1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion IN · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #753 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/admissions/)[Majors](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/similar/) ## Overall, Azimuth places Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion in the 49th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion is a private nonprofit university in Marion, Indiana, where Health Professions and Business lead the degree mix. Return is well above average, while access and mobility are below the levels seen at many peers. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them, and the model attributes more of that to what it cannot explain than to the factors it measures. The typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools, so the raw and adjusted pictures point the same way. Pell students complete at a rate below the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is below the levels seen at many peers. The lowest income band pays far less than the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it. The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. Nursing is both the largest program and the highest-paid, and Business Administration also ranks among the top earners. ## Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 88.9% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 66.7% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $68,838 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $18,313 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $24,250 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $12,987 ## Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion is a private nonprofit university in Marion, Indiana, enrolling 1,974 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (49th percentile). The four pillars that make up that composite are spread widely apart, with return the strongest and mobility the weakest. The university admits 88.9% of applicants, a rate above the 75.7% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 82.9% return for a second year and 66.7% finish within six years. Both figures run ahead of the peer medians of 74.2% and 54.9%. An estimated 13.0% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes the first-time, full-time cohort and does not capture the full student body. The shape is a private university where return is the strongest pillar and mobility the weakest, with affordability (46th percentile) and access (15th percentile) between them. The gap between the strongest and weakest pillars is wide. Return is the clearest bright spot in Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion’s Azimuth profile, even as mobility and access sit much lower. Azimuth places return in the 87th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, the university’s strongest pillar. Affordability is in the 46th percentile, access in the 15th percentile, and mobility in the 11th percentile, its weakest pillar. The profile therefore pairs a strong return reading with weaker mobility and access readings. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 960 and 1,180. For the ACT, the middle 50% of submitted scores ranged from 19 to 28. 27.1% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, the federal aid program that Azimuth uses to gauge financial access. Azimuth ranks Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion #1,252 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year completion rate for Pell recipients is 42.4%, which falls 24.3 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. That gap measures the distance between Pell recipients and the broader first-time full-time cohort at this university. Azimuth ranks the university #1,304 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $18,916 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that appears alongside the university's standing on the mobility pillar. [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/) Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #753 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 11 **Access & reach** National percentile: 15 **[Affordability](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/cost/)** National percentile: 46 **[Return on investment](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/outcomes/)** National percentile: 87 01 / Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion briefing ## [Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion cost & financial aid](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) For aid recipients, Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion brings its published $44,776 cost down to an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $22,866, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. The private nonprofit university lists $32,352 in tuition and fees and $10,868 for room and board. Average financial aid offsets $21,910 from the sticker price, and aid covers about 49% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Comparable institutions, defined as those in the same type and size, have a peer median net price of $22,347. Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion's average net price is $519 above that middle value. Azimuth places the university's affordability pillar in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers nearly half of published cost on average, though the post-aid price remains slightly above the peer median. For families receiving aid, Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion lists a published cost of attendance of $44,776, and prices differ across family-income bands. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $19,793 in the lowest band, $14,896 in the lower-middle band, $18,313 in the middle band, $22,336 in the upper-middle band, and $27,265 in the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,472. Azimuth ranks the university #758 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 49% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, offsetting $21,910. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $22,866. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $22,347, making the university's average net price $519 above. Published tuition and fees are $32,352, which sits within the broader cost of attendance. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $24,250, compared with $25,000 at comparable institutions (same type and size); that is $750 below. 88.6% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $12,987. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 a month if repaid over ten years. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$18,313** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion Federal borrowing is common at Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion, with 88.6% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt was $24,250. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $25,000, placing the university's median $750 below it. For the separate population of [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers, the median amount was $12,987. Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion's return picture centers on earnings that are well above the model's expectation for similar students. Graduates earn a median of $68,838 four years after completion, and Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 74th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) is also favorable: Graduates earn about $18,916 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places that measure in the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios based on the program mix range from $47,005 in a downside scenario to $84,157 in an upside scenario, with $68,838 as the typical scenario. Median debt is below the peer median, and that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 a month if repaid over ten years. Higher-than-expected earnings and lower borrowing point in the same direction. Parent borrowers had median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $12,987, separate from student federal-loan borrowers. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 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** $24,250 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $12,987 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $276/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $165/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=indiana-wesleyan-university-marion#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/cost/) 02 / Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion briefing ## [Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion career outcomes & earnings](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion posts earnings that exceed both the model’s expectation and the median for comparable institutions. Graduates earn about $18,916 more than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 95th 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 $4,061. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $14,855. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 87th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $68,838 four years after completion, in the 74th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $55,915, with the university $12,923 above it. Above-expected earnings and an above-peer median point in the same direction. Among federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled, Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion reports a median of $68,838 four years after completion. That median is $12,923 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The university sits at the 74th percentile for earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions, from a cohort of 3,058 completers. Graduates earn about $18,916 more than the model expects for similar students. That outcome is at the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $47,005 on the downside to $84,157 on the upside, with $68,838 as the typical outcome. An estimated 29.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Return is the strongest Azimuth pillar for Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion, where federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $68,838 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 74th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $55,915; the university stands $12,923 above it. Graduates earn about $18,916 more than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 95th 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 $4,061. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $14,855. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $325. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from $47,005 in the downside scenario to an upside scenario that coincides with Nursing’s program median. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #194 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer comparison and modeled gap both point upward. Nursing is both the largest named field and the highest-earning listed field, with 133 degrees awarded in an academic year and median earnings of $84,157 four years after completion. Business Administration and Management recorded 47 degrees awarded and $75,533 in median earnings, while Teacher Education recorded 52 degrees awarded and $47,578. Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries adds 49 degrees awarded with median earnings of $45,693 four years after completion. These large fields show that the school-level earnings figure sits alongside materially different outcomes across programs. Program mix leaves a wide modeled range around the school-level earnings picture. The downside earnings scenario is $47,005, and the upside scenario is $84,157; these scenarios describe modeled outcomes rather than observed groups of graduates. Among higher-earning fields, median earnings four years after completion are $75,533 in Business Administration and Management, $71,669 in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, and $70,907 in Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences. Those published field medians sit toward the upper part of the modeled range. Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion pairs debt below its peer median with earnings beyond the model’s expectation. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $24,250. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $25,000, and the university’s figure is below it by $750. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $18,916 more than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is a modeled comparison. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $22,866. Across family-income bands, average net prices are $19,793 in the lowest band, $14,896 in the next band, $18,313 in the middle band, $22,336 in the upper-middle band, and $27,265 in the highest band. Aid covers about 49% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Debt below peers and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$4,061 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$14,855 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$18,916 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/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/outcomes/) 03 / Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion briefing ## [Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion acceptance rate & admissions](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion admitted 88.9% of applicants in its reported pool, so the published outcome shows broad admission rather than a narrow intake. That rate sits above the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 88.9% **Approximate lower endpoint** 960 **Reported average** 1082 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1180 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/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/admissions/) 04 / Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion?](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion, the program picture separates higher-earning nursing and business fields from more moderate teacher education and psychology fields four years after completion. Nursing had median earnings of $84,157 and 133 degrees awarded, making it the largest of these programs. Business Administration and Management recorded $75,533 with 47 degrees awarded. At the more moderate end, Teacher Education posted $47,578 across 52 degrees awarded, while Psychology had $43,781 and 39 degrees awarded. The spread shows that four-year earnings vary substantially by field at the university. Program earnings vary widely at Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion, with 16 bachelor’s fields carrying published earnings data. Nursing is the largest listed field, with 133 degrees awarded and median earnings of $84,157 four years after completion. Business Administration and Management awarded 47 degrees and shows $75,533 at the same point. The degree mix at Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion is anchored in professional preparation, with Health Professions accounting for 23.9% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Business at 14.8% and Education at 13.7%. The university has 16 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Nursing, at 133 degrees awarded, with Teacher Education next at 52 degrees awarded and Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries at 49 degrees awarded. Nursing is also the highest-earning program, with a median of $84,157 four years after completion. Business Administration and Management follows at $75,533, with a benchmark ratio of 1.11x against the national median for its field, from 47 degrees awarded. