1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Lamar University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Lamar University TX · Medium public institution · Overall rank #159 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/lamar-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/lamar-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/lamar-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/lamar-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/lamar-university/similar/) ## An Azimuth school in the 89th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Lamar University is a public university in Beaumont, Texas, where affordability is the strongest pillar and the degree mix is led by Business and Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies. 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 earnings picture is mixed: the typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools, yet return, though well above average, is the weakest of the four pillars. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, so the four-year figure captures most of the earnings story. Affordability is among the highest we track. Families at the bottom of the income scale pay well below the published cost, and the spread between the lowest and highest bands is modest. Pell students complete below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole, and access is well above average. The admission rate sits near the median for comparable schools. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are much smaller. Nursing and the engineering fields pay well above the university median, but they award far fewer degrees than Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies. ## Lamar University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 86.4% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 37.3% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $66,816 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $8,545 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $21,250 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $11,359 ## Lamar University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) In Beaumont, Texas, Lamar University enrolls 8,150 undergraduates as a public university. Its overall standing sits toward the upper end of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (89th percentile). 86.4% of applicants are admitted, a share that sits almost exactly at the peer median of 85.9%, the middle value for comparable institutions of the same type and size. After the first year, 61.9% of full-time bachelor's-seeking students at Lamar University return; the peer median for comparable institutions is 73.7%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 37.3%, while the median among comparable institutions is 49.1%. An estimated 35.1% of undergraduates arrive as transfers, so the six-year graduation rate covers only the first-time full-time cohort and leaves out a large share of the student body. Affordability is the strongest of the four pillars (91st percentile) and return is the weakest (76th percentile). Access and mobility fall between them, at the 84th and 79th percentiles. The pillars are spread across the upper third of the distribution, with cost measures ahead of earnings measures. Affordability is the clearest strength at Lamar University, landing in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth places access in the 84th percentile and mobility in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Return is the weakest pillar, at the 76th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. High affordability sits alongside solid access and mobility, even as return trails the other pillars. 46.5% of undergraduates at Lamar University receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access. Azimuth ranks Lamar University #242 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at a rate of 29.0%, which is 8.3 percentage points below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) (37.3%). Azimuth ranks the university #310 for mobility. Graduates earn about $11,623 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that coincides with the [access and mobility](/analysis/intro-to-college-azimuth-the-data-of-higher-education-in-illinois/) picture. [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/) Lamar University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #159 | | [Texas](/rankings/best-colleges-in-texas/) | #19 | | [South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/) | #53 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 79 **Access & reach** National percentile: 84 **[Affordability](/school/lamar-university/cost/)** National percentile: 91 **[Return on investment](/school/lamar-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 76 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians**#11** 2. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other**#44** 3. Chemical Engineering**#46** 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/lamar-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Lamar University briefing ## [Lamar University cost & financial aid](/school/lamar-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Lamar University lists a published cost of attendance of $22,254. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $7,785 and required fees of $3,109 for the 2026-27 academic year. Nonresidents face a published tuition of $19,935. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $9,366, which is $4,702 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 58% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Azimuth ranks the university #132 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Lamar University has a lower-cost profile for aid recipients, beginning with a published cost of attendance of $22,254. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $7,568 for the lowest-income band, $8,261 for the next band, $8,545 for the middle-income band, $13,689 for the band above that, and $16,292 for the highest-income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,724. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth places the university at #132 for affordability. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 58% of the published cost, with average aid savings of $12,888. That leaves an average net price across all aid recipients of $9,366. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068, and the university's average net price is $4,702 below it. The aid offset and lower peer comparison point in the same direction. Federal-loan borrowing is common among undergraduates, and borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $21,250. That is $21 above the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size); 82.1% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent borrowers have median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $11,359. 