1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Lindenwood University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Lindenwood University MO · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #781 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/lindenwood-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/lindenwood-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/lindenwood-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/lindenwood-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/lindenwood-university/similar/) ## Azimuth places Lindenwood University in the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Lindenwood University is a private nonprofit university in Saint Charles, Missouri, where Business is the largest program family. Access is above average, and mobility is below the levels seen at many peers. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns below the median at comparable schools. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds earnings, while the part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts them. Most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study, so the four-year figure captures most earners. Pell students complete within a few points of the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. What the typical aid recipient pays sits below the median at comparable institutions, and families at the bottom of the income scale pay well below the published cost. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are much smaller and concentrated in computing. ## Lindenwood University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 56.8% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 49.3% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $58,207 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $17,603 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $26,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $18,445 ## Lindenwood University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Lindenwood University is a private nonprofit university in Saint Charles, Missouri, enrolling 4,624 undergraduates. Its composite standing is near the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (47th percentile). The university is moderately selective, and its four pillars show a clear leader: access sits well above the rest, while mobility trails at the other end. Lindenwood University admits 56.8% of applicants, against a peer median of 71.2% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of full-time first-year students, 65.6% return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.4%. 49.3% finish within six years, against a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 53.4% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so a majority of entrants did not start here, and the six-year rate describes the first-time full-time minority. Access is the strongest pillar, while mobility is the weakest. Return and affordability sit between them. The gap between the strongest and weakest pillars is wide, and the composite sits near the middle of the four. Access is the clearest positive in the Azimuth profile for Lindenwood University, though mobility is the area that most limits the overall picture. Azimuth places the university's access pillar in the 71st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, return is in the 46th percentile and affordability in the 50th percentile. Mobility, the weakest pillar, is in the 22nd percentile, so the profile pairs comparatively stronger access with a lower mobility standing. 30.0% of undergraduates at Lindenwood University receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access that shapes the admitted-student profile at this private nonprofit university. Azimuth ranks Lindenwood University #427 for access among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The share of students receiving Pell Grants and the completion rate for those students give that standing its shape. They finish at 48.3%, a rate that sits below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) by 1.0 percentage points (49.3%). Azimuth ranks the university #1,145 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,001 less than the model expects for similar students, which is the gap between actual and expected earnings. [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/) Lindenwood University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #781 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 22 **Access & reach** National percentile: 71 **[Affordability](/school/lindenwood-university/cost/)** National percentile: 50 **[Return on investment](/school/lindenwood-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 46 01 / Lindenwood University briefing ## [Lindenwood University cost & financial aid](/school/lindenwood-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) For aid recipients, Lindenwood University costs less after aid than the published price suggests, though its affordability standing sits near the middle of Azimuth’s national set. The published cost of attendance is $35,436, including $21,600 in tuition and fees and $11,700 for room and board. Its average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $19,638, with aid reducing the published price by $15,798 on average. Comparable institutions (same type and size) have a peer median net price of $27,371; Lindenwood is below it by $7,733. Azimuth places affordability in the 50th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The below-peer net price and middle-range affordability percentile give a mixed cost picture. At Lindenwood University, the published cost of attendance is $35,436 before grants and scholarships change the bill for aid recipients. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,678 for the lowest family-income band, $14,701 for the lower-middle band, $17,603 for the middle band, $20,760 for the upper-middle band, and $23,821 for the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,143. Azimuth ranks the university #710 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 45% of the published cost, with average financial aid savings of $15,798 against the sticker price. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $19,638, which is $7,733 below the peer median of $27,371, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). Published tuition and fees are $21,600, and room and board are $11,700. The lower average price relative to comparable institutions sits alongside a substantial published charge before aid. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $26,000, and 93.2% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That median is $1,801 above the $24,199 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $295 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing among parent borrowers is $18,445. 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**$17,603** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Lindenwood University 93.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. For federal-loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $26,000. