1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Minnesota State University Moorhead Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Minnesota State University Moorhead MN · Medium public institution · Overall rank #715 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/admissions/)[Majors](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/similar/) ## Azimuth’s composite view: affordability anchors a mixed profile. ### Who it’s a good fit for Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public university in Moorhead, Minnesota, where Business and Health Professions lead the degree mix. Most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds, while the part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts. Affordability is above average, and the lowest and highest income bands pay different amounts. Pell students complete below the overall rate, and access is above average. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. A student considering the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are not the largest. ## Minnesota State University Moorhead at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 58.8% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 57.3% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $55,083 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $13,907 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $20,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $10,000 ## Minnesota State University Moorhead rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Minnesota State University Moorhead is a public university in Moorhead, Minnesota, enrolling 3,072 undergraduates. Its composite standing in the Azimuth ranking sits near the middle of the field among nonprofit four-year institutions. Minnesota State University Moorhead admits 58.8% of applicants, a rate that is well below the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 75.0% return for a second year, against a peer median of 73.7%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 57.3%, which sits above the peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 38.6% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, and the six-year rate describes the first-time, full-time cohort only. The four pillars are not tightly grouped. Affordability is the strongest and return is the weakest, with access and mobility sitting between them. It is a moderately selective public university where cost is the clearest strength and return is the weakest pillar. Affordability is the clearest strength for a cost-conscious reader at Minnesota State University Moorhead. Azimuth places affordability in the 74th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth places access in the 61st percentile and mobility in the 54th percentile. Return is the weakest pillar, at the 22nd percentile. The pillars are uneven: affordability and access stand well ahead of return, with mobility nearer the middle. The middle half of ACT results from enrolled students spanned 18 to 25. The campus draws undergraduates from across the economic spectrum, with 28.0% receiving Pell Grants, the financial-access measure Azimuth tracks. Azimuth ranks Minnesota State University Moorhead #566 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For those Pell recipients, the six-year completion rate is 49.5%, a figure that stands 7.8 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (57.3%). For mobility, Azimuth ranks the university #669 among nonprofit four-year institutions. That pillar weighs financial access alongside the earnings outcomes graduates experience. Graduates earn about $11,834 less than the model expects for similar students, a result that enters the mobility calculation alongside the access measures. [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/) Minnesota State University Moorhead rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #715 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 54 **Access & reach** National percentile: 61 **[Affordability](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/cost/)** National percentile: 74 **[Return on investment](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/outcomes/)** National percentile: 22 01 / Minnesota State University Moorhead briefing ## [Minnesota State University Moorhead cost & financial aid](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) At Minnesota State University Moorhead, aid recipients face an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, of $17,997. The published cost of attendance is $25,197, and average financial aid reduces that figure by $7,200. In-state tuition and fees are $10,428 and room and board are $10,994; out-of-state tuition and fees are also $10,428. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068, placing this average net price $3,929 above that benchmark. Azimuth places the university in the 74th percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid provides a clear reduction from the published cost, though the resulting average price remains above comparable institutions. Affordability is a relative strength at Minnesota State University Moorhead, where the published cost of attendance is $25,197. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $11,129 in the lowest family-income band; $11,547 in the lower-middle band; $13,907 in the middle band; $18,644 in the upper-middle band; and $22,420 in the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,291. Azimuth ranks the university #366 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 29% of the published cost, an average savings of $7,200. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $17,997. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068, and the university's average is $3,929 above it. Published in-state and out-of-state tuition are each $10,428, with room and board listed at $10,994. Aid reduces the published price, though the average net price remains above the comparable-school median. Federal borrowing is common among undergraduates, but the median debt at completion is below the comparable-school figure. Borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $20,000, and 92.0% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Comparable institutions (same type and size) have median federal debt of $21,229; the university's figure is $1,229 below that benchmark. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers have median borrowing of $10,000. 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**$13,907** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Minnesota State University Moorhead Federal borrowing is common at Minnesota State University Moorhead: 92.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and completing borrowers have median federal student loan debt of $20,000. That median sits below the $21,229 median at comparable institutions (same type and size), by $1,229. For the separate population of [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) parent borrowers, median borrowing is $10,000. Lower typical federal debt coincides with a high share of undergraduates using federal loans. Affordability is the stronger pillar at Minnesota State University Moorhead, while earnings provide a less favorable part of the investment picture. