1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Grand Valley State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Grand Valley State University MI · Large public institution · Overall rank #210 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/grand-valley-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/grand-valley-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/grand-valley-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/grand-valley-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/grand-valley-state-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Grand Valley State University #210 nationally. ### Who it’s a good fit for Grand Valley State University is a public university in Allendale, Michigan, where the degree mix is led by Business, Health Professions, and Biological Sciences. Mobility is among the highest we track. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes that gap to the factors it measures, which adds to expected earnings, while the remainder it cannot explain subtracts from them. Return is around the average. Pell recipients complete at a rate that trails the overall six-year graduation rate. Access is well above average, and affordability is above average. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, and the highest-earning programs are in engineering and computing, which are not the largest by degrees awarded. ## Grand Valley State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 83.0% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 67.0% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $60,491 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $12,861 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $24,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $26,392 ## Grand Valley State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Grand Valley State University is a public university in Allendale, Michigan, enrolling 18,854 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the top fifth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (86th percentile). The university admits 83.0% of applicants, a rate that runs above the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 76.3% return for a second year and 67.0% finish within six years. The peer medians are 83.1% for retention and 65.0% for completion, so retention sits below the comparison group while the six-year rate runs above it. An estimated 22.8% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, which means a large part of the student body did not start here. The four pillars spread across the ranking: mobility is the strongest, while return is the weakest. Access and affordability sit between them. The shape is a broad-access public campus where the mobility pillar is the standout, and the return pillar sits near the middle of the field. Grand Valley State University's strongest pillar is mobility, where Azimuth places the university in the 92nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That shows the scale at which graduates reach earnings that outpace their pre-college economic circumstances. The access pillar follows at the 79th percentile, and affordability sits at the 61st percentile. The return pillar is the weakest, in the 50th percentile, which coincides with graduates who earn about $1,245 less than the model expects for similar students. 29.2% of undergraduates at Grand Valley State University receive Pell Grants. The six-year completion rate for those students is 58.9%, which sits 8.1 percentage points below the overall rate for the entering cohort. Azimuth ranks the university #302 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility is the strongest of the four pillars. Azimuth ranks Grand Valley State University #115 for mobility. Graduates earn about $1,245 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/) Grand Valley State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #210 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 92 **Access & reach** National percentile: 79 **[Affordability](/school/grand-valley-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 61 **[Return on investment](/school/grand-valley-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 50 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Manufacturing Engineering**#4** 2. Legal Support Services**#4** 3. Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other**#9** 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/grand-valley-state-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Grand Valley State University briefing ## [Grand Valley State University cost & financial aid](/school/grand-valley-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Grand Valley State University lists a published cost of attendance of $28,367. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $15,872 and on-campus food and housing of $10,788 for the 2026-27 academic year. Out-of-state students face a higher published tuition of $22,588. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what they pay after grants and scholarships—is $16,317. That is $683 above the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). On average, financial aid reduces the published cost by $12,050 for recipients. Azimuth ranks the university #552 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Grand Valley State University publishes a cost of attendance of $28,367. For families earning under $30,000, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $12,272. It is $12,861 for the $48,001–$75,000 band and $22,534 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,262. Azimuth ranks the university #552 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 42% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $12,050 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $16,317, which sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $683. The median federal student debt at completion is $24,500, with about 92.0% of federal aid recipients borrowing. That debt is above the peer median of $20,076 by $4,424. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower figure, is $26,392. If repaid over ten years, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $278 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**$12,861** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Grand Valley State University Borrowing is widespread at Grand Valley State University: 92.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and the median federal student debt at completion is $24,500. That median sits above the peer median of $20,076 at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $4,424. That means the typical graduate leaves with more federal debt than peers at similar schools. Parent borrowers, a separate population, carry a median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan of $26,392. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 60% of its 2,666 bachelor's graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $27,856 per borrower. Of those graduates, 58% held federal loans averaging $22,186. A smaller group of graduates, 11%, held private loans averaging $33,703. Among federally aided graduates of Grand Valley State University who are working and not enrolled, the median four years after completion is $60,491. That median sits in the 53rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,245 less than the model expects for similar students. That outcome falls at the 50th percentile. Estimated from the program mix, earnings scenarios run from $47,392 on the downside to $79,485 on the upside; $60,491 is the typical outcome. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,500 in federal loans, $4,424 above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $278 a month. Earnings sit near the middle of the distribution, while debt runs above the peer median, so the investment picture is mixed. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $26,392. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $278. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** $24,500 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $26,392 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $278/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $335/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=grand-valley-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/grand-valley-state-university/cost/) 02 / Grand Valley State University briefing ## [Grand Valley State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/grand-valley-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Grand Valley State University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $60,491, in the 53rd percentile. That figure is $5,119 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Graduates earn about $1,245 less than the model expects for similar students, placing that gap at the 50th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth places the return pillar at the 50th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,259. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,504. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,327. Four years after completing a degree, the median earnings for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled are $60,491 at Grand Valley State University. That places the median at the 53rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 5,547 completers. Graduates earn about $1,245 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a wide range: a downside scenario of $47,392 and an upside scenario of $79,485. An estimated 30.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. For those entering the workforce, the return picture is mixed. Earnings sit below the peer median and below the model's expectation, but the program mix shows a broad spread of possible outcomes. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $60,491, at the 53rd percentile. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $65,610, and Grand Valley State University is $5,119 below that figure. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #729 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,245 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 50th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,259. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,504. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,327. The degree mix spans business, health, education and the biological sciences, alongside smaller engineering and computer fields. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $47,392 on the downside to $79,485 on the upside. An estimated 30.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings scenarios at Grand Valley State University span from a downside of $47,392 to an upside of $79,485 four years after completion, with the typical scenario at $60,491. That spread reflects the variation across the university's 60 programs with published earnings data. Some programs exceed even the upside scenario. Computer Engineering completers earn a median of $103,253, Electrical Engineering completers reach $100,456, and Manufacturing Engineering completers earn $95,416. At Grand Valley State University, the published cost of attendance is $28,367. After grants and scholarships, the average net price—the cost for aid recipients—is $16,317, which is $683 above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $24,500 in federal student loans, $4,424 above the $20,076 peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $278 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $26,392 in Parent PLUS loans. The net price and debt figures point in different directions. The average net price is slightly above the peer median, while median debt is further above it, which means the cost picture depends on how much a family borrows. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$8,259 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$9,504 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$1,245 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/grand-valley-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / Grand Valley State University briefing ## [Grand Valley State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/grand-valley-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Grand Valley State University admits 83.0% of applicants, a rate that sits above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 27,261 applicants, 25,274 admitted students, and 4,335 enrolled first-year students. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 83.0% **25th percentile** 920 **Median** 1030 **75th percentile** 1170 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/grand-valley-state-university/admissions/) 04 / Grand Valley State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Grand Valley State University?](/school/grand-valley-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Grand Valley State University awards bachelor's degrees across 60 fields with published four-year earnings, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 51 of them nationally. The highest-earning programs are concentrated in engineering: Computer Engineering leads at $103,253, followed by Electrical Engineering at $100,456 and Manufacturing Engineering at $95,416. These three fields together awarded fewer than a hundred degrees, so the high medians reflect a small slice of the graduating class. Among the university's largest programs, the earnings picture is more mixed. Marketing, with 325 degrees awarded, reaches $69,592 and an Azimuth national rank of #74. By contrast, Biology—the largest program at 335 degrees—shows a median of $52,176 and ranks #266 nationally. Education stands out for its rank: Azimuth places it #10 in the field, with 276 degrees awarded and median earnings of $49,225. Grand Valley State University publishes earnings data for 60 bachelor's programs, 51 of which hold an Azimuth national rank. The largest program, Biology, awarded 335 degrees. Its completers earn a median of $52,176 four years after completion, ranking #266 nationally and #8 in Michigan. Among the university's best-ranked programs, Legal Support Services awards 38 degrees and holds a national rank of #4 with a median of $57,728. Manufacturing Engineering ranks #4 nationally and #1 in Michigan, with 20 degrees awarded and a median of $95,416 four years after completion. Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences ranks #9 nationally with 247 degrees awarded, and its completers earn a median of $62,482. The bachelor's degrees at Grand Valley State University are spread across a broad set of fields. Business accounts for the largest share at 24.3% of degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 12.2% and Biological Sciences at 8.9%. The university has published four-year earnings data for 60 programs, 51 of which carry an Azimuth national rank. The largest programs by degrees awarded are Biology with 335 degrees awarded, Psychology with 334 degrees awarded, and Marketing with 325 degrees awarded. The strongest programs by national rank are Legal Support Services and Manufacturing Engineering. Legal Support Services, the highest-ranked program, awards 38 degrees and ranks #2 in Michigan. Manufacturing Engineering ranks #4 nationally within its field and #1 in Michigan, with 20 degrees awarded. Computer Engineering is the highest-earning program, with graduates earning a median of $103,253 four years after completion; the program awarded 17 degrees. Electrical Engineering follows, with earnings of $100,456; the program awarded 31 degrees. Human Resources Management and Services stands out for its combination of rank and return. It has a benchmark ratio of 1.11x against the national median for its field and earnings of $75,800. The pattern is one of strength concentrated in professional and applied fields rather than the largest programs. Biology, the largest program, earns a median of $52,176 and ranks #266 nationally within its field, while the smaller programs hold the leading ranks and earnings figures. Legal Support Services and Manufacturing Engineering are both highly ranked, and the engineering programs that lead on earnings award fewer than a hundred degrees each. Across all fields, 18.0% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Biology, General 335 degrees awarded** $52,176 **Psychology, General 334 degrees awarded** $51,460 **Marketing 325 degrees awarded** $69,592 **Education, General 276 degrees awarded** $49,225 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 267 degrees awarded** $53,175 **Finance and Financial Management Services 260 degrees awarded** $71,348 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/grand-valley-state-university/majors/) 05 / Grand Valley State University briefing ## How does Grand Valley State University serve students from different backgrounds? Grand Valley State University's strongest pillar is mobility, where Azimuth places the university in the 92nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 67.0%, while Pell recipients complete at a rate of 58.9% — below the overall rate by 8.1 percentage points. Graduates earn about $1,245 less than the model expects for similar students, a result that places the [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) measure in the 50th percentile. Grand Valley State University admits 83.0% of applicants, a rate that sits above the peer median of 78.1% for comparable public universities. The university enrolls 18,854 undergraduates, and 29.2% of them receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access. An estimated 22.8% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. 06 / Grand Valley State University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Grand Valley State University?](/school/grand-valley-state-university/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/grand-valley-state-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Grand Valley State University. Admissions peerCentral Michigan University89.8% admitted+ Comparison with Grand Valley State University | Measure | Grand Valley State University | Central Michigan University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,491 | $61,298+$807 vs Grand Valley State University | | Average annual net price | $16,317 | $17,597+$1,280 vs Grand Valley State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 89.8% | [Explore Central Michigan University →](/school/central-michigan-university/) Higher-admission alternativeDavenport University97.8% admitted+ Comparison with Grand Valley State University | Measure | Grand Valley State University | Davenport University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,491 | $69,009+$8,518 vs Grand Valley State University | | Average annual net price | $16,317 | $17,707+$1,390 vs Grand Valley State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 97.8% | Nearby alternativeCentral Michigan UniversityNearby option · MI+ Comparison with Grand Valley State University | Measure | Grand Valley State University | Central Michigan University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,491 | $61,298+$807 vs Grand Valley State University | | Average annual net price | $16,317 | $17,597+$1,280 vs Grand Valley State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 89.8% | [Explore Central Michigan University →](/school/central-michigan-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Massachusetts-Lowell$81,163 earnings+ Comparison with Grand Valley State University | Measure | Grand Valley State University | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,491 | $81,163+$20,672 vs Grand Valley State University | | Average annual net price | $16,317 | $17,163+$846 vs Grand Valley State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 83.0% | [Explore University of Massachusetts-Lowell →](/school/university-of-massachusetts-lowell/) Lower-cost alternativeFerris State University$8,624 average net price+ Comparison with Grand Valley State University | Measure | Grand Valley State University | Ferris State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,491 | $64,721+$4,230 vs Grand Valley State University | | Average annual net price | $16,317 | $8,624\-$7,693 vs Grand Valley State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 91.4% | [Explore Ferris State University →](/school/ferris-state-university/) Similar profileIllinois State UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Grand Valley State University | Measure | Grand Valley State University | Illinois State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,491 | $62,507+$2,016 vs Grand Valley State University | | Average annual net price | $16,317 | $19,398+$3,081 vs Grand Valley State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.0% | 88.2% | [Explore Illinois State University →](/school/illinois-state-university/) 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/grand-valley-state-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 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/)