1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Lewis University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Lewis University IL · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #629 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/lewis-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/lewis-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/lewis-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/lewis-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/lewis-university/similar/) ## Azimuth places Lewis University in the 57th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Lewis University is a private nonprofit university in Romeoville, Illinois, where Business, Security & Protective Services, and Health Professions account for the largest shares of degrees. Affordability is above average, while mobility is below the levels seen at many peers. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes that gain to the factors it measures, and that part adds to expected earnings, while the remainder it cannot explain subtracts from them. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, so the four-year earnings figure captures the bulk of early outcomes. Low-income families pay well below the published cost, while high-income families also pay below the published cost, though substantially more than low-income families do. Pell students complete below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. The admission rate is within a few points of the median for comparable schools. The largest program is not the best-paid one, so a student drawn to a particular field should know that earnings vary by program. ## Lewis University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 71.3% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 66.6% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $66,586 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $12,178 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $21,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $23,044 ## Lewis University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Lewis University, a private nonprofit university in Romeoville, Illinois, enrolls 4,015 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. The admission rate is 71.3%, against a peer median — the middle value for comparable institutions of the same type and size — of 71.2%. Among full-time first-year students, 79.1% return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.4%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 66.6%, against a peer median of 68.8%. Because that rate counts only students who began as full-time freshmen, it does not reflect the experience of those who arrived as transfers. An estimated 52.6% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students. At Lewis University, affordability is the strongest pillar and mobility the weakest, with return and access between them. The four are spread across a wide range, with the three higher pillars grouped together well away from mobility near the bottom. Affordability is the clearest strength in Lewis University’s Azimuth profile, though mobility is a much weaker part of the picture. Azimuth places affordability in the 68th percentile and access in the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth puts return in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility, the weakest pillar, is in the 10th percentile. Pell Grants go to 32.6% of undergraduates at Lewis University. For enrolled students who submitted SAT scores, the middle 50% ranged from 960 to 1,210; those who submitted ACTs scored between 20 and 27. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth ranks Lewis University #505 for access. Pell recipients finish within six years at 36.5%, 30.1 percentage points below the rate for the cohort overall (66.6%). The access rank and the Pell completion gap point in different directions. Azimuth ranks it #1,321 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,363 more than the model expects for similar students. The earnings result and the mobility rank pull in opposite directions. [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/) Lewis University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #629 | | [Illinois](/rankings/best-colleges-in-illinois/) | #28 | | [Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/) | #133 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 10 **Access & reach** National percentile: 66 **[Affordability](/school/lewis-university/cost/)** National percentile: 68 **[Return on investment](/school/lewis-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 65 01 / Lewis University briefing ## [Lewis University cost & financial aid](/school/lewis-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) For aid recipients, Lewis University’s published price is reduced sharply by aid, leaving an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) that sits below comparable colleges. The standard cost of attendance is $47,313 (an average across living arrangements). On-campus published tuition and fees are $39,200, and room and board is $12,140. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $17,028, with average aid savings of $30,285 against the published cost. At comparable institutions of the same type and size, the peer median net price is $27,371; Lewis University’s figure is $10,343 below that benchmark. Azimuth places the university’s affordability pillar in the 68th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The lower average price and favorable peer comparison point in the same direction. At Lewis University, the published cost of attendance is $47,313 (an average across living arrangements), but aid recipients see lower average prices that vary by family income. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $10,382 in the lowest-income family-income band, $11,712 in the lower-middle family-income band, $12,178 in the middle family-income band, $19,908 in the upper-middle family-income band, and $25,035 in the highest-income family-income band. That span is $14,653, and Azimuth ranks Lewis University #453 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 64% of the published cost and offsets $30,285. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $17,028. Comparable institutions (same type and size) have a peer median net price of $27,371, making Lewis $10,343 below. Published tuition and fees are $39,200, and room and board are $12,140. Aid coverage and a below-peer net price point in the same direction. Federal borrowing is widespread: 91.0% of federal aid recipients borrow, and borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $21,500 at completion. The peer median debt at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $24,199, leaving Lewis $2,699 below. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. For [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers, median borrowing is $23,044. 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**$12,178** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Lewis University Borrowing is widespread at Lewis University, but typical federal debt at completion sits below that of comparable peers. Among completers who borrowed federal loans, median federal student loan debt is $21,500. Federal loans are used by 91.0% of federal aid recipients. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median federal debt is $24,199, placing the university's median $2,699 below it. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers are a separate parent-borrower population, with median borrowing of $23,044. The investment picture at Lewis University turns on two numbers that point the same way: graduates earn more than the model predicts, and they borrow less than the typical peer. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $66,586, at the 69th percentile nationally. That figure sits $1,664 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $2,363 more than the model expects for similar students. The gap lands at the 64th percentile nationally. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $51,589 in a downside case to $85,701 in an upside case, with a typical scenario of $66,586. Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $21,500 in federal student loans, which is $2,699 below the peer median of $24,199. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing stands at $23,044. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 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** $21,500 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $23,044 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $244/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $293/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=lewis-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/lewis-university/cost/) 02 / Lewis University briefing ## [Lewis University career outcomes & earnings](/school/lewis-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Lewis University has positive return figures. Federally aided completers working and not enrolled have median earnings of $66,586 four years after completion. Azimuth puts median earnings in the 69th percentile and the return pillar in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,363 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 64th 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 $5,041. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $2,678. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250; Lewis University is $1,664 below it. Above-peer and higher-than-expected earnings point the same way. At Lewis University, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $66,586 four years after completion. The measure covers an earnings cohort of 1,111 completers, and Azimuth places the result in the 69th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, provides a second view. Graduates earn about $2,363 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios based on the program mix place typical earnings at $66,586, with a downside scenario of $51,589 and an upside scenario of $85,701. An estimated 25.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The above-expected result sits alongside a modeled range across the program mix. At Lewis University, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $66,586 four years after completion, in the 69th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250, leaving the university $1,664 below it. Graduates earn about $2,363 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 64th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,041. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $2,678. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,279. Downside and upside earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix are $51,589 and $85,701. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Air Transportation is the highest-earning listed program, with 104 degrees awarded and median earnings of $87,197 four years after completion. That median is 1.02x of the national median for its field. Computer Science, the largest listed program with 114 degrees awarded, has median earnings of $82,159. The leading program figures show higher earnings across several sizable fields, though their comparisons with national field medians are not identical. Program choice marks a wide range in earnings at Lewis University. The downside earnings scenario is $51,589 and the upside scenario is $85,701; these are scenarios based on the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. Among higher-earning fields, Air Transportation has median earnings of $87,197 four years after completion, Management Information Systems and Services has $86,275, and Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management has $86,015. The modeled range and field-level medians show why the schoolwide figure needs program context. Affordability is the clearest part of the financial picture at Lewis University. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $17,028, which is below the $27,371 peer median by $10,343 at comparable institutions (same type and size). Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $21,500. That is below the $24,199 peer median by $2,699, and that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $2,363 more than the model expects for similar students. Lower net price and lower borrower debt point in the same direction as earnings above the model’s expectation. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$5,041 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$2,678 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$2,363 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/lewis-university/outcomes/) 03 / Lewis University briefing ## [Lewis University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/lewis-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) At Lewis University, the reported admission rate is 71.3%, which describes the share of the reported applicant pool admitted. For comparison, the relevant benchmark is the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 71.3% **Approximate lower endpoint** 960 **Reported average** 1096 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1210 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/lewis-university/admissions/) 04 / Lewis University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Lewis University?](/school/lewis-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Lewis University’s larger programs span clearly different earnings levels four years after completion. Air Transportation records median earnings of $87,197 with 104 degrees awarded, while Nursing records $85,320 across 111 degrees awarded. These