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings four years after completion are $55,083. Azimuth places those earnings in the 33rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,834 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, falls in the 14th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The program mix yields earnings scenarios rather than observed groups: a downside scenario of $44,539, a typical scenario matching the observed median, and an upside scenario of $76,306. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $20,000, which is $1,229 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower debt and below-expected earnings point in different directions. Family costs may involve both student and parent borrowing. The separate parent-borrower measure records median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $10,000. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 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** $20,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $10,000 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $227/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $127/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=minnesota-state-university-moorhead#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/cost/) 02 / Minnesota State University Moorhead briefing ## [Minnesota State University Moorhead career outcomes & earnings](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Return is the weaker part of the picture at Minnesota State University Moorhead, even though affordability is its strongest pillar. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 22nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,834 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, sit in the 14th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,082. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $15,916. Median earnings are $55,083 four years after completion, in the 33rd percentile. That is $2,218 below the peer median of $57,301 at comparable institutions, the middle value for institutions with the same type and size. Affordability is the stronger part of the picture at Minnesota State University Moorhead, while graduate earnings are less favorable. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled report median earnings of $55,083 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 33rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 1,305 completers. [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 negative here. Graduates earn about $11,834 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios run from a downside of $44,539 to an upside of $76,306, with the typical scenario matching the reported median. An estimated 26.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The scenario range shows varied modeled outcomes alongside below-expected earnings. At Minnesota State University Moorhead, the return picture sits below both the comparable-institution benchmark and the model expectation. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $55,083 four years after completion, in the 33rd percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301, with the university's figure $2,218 below it. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sit in the 14th percentile. Graduates earn about $11,834 less than the model expects for similar students. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,082. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $15,916. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $74. Azimuth places the university's return pillar in the 22nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Downside and upside earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from $44,539 to $76,306 four years after completion. Program results vary across the fields with the largest award counts and the highest earnings. Construction Management is the highest-earning listed field, with 21 degrees awarded and median earnings of $93,431 four years after completion. Nursing awarded 85 degrees and reached $86,563, while Business Administration and Management awarded 141 degrees and reached $64,466. Teacher Education had 86 degrees awarded and median earnings of $45,142. These field-level figures show why the school-wide median does not describe every program equally. Earnings vary across fields, so the model offers a range rather than a single outcome. Its downside earnings scenario is $44,539, compared with $55,083 in the typical scenario and $76,306 in the upside scenario. Across 23 programs with published earnings data, Construction Management shows median earnings of $93,431 four years after completion, Nursing shows $86,563, and Information Science/Studies shows $74,016. These field figures show why the schoolwide median cannot describe every outcome. At Minnesota State University Moorhead, lower borrowing offers a partial counterweight to a weaker return picture. Borrowers who completed with federal loans had median federal student loan debt of $20,000, below the $21,229 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month if repaid over ten years. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $17,997. Aid covers about 29% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. For [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, graduates earn about $11,834 less than the model expects for similar students. Parent borrowers using Parent PLUS, a separate population, had median borrowing of $10,000. Lower debt and lower-than-expected earnings pull in different directions. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$4,082 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$15,916 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$11,834 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/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/outcomes/) 03 / Minnesota State University Moorhead briefing ## [Minnesota State University Moorhead acceptance rate & admissions](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) For the reported entering class, Minnesota State University Moorhead had an admission rate of 58.8%, meaning the university admitted that share of applicants. This was below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The reported rate describes the outcome for that applicant pool, rather than any individual applicant's odds. Admissions **Admission rate** 58.8% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/admissions/) 04 / Minnesota State University Moorhead briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Minnesota State University Moorhead?](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At Minnesota State University Moorhead, program-level earnings vary enough that a schoolwide figure can obscure the difference between higher- and moderate-earning fields. Construction Management posts median earnings of $93,431 four years after completion, alongside 21 degrees awarded. Nursing follows with $86,563 and 