College?](/school/farmingdale-state-college/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At Farmingdale State College, program earnings differ sharply by field four years after completion, with health-related options at the higher end and larger programs in more moderate territory. Nursing recorded median earnings of $108,029 and 82 degrees awarded. Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions posted $104,169 in median earnings, alongside 20 degrees awarded. Among larger fields, Business Administration and Management had median earnings of $61,497 with 353 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #163 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Science, Technology and Society recorded $54,746 and 267 degrees awarded. The contrast between higher- and moderate-earning fields makes program choice central to reading the college-wide earnings figure. Farmingdale State College has 14 ranked bachelor’s field and a program mix with sharply different earnings levels. Among the larger fields, Science, Technology and Society awarded 267 degrees, with median earnings of $54,746 four years after completion. The range makes the chosen field especially relevant to the earnings picture. The bachelor's degrees at Farmingdale State College are spread across a practical set of fields. Business accounts for 22.2% of degrees awarded, followed by Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at 15.5% and Engineering Technologies at 15.3%. Of the 19 programs with published four-year earnings data, only 14 holds an Azimuth national rank. The largest program is Business Administration and Management, with 353 degrees awarded, followed by Science, Technology and Society at 267 and Security Science and Technology at 180. The highest-earning program is Nursing, where graduates earn a median of $108,029 four years after completion, from 82 degrees awarded. Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions follows at $104,169, from 20 degrees awarded. Business Administration and Management, the largest program, earns a median of $61,497 and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #14 in New York within its field. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians is another strong earner, with a median of $91,941 from 65 degrees awarded. The pattern is one of applied, career-oriented programs where earnings vary considerably by field. The highest-earning programs are in health and engineering technologies, while the largest program, Business Administration and Management, sits below the national median for its field. 23.8% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business Administration, Management and Operations 353 degrees awarded** $61,497 **Science, Technology and Society 267 degrees awarded** $54,746 **Security Science and Technology 180 degrees awarded** $60,464 **Computer Programming 136 degrees awarded** $71,665 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 82 degrees awarded** $108,029 **Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians 65 degrees awarded** $91,941 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/farmingdale-state-college/majors/) 05 / Farmingdale State College briefing ## How does Farmingdale State College serve students from different backgrounds? Completion is a relative strength at Farmingdale State College: the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 52.8%, while Pell recipients complete within six years at 57.0%, above the overall rate by 4.2 percentage points. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 93rd 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, are lower here: Graduates earn about $4,433 less than the model expects for similar students. This measure sits in the 38th percentile. Completion and the mobility standing are strong, while modeled earnings fall short of expectations. For a public university with 9,552 undergraduates, Farmingdale State College has entry routes that extend beyond its 63.3% admission rate. Pell Grants reach 36.2% of undergraduates, and the estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group is 36.7%, placing both measures in the school’s access profile. Azimuth puts the access pillar in the 85th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Enrollment, Pell participation, and transfer entry show access through more than the admission decision alone. 06 / Farmingdale State College briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Farmingdale State College?](/school/farmingdale-state-college/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/farmingdale-state-college/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Farmingdale State College. Admissions peerCUNY Brooklyn College58.4% admitted+ Comparison with Farmingdale State College | Measure | Farmingdale State College | CUNY Brooklyn College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,444 | $62,833\-$2,611 vs Farmingdale State College | | Average annual net price | $10,867 | $3,103\-$7,764 vs Farmingdale State College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 63.3% | 58.4% | [Explore CUNY Brooklyn College →](/school/cuny-brooklyn-college/) Higher-admission alternativeSaint Peter's University90.3% admitted+ Comparison with Farmingdale State College | Measure | Farmingdale State College | Saint Peter's University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,444 | $64,352\-$1,092 vs Farmingdale State College | | Average annual net price | $10,867 | $12,199+$1,332 vs Farmingdale State College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 63.3% | 90.3% | [Explore Saint Peter's University →](/school/saint-peters-university/) Nearby alternativeCUNY Brooklyn CollegeNearby option · NY+ Comparison with Farmingdale State College | Measure | Farmingdale State College | CUNY Brooklyn College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,444 | $62,833\-$2,611 vs Farmingdale State College | | Average annual net price | $10,867 | $3,103\-$7,764 vs Farmingdale State College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 63.3% | 58.4% | [Explore CUNY Brooklyn College →](/school/cuny-brooklyn-college/) Higher-earnings alternativeFlorida Polytechnic University$86,952 earnings+ Comparison with Farmingdale State College | Measure | Farmingdale State College | Florida Polytechnic University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,444 | $86,952+$21,508 vs Farmingdale State College | | Average annual net price | $10,867 | $11,853+$986 vs Farmingdale State College · higher cost | | Admission rate | 63.3% | 57.5% | [Explore Florida Polytechnic University →](/school/florida-polytechnic-university/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Brooklyn College$3,103 average net price+ Comparison with Farmingdale State College | Measure | Farmingdale State College | CUNY Brooklyn College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,444 | $62,833\-$2,611 vs Farmingdale State College | | Average annual net price | $10,867 | $3,103\-$7,764 vs Farmingdale State College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 63.3% | 58.4% | [Explore CUNY Brooklyn College →](/school/cuny-brooklyn-college/) Similar profileCollege of Staten Island CUNYMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Farmingdale State College | Measure | Farmingdale State College | College of Staten Island CUNY | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $65,444 | $65,495+$51 vs Farmingdale State College | | Average annual net price | $10,867 | $5,579\-$5,288 vs Farmingdale State College · lower cost | | Admission rate | 63.3% | 92.3% | [Explore College of Staten Island CUNY →](/school/college-of-staten-island-cuny/) 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/farmingdale-state-college/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/)