are the higher-earning fields among the school’s largest programs. At a more moderate level, Business Administration and Management has median earnings of $71,987 four years after completion and 99 degrees awarded. Criminal Justice records $62,640 with 113 degrees awarded. The contrast shows that the earnings picture depends substantially on field, even among programs with similarly large numbers of degrees awarded. Business accounts for 18.7% of bachelor’s degrees awarded, but the largest fields show a wide range of earnings four years after completion. Business Administration and Management awarded 99 degrees, and its median was $71,987 four years after completion. The largest programs therefore include several fields with earnings above the schoolwide median. The degree mix at Lewis University is spread across several fields, with no single family dominating. Business accounts for 18.7% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Security & Protective Services at 12.4% and Health Professions at 11.2%. The university has 21 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest programs are closely clustered in size. Computer Science awards 114 degrees a year, with Criminal Justice at 113 and Nursing at 111. Air Transportation and Business Administration and Management round out the top five, at 104 and 99 degrees respectively. The highest-earning programs are a mix of large and small. Air Transportation, the fourth-largest program, reports the top median at $87,197 four years after completion. Two small technology programs follow: Management Information Systems and Services at $86,275 from 5 degrees awarded, and Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at $86,015 from 6 degrees. Nursing and Computer Science, the third- and first-largest programs, earn $85,320 and $82,159 respectively. Across all fields, 17.8% of degrees awarded are in STEM. The pattern is one of breadth rather than concentration. Five programs award close to a hundred degrees each. The highest earnings come from a field that is both large and well-paid. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Computer Science 114 degrees awarded** $82,159 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 113 degrees awarded** $62,640 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 111 degrees awarded** $85,320 **Air Transportation 104 degrees awarded** $87,197 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 99 degrees awarded** $71,987 **Psychology, General 69 degrees awarded** $52,029 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/lewis-university/majors/) 05 / Lewis University briefing ## How does Lewis University serve students from different backgrounds? Mobility outcomes at Lewis University are weak, with completion figures that pull against higher-than-expected earnings. For the first-time full-time cohort, the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 66.6%, while Pell recipients complete within six years at 36.5%, below the overall rate by 30.1 percentage points. Azimuth places the university's mobility pillar in the 10th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, offers a different measure. Graduates earn about $2,363 more than the model expects for similar students, placing that measure in the 64th percentile. The completion picture and modeled earnings point in different directions. Transfer entry is a prominent route into Lewis University, where the estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group is 52.6%. The university admits 71.3% of applicants and has 4,015 undergraduates. Pell Grant recipients represent 32.6% of undergraduates. Its access pillar sits in the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, placing admissions, transfer entry, and Pell participation in the same access profile. 06 / Lewis University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Lewis University?](/school/lewis-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/lewis-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Lewis University. Admissions peerNorth Park University68.5% admitted+ Comparison with Lewis University | Measure | Lewis University | North Park University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,586 | $65,399\-$1,187 vs Lewis University | | Average annual net price | $17,028 | $16,948\-$80 vs Lewis University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 71.3% | 68.5% | Higher-admission alternativeSaint Xavier University84.3% admitted+ Comparison with Lewis University | Measure | Lewis University | Saint Xavier University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,586 | $66,961+$375 vs Lewis University | | Average annual net price | $17,028 | $10,970\-$6,058 vs Lewis University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 71.3% | 84.3% | [Explore Saint Xavier University →](/school/saint-xavier-university/) Nearby alternativeSaint Xavier UniversityNearby option · IL+ Comparison with Lewis University | Measure | Lewis University | Saint Xavier University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,586 | $66,961+$375 vs Lewis University | | Average annual net price | $17,028 | $10,970\-$6,058 vs Lewis University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 71.3% | 84.3% | [Explore Saint Xavier University →](/school/saint-xavier-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeMissouri University of Science and Technology$93,514 earnings+ Comparison with Lewis University | Measure | Lewis University | Missouri University of Science and Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,586 | $93,514+$26,928 vs Lewis University | | Average annual net price | $17,028 | $16,298\-$730 vs Lewis University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 71.3% | 72.6% | [Explore Missouri University of Science and Technology →](/school/missouri-university-of-science-and-technology/) Lower-cost alternativeSaint Xavier University$10,970 average net price+ Comparison with Lewis University | Measure | Lewis University | Saint Xavier University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,586 | $66,961+$375 vs Lewis University | | Average annual net price | $17,028 | $10,970\-$6,058 vs Lewis University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 71.3% | 84.3% | [Explore Saint Xavier University →](/school/saint-xavier-university/) Similar profileAurora UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Lewis University | Measure | Lewis University | Aurora University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,586 | $64,521\-$2,065 vs Lewis University | | Average annual net price | $17,028 | $18,838+$1,810 vs Lewis University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 71.3% | 80.9% | [Explore Aurora University →](/school/aurora-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/lewis-university/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/)