85 degrees awarded. The larger programs show a different middle range. Business Administration and Management records $64,466 in median earnings four years after completion and 141 degrees awarded, while Teacher Education records $45,142 and 86 degrees awarded. The spread across these fields makes program choice central to reading the return picture. Program-level figures show that outcomes differ across fields, so the collegewide earnings number is only a starting point. The published medians below are for completers four years after completion and pair each field’s earnings with degrees awarded in one academic year. The bachelor's degrees at Minnesota State University Moorhead concentrate in a few professional fields. Business accounts for 22.3% of degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 14.4% and Education at 12.2%. Across 23 programs with published four-year earnings data, the largest by degrees awarded is Business Administration and Management at 141 degrees awarded, with Teacher Education at 86 and Nursing at 85 close behind. The highest-earning program is a much smaller one: Construction Management graduates earn a median of $93,431 four years after completion, from 21 degrees awarded a year. Nursing, the third-largest program, is the second-highest-earning at $86,563. Information Science/Studies and Finance follow at $74,016 and $67,054, from 15 and 29 degrees awarded respectively. The pattern is a university whose largest programs sit in fields with moderate earnings, while the strongest payoffs come from smaller, applied programs. Business Administration and Management, the biggest program, earns a median of $64,466, well below the top earners, and Teacher Education graduates earn $45,142. Across all fields, 9.6% of degrees are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business Administration, Management and Operations 141 degrees awarded** $64,466 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 86 degrees awarded** $45,142 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 85 degrees awarded** $86,563 **Social Work 56 degrees awarded** $50,419 **Psychology, General 45 degrees awarded** $49,492 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 42 degrees awarded** $55,577 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/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/majors/) 05 / Minnesota State University Moorhead briefing ## How does Minnesota State University Moorhead serve students from different backgrounds? Affordability is the university's strongest pillar, while mobility presents a mixed picture of completion and modeled earnings. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 57.3%, and Pell recipients complete at 49.5%, below the overall rate by 7.8 percentage points. Graduates earn about $11,834 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, sits in the 14th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Access is one of the university's stronger pillars, combining admissions, Pell Grant representation, and transfer entry. Minnesota State University Moorhead admits 58.8% of applicants and enrolls 3,072 undergraduates, with 28.0% receiving Pell Grants. An estimated 38.6% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places its access pillar in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. This access standing sits above the middle of nonprofit four-year institutions. 06 / Minnesota State University Moorhead briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Minnesota State University Moorhead?](/school/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/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/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Minnesota State University Moorhead. Admissions peerBemidji State University56.0% admitted+ Comparison with Minnesota State University Moorhead | Measure | Minnesota State University Moorhead | Bemidji State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $55,083 | $60,307+$5,224 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead | | Average annual net price | $17,997 | $15,261\-$2,736 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead · lower cost | | Admission rate | 58.8% | 56.0% | [Explore Bemidji State University →](/school/bemidji-state-university/) Higher-admission alternativeUniversity of Jamestown88.1% admitted+ Comparison with Minnesota State University Moorhead | Measure | Minnesota State University Moorhead | University of Jamestown | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $55,083 | $59,388+$4,305 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead | | Average annual net price | $17,997 | $19,567+$1,570 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead · higher cost | | Admission rate | 58.8% | 88.1% | Nearby alternativeBemidji State UniversityNearby option · MN+ Comparison with Minnesota State University Moorhead | Measure | Minnesota State University Moorhead | Bemidji State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $55,083 | $60,307+$5,224 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead | | Average annual net price | $17,997 | $15,261\-$2,736 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead · lower cost | | Admission rate | 58.8% | 56.0% | [Explore Bemidji State University →](/school/bemidji-state-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeIllinois Institute of Technology$91,312 earnings+ Comparison with Minnesota State University Moorhead | Measure | Minnesota State University Moorhead | Illinois Institute of Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $55,083 | $91,312+$36,229 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead | | Average annual net price | $17,997 | $18,425+$428 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead · higher cost | | Admission rate | 58.8% | 54.9% | [Explore Illinois Institute of Technology →](/school/illinois-institute-of-technology/) Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Minnesota-Crookston$12,212 average net price+ Comparison with Minnesota State University Moorhead | Measure | Minnesota State University Moorhead | University of Minnesota-Crookston | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $55,083 | $62,786+$7,703 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead | | Average annual net price | $17,997 | $12,212\-$5,785 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead · lower cost | | Admission rate | 58.8% | 87.9% | Similar profileIndiana University-SoutheastMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Minnesota State University Moorhead | Measure | Minnesota State University Moorhead | Indiana University-Southeast | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $55,083 | $54,129\-$954 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead | | Average annual net price | $17,997 | $7,888\-$10,109 vs Minnesota State University Moorhead · lower cost | | Admission rate | 58.8% | 84.5% | [Explore Indiana University-Southeast →](/school/indiana-university-southeast/) 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/minnesota-state-university-moorhead/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/)