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**$8,545** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Lamar University Federal borrowing is common at Lamar University, where completers who borrowed have median federal student loan debt of $21,250. Compared with the $21,229 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size), Lamar’s median is $21 above the peer median. Separate parent borrowers have median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) debt of $11,359. The investment case at Lamar University rests on earnings that clear the model's bar by a wide margin and a debt load that is ordinary for its peer group. Four years after graduating, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $66,816, at the 70th percentile nationally. That is $9,515 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $11,623 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome at the 86th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $49,128 in a downside case to $94,884 in an upside case, with $66,816 as the typical scenario. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $21,250 in federal student loans, $21 above the peer median of $21,229. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 a month. The separate parent-borrower population has median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $11,359. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 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** $21,250 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $11,359 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $242/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $144/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=lamar-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/lamar-university/cost/) 02 / Lamar University briefing ## [Lamar University career outcomes & earnings](/school/lamar-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $66,816. That figure sits at the 70th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, and is $9,515 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $11,623 more than the model expects for similar students. That gap sits at the 86th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds $2,429. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $9,194. Azimuth places the return pillar at the 76th percentile. The earnings picture is above the national middle: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled at Lamar University earn a median of $66,816 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings median in the 70th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, using an earnings cohort of 2,753 completers. Completers earn about $11,623 more than the model expects for similar students four years after completion. The typical earnings scenario is $66,816, alongside a downside scenario of $49,128 and an upside scenario of $94,884. An estimated 26.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The median earnings and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction, while the scenarios show that program mix still matters. For federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, Lamar University shows earnings above both its comparable-school midpoint and the model’s expectation. Median earnings four years after completion are $66,816, in the 70th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301, and Lamar University stands above it by $9,515. Graduates earn about $11,623 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 86th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $2,429. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $9,194. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,999. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from a downside of $49,128 to an upside of $94,884. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 76th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The above-peer median and higher-than-expected earnings point the same way. Electrical Engineering heads the displayed program earnings: 31 degrees awarded and median earnings of $103,037 four years after completion, at 1.02x the national median for its field. Four years after completion, Chemical Engineering had 46 degrees awarded and median earnings of $101,018, at 1.03x the national median for its field. Mechanical Engineering recorded 66 degrees awarded and $97,159 in median earnings four years after completion, at 1.05x its field median. Nursing, with 169 degrees awarded, shows $93,709 in median earnings four years after completion and stands at 1.05x the national median for its field. The displayed programs sit above their field medians despite differing award counts. At Lamar University, earnings scenarios show a broad earnings range, from $49,128 in the downside scenario to $94,884 in the upside scenario four years after completion. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups, and published earnings cover 32 programs. The upper end includes Electrical Engineering at $103,037 four years after completion, Chemical Engineering at $101,018, and Mechanical Engineering at $97,159. Those program medians sit well above the downside scenario. For first-time full-time Title IV aid recipients on a public in-state basis, Lamar University has an average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, of $9,366. That is below the $14,068 peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $21,250, above the $21,229 peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate population, have median borrowing of $11,359. Completers earn about $11,623 more than the model expects for similar students four years after completion. Below-peer average price and higher-than-expected earnings point one way, while median borrower debt is above the peer median. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$2,429 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$9,194 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$11,623 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/lamar-university/outcomes/) 03 / Lamar University briefing ## [Lamar University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/lamar-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Admission at Lamar University was 86.4%, close to the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 7,452 first-year applicants and 6,229 admitted applicants. The rate summarizes a prior applicant cohort rather than predicting an individual admission decision. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 86.4% **25th percentile** 1060 **Median** 1130 **75th percentile** 1210 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/lamar-university/admissions/) 04 / Lamar University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Lamar University?](/school/lamar-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The highest-earning programs at Lamar University are concentrated in engineering, and they are not the largest by enrollment. Electrical Engineering graduates earn a median of $103,037 four years after completion, from 31 degrees awarded. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the program #65 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering follow, with medians of $101,018 and $97,159 and 46 and 66 degrees awarded, respectively. Nursing, the second-largest program at 169 degrees a year, also reaches the higher end at $93,709. The largest program, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, awards 258 degrees and posts a more moderate median of $54,116. Azimuth ranks it #44 nationally. The earnings picture is split: the biggest programs sit at the middle of the range, while the strongest returns come from smaller engineering fields. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 20 of the university's programs nationally, with earnings data available for 32 fields. The best-paid programs are in engineering, and the largest program by degrees awarded sits in a different family with lower earnings. Electrical Engineering leads at $103,037, with 31 degrees awarded and a national rank of #65. Chemical Engineering follows at $101,018 (46 degrees, ranked #46), and Mechanical Engineering at $97,159 (66 degrees, ranked #89). Nursing, the largest program on the list, awards 169 degrees, earns $93,709, and is ranked #107. The largest program by degrees is Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, with 258 degrees awarded and median earnings of $54,116. Azimuth ranks it #44 within its field. The spread between that figure and the engineering programs above is wide. Lamar University awards bachelor's degrees across 20 ranked programs, with earnings data published for 32. The degree mix is led by Business, which accounts for 16.6% of degrees awarded, closely followed by Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at 15.8% and Health Professions at 12.5%. The largest single program is Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, at 258 degrees awarded a year. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #44 nationally within its field and #13 in Texas. The highest-ranked program is Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians, which awards 46 degrees a year and places #3 in Texas within its field. Its graduates earn a median of $87,113 four years after completion. The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Electrical Engineering, with 31 degrees awarded and median earnings four years after completion of $103,037. Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median of $101,018 four years after completion from 46 degrees awarded, and Mechanical Engineering graduates earn $97,159 four years after completion from 66 degrees awarded. Nursing, the second-largest program, also appears among the top earners at $93,709. The pattern is one of strength concentrated in engineering and health fields, with the largest program by volume sitting outside the highest-earning group. 22.1% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings for fields where graduate study is common may understate later trajectories. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 258 degrees awarded** $54,116 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 169 degrees awarded** $93,709 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 99 degrees awarded** $54,509 **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 97 degrees awarded** $50,753 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 86 degrees awarded** $66,279 **Mechanical Engineering 66 degrees awarded** $97,159 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/lamar-university/majors/) 05 / Lamar University briefing ## How does Lamar University serve students from different backgrounds? At Lamar University, the mobility picture joins higher-than-expected earnings with completion rates that differ within the first-time full-time cohort. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 37.3%, while Pell recipients complete at 29.0%, below the overall rate by 8.3 percentage points. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,623 more than the model expects for similar students, placing [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) in the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings measure and mobility standing point in the same direction. Access at Lamar University includes a substantial Pell Grant presence: 46.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. The public university admits 86.4% of applicants and enrolls 8,150 undergraduates. An estimated 35.1% of undergraduates enter as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the university's access pillar in the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Broad admissions, Pell participation, and transfer entry all point toward multiple ways into the university. 06 / Lamar University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Lamar University?](/school/lamar-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/lamar-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Lamar University. Admissions peerUniversity of Houston-Clear Lake90.5% admitted+ Comparison with Lamar University | Measure | Lamar University | University of Houston-Clear Lake | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,816 | $59,865\-$6,951 vs Lamar University | | Average annual net price | $9,366 | $15,563+$6,197 vs Lamar University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 86.4% | 90.5% | [Explore University of Houston-Clear Lake →](/school/university-of-houston-clear-lake/) Higher-admission alternativeOklahoma Christian University96.5% admitted+ Comparison with Lamar University | Measure | Lamar University | Oklahoma Christian University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,816 | $67,575+$759 vs Lamar University | | Average annual net price | $9,366 | $21,872+$12,506 vs Lamar University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 86.4% | 96.5% | Nearby alternativeUniversity of HoustonNearby option · TX+ Comparison with Lamar University | Measure | Lamar University | University of Houston | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,816 | $68,091+$1,275 vs Lamar University | | Average annual net price | $9,366 | $14,276+$4,910 vs Lamar University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 86.4% | 73.9% | [Explore University of Houston →](/school/university-of-houston/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Brooklyn College$3,103 average net price+ Comparison with Lamar University | Measure | Lamar University | CUNY Brooklyn College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,816 | $62,833\-$3,983 vs Lamar University | | Average annual net price | $9,366 | $3,103\-$6,263 vs Lamar University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 86.4% | 58.4% | [Explore CUNY Brooklyn College →](/school/cuny-brooklyn-college/) Similar profileThe University of Texas at TylerMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Lamar University | Measure | Lamar University | The University of Texas at Tyler | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,816 | $68,633+$1,817 vs Lamar University | | Average annual net price | $9,366 | $13,323+$3,957 vs Lamar University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 86.4% | 94.0% | [Explore The University of Texas at Tyler →](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-tyler/) 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/lamar-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 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/)