1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College LA · Large public institution · Overall rank #81 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/admissions/)[Majors](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/similar/) ## A public university with mobility in the 97th percentile. ### Who it’s a good fit for Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is a public university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where the degree mix leans toward Business, Engineering, and Education. Mobility is among the highest we track. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools. The model attributes an amount to the factors it measures and a subtracted amount to what it cannot explain. Pell recipients complete below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole, and access is well above average. The lowest income band pays well under the published cost, while the highest pays closer to it. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are in engineering, not education or communication. ## LSU at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 73.3% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 68.8% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $66,893 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $20,223 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $20,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $25,645 ## LSU rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is a public university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, enrolling 30,594 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits well above the median in the Azimuth ranking of 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions, with mobility as the standout pillar. The university admits 73.3% of applicants, a share that sits below the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of the first-time, full-time cohort, 84.7% return after the first year, above the median for those comparable institutions of 83.1%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 68.8%, also above the comparable median of 65.0%. An estimated 12.2% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so that graduation figure captures only the first-time, full-time cohort and not the entire student body. At Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College, the four pillars sit far apart. Mobility is the strongest (at the 97th percentile) and affordability the weakest (at the 62nd percentile). Access and return fall between those two, at the 84th and 72nd percentiles respectively. Azimuth places Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College's mobility pillar in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access pillar sits at the 84th percentile, and the return pillar at the 72nd percentile. Affordability is the weakest pillar, in the 62nd percentile. All four pillars land above the median for nonprofit four-year institutions. For enrolled students who submitted test scores, the middle half of SAT results spanned 1,180 to 1,340, and the middle half of ACT results spanned 24 to 30. 26.6% of undergraduates at this public university receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College #233 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those students complete at 61.0%, a rate that sits below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) by 7.8 percentage points (68.8% for the entering cohort as a whole). Azimuth ranks Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College #42 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $169 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. [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/) LSU rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #81 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 97 **Access & reach** National percentile: 84 **[Affordability](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/cost/)** National percentile: 62 **[Return on investment](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/outcomes/)** National percentile: 72 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Interior Architecture**#9** 2. Chemical Engineering**#9** 3. Petroleum Engineering**#9** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / LSU briefing ## [LSU cost & financial aid](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published cost of attendance at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is $34,705. In-state tuition and fees run $11,954, with room and board at $15,142; out-of-state students pay $28,631 in tuition and fees. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what families pay after grants and scholarships—is $19,151. That is $3,517 above the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). On average, aid covers about 45% of the sticker price. Azimuth ranks the university #532 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College publishes a cost of attendance of $34,705, with in-state tuition and fees of $11,954 and out-of-state tuition and fees of $28,631. For families earning under $30,000, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $13,056, while families in the $48,001–$75,000 band see an average of $20,223 and those earning over $110,000 face an average of $26,489. Azimuth ranks the university #532 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Financial aid reduces the sticker price by an average of $15,554, bringing the average net price across all aid recipients to $19,151. That figure runs above the median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $3,517. The published in-state tuition and fees are $11,954, while out-of-state students see a published charge of $28,631. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, the median federal student debt is $20,500. The median debt is above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size). About 79.9% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing stands at $25,645. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month if repaid over ten years. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$20,223** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at LSU About 79.9% of undergraduates at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College take federal student loans, and among those who complete a degree the median federal debt is $20,500. That median is above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parent borrowers carry a separate obligation: the median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan is $25,645. Azimuth ranks Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College #42 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions, the university's strongest pillar. At the four-year horizon, graduates who are working and not enrolled record median earnings of $66,893, a level in the 70th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $169 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level, an outcome in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios anchored to the program mix show a typical earnings level of $66,893, alongside a downside scenario of $47,915 and an upside scenario of $93,470. Borrowers who complete their degrees leave with a median federal debt of $20,500, a balance that is above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment is $233. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $25,645. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $233. [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** $20,500 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $25,645 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $233/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $326/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=louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/cost/) 02 / LSU briefing ## [LSU career outcomes & earnings](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College sits in the 72nd percentile for return. The university ranks in the 54th percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). Completers earn about $169 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Of that gap, the model attributes $11,853 to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market), a share that adds to expected earnings. The model attributes $12,022 to a remainder it does not explain, which subtracts. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,116. Median earnings of $66,893 four years after completion place the university in the 70th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Against comparable institutions (same type and size), that figure runs above the peer median of $65,610 by $1,283. Four years after completion, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College graduates in the earnings cohort of 4,835 federally aided completers earn a median of $66,893. That places the university in the 70th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median is above the $65,610 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,283. Graduates earn about $169 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Earnings scenarios, which reflect the university's program mix, show a typical outcome of $66,893, a downside of $47,915, and an upside of $93,470. An estimated 30.0% of programs' graduates continue to graduate study, a share derived from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $66,893. That is $1,283 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #405 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $169 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. That places the result in the 54th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $11,853. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $12,022. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,116. The program mix points to a wide earnings range. The downside scenario, estimated from lower-earning program clusters, is $47,915, while the upside scenario reaches $93,470. An estimated 30.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a wide range: $47,915 on the downside and $93,470 on the upside, with $66,893 as the typical scenario. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. At the higher end, Chemical Engineering graduates earn a median of $114,226 four years after completion, from 82 degrees awarded a year. Computer Engineering follows at $106,897, and Construction Management, a larger program at 232 degrees, reports $91,660. The spread between the downside scenario and the highest-earning programs shows how much the field of study can shift the earnings picture. Graduates of Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College earn about $169 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. The median federal student debt for borrowers who complete a degree is $20,500, which is above the median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment on that debt is $233. Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate population, carry a median of $25,645. The university's average net price of $19,151 sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price drops to $13,056, and the spread between the lowest and highest income bands is $13,433. Aid covers about 45% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. These debt and net price levels coincide with a mobility pillar that Azimuth places in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university's median earnings four years after completion run above the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions, by $1,283. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$11,853 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$12,022 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$169 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/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/outcomes/) 03 / LSU briefing ## [LSU acceptance rate & admissions](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College admitted 73.3% of applicants, a rate that sits below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 73.3% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1180 **Reported average** 1285 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1340 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/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/admissions/) 04 / LSU briefing ## [What are the largest majors at LSU?](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College fields 42 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, led by Chemical Engineering at #9 with 82 degrees awarded and median earnings of $114,226 four years after completion. Interior Architecture ranks #9 nationally, with median earnings of $58,518 on 35 degrees awarded. Among the largest programs, the spread is wide. Subject-Area Teacher Education awards 366 degrees, ranks #11 nationally, and shows median earnings of $61,045. Biology follows with 334 degrees awarded, a national rank of #178, and median earnings of $56,019. Communication and Media Studies awards 333 degrees, ranks #102 nationally, and reaches $55,245. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College offers 42 ranked bachelor's programs, with 48 programs reporting earnings data. The largest program, Subject-Area Teacher Education, awarded 366 degrees and ranks #11 nationally, with a median of $61,045 four years after completion. Construction Management ranks #10 nationally, with 232 degrees awarded and median earnings of $91,660. Petroleum Engineering ranks #9 nationally, with 45 degrees awarded and median earnings of $103,421. Interior Architecture ranks #9 nationally, with 35 degrees awarded and median earnings of $58,518. Subject-Area Teacher Education rounds out the top-ranked programs at #11 nationally, with 366 degrees awarded and median earnings of $61,045. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College awards bachelor's degrees across 42 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 48 with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is anchored by Business, which accounts for 21.6% of degrees awarded, followed by Engineering at 11.6% and Education at 8.8%. The largest single programs are Subject-Area Teacher Education at 366 degrees awarded, Biology at 334, and Communication and Media Studies at 333. Chemical Engineering is the highest-ranked program, with 82 degrees awarded and median earnings of $114,226 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #9 nationally within its field and #1 in Louisiana. Petroleum Engineering also ranks #9 nationally, with 45 degrees awarded and earnings of $103,421. The highest-earning program is Chemical Engineering, where graduates earn $114,226 four years out from 82 degrees awarded. Azimuth ranks it #9 within its field. Computer Engineering follows at $106,897, though it is a much smaller program at 22 degrees awarded. Subject-Area Teacher Education carries a benchmark ratio of 1.19x against the national median for its field, with earnings of $61,045. The program mix shows strength concentrated in engineering fields, where several programs rank in the top ten nationally. Across all fields, 22.8% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas 366 degrees awarded** $61,045 **Biology, General 334 degrees awarded** $56,019 **Communication and Media Studies 333 degrees awarded** $55,245 **Construction Management 232 degrees awarded** $91,660 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 221 degrees awarded** $64,590 **Psychology, General 199 degrees awarded** $51,675 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/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/majors/) 05 / LSU briefing ## How does LSU serve students from different backgrounds? Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the university ranks #42 for mobility. The mobility pillar sits in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the first-time full-time cohort, the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 68.8%; Pell recipients complete within six years at 61.0%, below the overall rate by 7.8 percentage points. Graduates earn about $169 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. That outcome corresponds to the 54th percentile. Azimuth places the access pillar of Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College in the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The public university admits 73.3% of applicants and enrolls 30,594 undergraduates. Pell Grant recipients make up 26.6% of the undergraduate body, and an estimated 12.2% are not first-time full-time students. 06 / LSU briefing ## [What colleges are similar to LSU?](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/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/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with LSU. Admissions peerThe University of Texas at Dallas65.1% admitted+ Comparison with LSU | Measure | LSU | The University of Texas at Dallas | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,893 | $76,497+$9,604 vs LSU | | Average annual net price | $19,151 | $18,267\-$884 vs LSU · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 65.1% | [Explore The University of Texas at Dallas →](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-dallas/) Higher-admission alternativeFranciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University98.7% admitted+ Comparison with LSU | Measure | LSU | Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,893 | $63,699\-$3,194 vs LSU | | Average annual net price | $19,151 | $18,552\-$599 vs LSU · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 98.7% | Nearby alternativeUniversity of New OrleansNearby option · LA+ Comparison with LSU | Measure | LSU | University of New Orleans | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,893 | $56,037\-$10,856 vs LSU | | Average annual net price | $19,151 | $12,384\-$6,767 vs LSU · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 74.3% | [Explore University of New Orleans →](/school/university-of-new-orleans/) Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Massachusetts-Lowell$81,163 earnings+ Comparison with LSU | Measure | LSU | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,893 | $81,163+$14,270 vs LSU | | Average annual net price | $19,151 | $17,163\-$1,988 vs LSU · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 83.0% | [Explore University of Massachusetts-Lowell →](/school/university-of-massachusetts-lowell/) Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette$13,530 average net price+ Comparison with LSU | Measure | LSU | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,893 | $58,638\-$8,255 vs LSU | | Average annual net price | $19,151 | $13,530\-$5,621 vs LSU · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 87.0% | [Explore University of Louisiana at Lafayette →](/school/university-of-louisiana-at-lafayette/) Similar profileTexas Tech UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with LSU | Measure | LSU | Texas Tech University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,893 | $66,144\-$749 vs LSU | | Average annual net price | $19,151 | $19,070\-$81 vs LSU · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.3% | 72.7% | [Explore Texas Tech University →](/school/texas-tech-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/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/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 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/)