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, a much smaller program at 12 degrees awarded, reports median earnings of $71,669 and a benchmark ratio of 1.13x. Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences has median earnings of $70,907 four years after completion from 22 degrees awarded. Strength is concentrated in the largest program: Nursing dominates both in size and in earnings. The next-highest earners include business, communication and health-related fields that sit above the national median for their fields. Some of the largest programs outside of health and business carry lower earnings, which is consistent with fields where graduate study often shapes the longer-term trajectory. 12.0% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 133 degrees awarded** $84,157 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 52 degrees awarded** $47,578 **Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries 49 degrees awarded** $45,693 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 47 degrees awarded** $75,533 **Psychology, General 39 degrees awarded** $43,781 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas 35 degrees awarded** $48,661 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/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/majors/) 05 / Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion briefing ## How does Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion serve students from different backgrounds? The mobility picture combines strong modeled earnings with a large completion difference between Pell recipients and the overall first-time full-time cohort. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 66.7%, compared with 42.4% for Pell recipients, below the overall rate by 24.3 percentage points. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 11th percentile. [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 95th percentile. Graduates earn about $18,916 more than the model expects for similar students. The earnings result and completion figures point in different directions. Admission is available to 88.9% of applicants at Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion, a private nonprofit university in Marion, Indiana. Its undergraduate enrollment is 1,974 undergraduates. Pell Grants go to 27.1% of undergraduates, and the estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group is 13.0%. Azimuth assigns the access pillar to the 15th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The admission, Pell Grant, and transfer figures describe different routes into a relatively small undergraduate population. 06 / Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion?](/school/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/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/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion. Admissions peerIndiana University-South Bend83.8% admitted+ Comparison with Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Measure | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Indiana University-South Bend | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $68,838 | $55,103\-$13,735 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | | Average annual net price | $22,866 | $8,653\-$14,213 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion · lower cost | | Admission rate | 88.9% | 83.8% | [Explore Indiana University-South Bend →](/school/indiana-university-south-bend/) Higher-admission alternativeAmerican International College99.6% admitted+ Comparison with Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Measure | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | American International College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $68,838 | $71,565+$2,727 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | | Average annual net price | $22,866 | $23,274+$408 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion · higher cost | | Admission rate | 88.9% | 99.6% | Nearby alternativeSaint Mary's CollegeNearby option · IN+ Comparison with Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Measure | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Saint Mary's College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $68,838 | $69,406+$568 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | | Average annual net price | $22,866 | $25,292+$2,426 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion · higher cost | | Admission rate | 88.9% | 76.0% | [Explore Saint Mary's College →](/school/saint-marys-college/) Higher-earnings alternativeMolloy University$96,058 earnings+ Comparison with Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Measure | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Molloy University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $68,838 | $96,058+$27,220 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | | Average annual net price | $22,866 | $24,347+$1,481 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion · higher cost | | Admission rate | 88.9% | 81.7% | [Explore Molloy University →](/school/molloy-university/) Lower-cost alternativeIndiana University-Indianapolis$11,668 average net price+ Comparison with Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Measure | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Indiana University-Indianapolis | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $68,838 | $64,616\-$4,222 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | | Average annual net price | $22,866 | $11,668\-$11,198 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion · lower cost | | Admission rate | 88.9% | 76.4% | [Explore Indiana University-Indianapolis →](/school/indiana-university-indianapolis/) Similar profileNorthwood UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Measure | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Northwood University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $68,838 | $67,409\-$1,429 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | | Average annual net price | $22,866 | $27,232+$4,366 vs Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion · higher cost | | Admission rate | 88.9% | 64.5% | 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/indiana-wesleyan-university-marion/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/)