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median federal debt is $24,199, placing Lindenwood University $1,801 above it. Separate parent borrowers have median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $18,445. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 59% of graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $26,775 in cumulative principal per borrower. Those borrowers included 57% of graduates with federal loans averaging $20,134. They also included 15% of graduates with private loans averaging $26,787. The investment picture at Lindenwood University has tradeoffs in earnings and borrowing. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn median earnings of $58,207 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 44th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) is the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students. Those earnings show that graduates earn about $2,001 less than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places this measure in the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The downside, typical, and upside earnings scenarios are $44,482, $58,207, and $70,079. Median federal debt is $1,801 above the $24,199 peer median, at $26,000. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $295 a month if repaid over ten years. The scenario range sits alongside results that put both earnings expectations and borrowing in focus. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing at Lindenwood University is $18,445. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $295 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** $26,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $18,445 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $295/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $234/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=lindenwood-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/lindenwood-university/cost/) 02 / Lindenwood University briefing ## [Lindenwood University career outcomes & earnings](/school/lindenwood-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 $58,207. That places the university at the 44th percentile nationally, and it is $10,043 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $2,001 less than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 47th percentile. Azimuth places the university at the 46th percentile for return. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,412. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,413. Earnings at Lindenwood University sit below the peer median: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $58,207 four years after completion. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250, placing the university below it by $10,043. Azimuth places this earnings measure in the 44th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 2,089 completers. Earnings scenarios based on the program mix put the typical scenario at the reported median, with a downside scenario of $44,482 and an upside scenario of $70,079. [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, offer a second lens. Graduates earn about $2,001 less than the model expects for similar students. An estimated 25.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. Earnings fall below both the peer median and the model expectation. Return measures at Lindenwood University sit below key reference points. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $58,207 four years after completion, in the 44th percentile. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median, the middle value for those institutions, is $68,250, placing Lindenwood $10,043 below it. Graduates earn about $2,001 less than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 47th percentile. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from $44,482 in the downside scenario to $70,079 in the upside scenario, with the typical scenario matching the reported median. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,412. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $9,413. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,823. The peer comparison and model estimate both sit below their reference points. Computer Systems Analysis is the highest-earning field, with 6 degrees awarded and median earnings of $98,053 four years after completion. Health and Medical Administrative Services recorded 19 degrees awarded and median earnings of $69,956. The largest field, Business/Commerce, had 188 degrees awarded and median earnings of $63,524. These fields show a broad spread in earnings across the programs with the most visible outcomes. The modeled range tied to the program mix runs from a downside earnings scenario of $44,482 to an upside scenario of $70,079 four years after completion. These scenarios describe possible mixes of lower- and higher-earning fields, not observed groups of graduates. The field-level results span well beyond the central institutional result. Lindenwood University has an average net price of $19,638 for aid recipients. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is below the $27,371 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Across income bands, average net price is $15,678 for the lowest-income band, $14,701 for the next band, $17,603 for the middle band, $20,760 for the next-highest band, and $23,821 for the highest-income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,143. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $26,000. That is above the $24,199 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $295 a month if repaid over ten years. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, point the other way. Graduates earn about $2,001 less than the model expects for similar students. Lower net price sits alongside higher borrowing and earnings below the model. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$7,412 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$9,413 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$2,001 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/lindenwood-university/outcomes/) 03 / Lindenwood University briefing ## [Lindenwood University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/lindenwood-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) At Lindenwood University, 56.8% of applicants were admitted, a smaller share than the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In practice, that rate means admission was offered to a little more than half of that year’s applicant pool. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 5,660 first-year applicants, 3,394 admitted applicants, and 687 enrolled students. Admissions **Admission rate** 56.8% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/lindenwood-university/admissions/) 04 / Lindenwood University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Lindenwood University?](/school/lindenwood-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Lindenwood University shows a clear split between its higher-earning computing fields and several larger programs with more moderate earnings four years after completion. Computer Systems Analysis reports median earnings of $98,053 and 6 degrees awarded, while Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management records $89,675 across 24 degrees awarded. Among larger fields, Business/Commerce has median earnings of $63,524 with 188 degrees awarded. Psychology is at the more moderate end, with $46,138 and 61 degrees awarded. The contrast shows that the earnings picture depends substantially on field, including within programs with different award volumes. Business accounts for 29.8% of bachelor’s degrees awarded, making it the largest program family at Lindenwood University. Earnings differ widely across fields, so the largest family does not tell the whole return story. Among fields with published earnings, Computer Systems Analysis awarded 6 degrees and had median earnings of $98,053 four years after completion. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management awarded 24 degrees and shows $89,675, while Computer and Information Sciences awarded 28 degrees and shows $86,526. Health and Medical Administrative Services adds 19 degrees awarded and median earnings of $69,956. These fields sit well above the earnings shown in several of the university’s largest programs. The bachelor's degrees at Lindenwood University are anchored in Business, which accounts for 29.8% of degrees awarded. Parks, Recreation & Fitness is a distant second at 8.4%, followed closely by Computer & Information Sciences at 8.3%. The largest single program is Business/Commerce, with 188 degrees awarded, while Kinesiology and Physical Education and Criminal Justice follow at 92 and 71 degrees awarded. Across 22 programs with published four-year earnings data, the mix is concentrated in a few professional fields. The highest-earning program is a small one: Computer Systems Analysis graduates earn a median of $98,053 four years after completion, from 6 degrees awarded. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management is the next highest, with median earnings of $89,675 and 24 degrees awarded. Computer and Information Sciences follows at $86,526 from 28 degrees awarded. The largest program, Business/Commerce, reports median earnings of $63,524, which is below the national median for its field. The pattern is a university whose largest programs are not its best-paid ones. The Business family dominates the degree count, but the strongest earnings come from a handful of technology and health-related programs that award far fewer degrees. 21.0% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. A student drawn to the largest departments should know that the earnings picture shifts considerably toward the smaller, more technical programs. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business/Commerce, General 188 degrees awarded** $63,524 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 92 degrees awarded** $48,991 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 71 degrees awarded** $58,400 **Psychology, General 61 degrees awarded** $46,138 **Biology, General 42 degrees awarded** $50,669 **Computer Software and Media Applications 38 degrees awarded** $45,810 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/lindenwood-university/majors/) 05 / Lindenwood University briefing ## How does Lindenwood University serve students from different backgrounds? At Lindenwood University, the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 49.3%, and Pell recipients complete at 48.3%, below the overall rate by 1.0 percentage points. Graduates earn about $2,001 less than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, stand in the 47th percentile. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the mobility pillar falls in the 22nd percentile. Transfer entry is a conspicuous part of access at Lindenwood University, where an estimated 53.4% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students and 56.8% of applicants are admitted. Undergraduate enrollment is 4,624, with 30.0% receiving Pell Grants. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the access pillar sits in the 71st percentile. Those entry measures align with access being the university’s strongest pillar. 06 / Lindenwood University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Lindenwood University?](/school/lindenwood-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/lindenwood-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Lindenwood University. Admissions peerUniversity of Missouri-St Louis62.7% admitted+ Comparison with Lindenwood University | Measure | Lindenwood University | University of Missouri-St Louis | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,207 | $62,350+$4,143 vs Lindenwood University | | Average annual net price | $19,638 | $15,071\-$4,567 vs Lindenwood University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 56.8% | 62.7% | [Explore University of Missouri-St Louis →](/school/university-of-missouri-st-louis/) Higher-admission alternativeMcKendree University71.7% admitted+ Comparison with Lindenwood University | Measure | Lindenwood University | McKendree University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,207 | $60,630+$2,423 vs Lindenwood University | | Average annual net price | $19,638 | $24,717+$5,079 vs Lindenwood University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 56.8% | 71.7% | Nearby alternativeMissouri Baptist UniversityNearby option · MO+ Comparison with Lindenwood University | Measure | Lindenwood University | Missouri Baptist University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,207 | $52,550\-$5,657 vs Lindenwood University | | Average annual net price | $19,638 | $27,006+$7,368 vs Lindenwood University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 56.8% | 68.6% | Higher-earnings alternativeIllinois Institute of Technology$91,312 earnings+ Comparison with Lindenwood University | Measure | Lindenwood University | Illinois Institute of Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,207 | $91,312+$33,105 vs Lindenwood University | | Average annual net price | $19,638 | $18,425\-$1,213 vs Lindenwood University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 56.8% | 54.9% | [Explore Illinois Institute of Technology →](/school/illinois-institute-of-technology/) Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Illinois Springfield$9,833 average net price+ Comparison with Lindenwood University | Measure | Lindenwood University | University of Illinois Springfield | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,207 | $63,235+$5,028 vs Lindenwood University | | Average annual net price | $19,638 | $9,833\-$9,805 vs Lindenwood University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 56.8% | 85.9% | [Explore University of Illinois Springfield →](/school/university-of-illinois-springfield/) Similar profileCedarville UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Lindenwood University | Measure | Lindenwood University | Cedarville University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,207 | $60,679+$2,472 vs Lindenwood University | | Average annual net price | $19,638 | $24,468+$4,830 vs Lindenwood University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 56.8% | 65.3% | [Explore Cedarville University →](/school/cedarville-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/lindenwood-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/)