1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Molloy University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Molloy University NY · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #212 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/molloy-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/molloy-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/molloy-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/molloy-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/molloy-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Molloy University #212 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Molloy University is a private nonprofit university in Rockville Centre, New York, where Health Professions accounts for the majority of degrees awarded. Return is among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns above the median at comparable institutions. The model attributes more of that gain to a remainder it does not explain than to the factors it measures, while the STEM component subtracts from the measured factors. Affordability is below the levels seen at many peers, and the spread between what the lowest and highest income bands pay is modest. Pell students complete within a few points of the overall rate, and access is above average while mobility is around the average. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to the health professions should know that the largest program is also the best-paid one. ## Molloy University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 81.7% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 69.9% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $96,058 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $22,739 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $27,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $39,248 ## Molloy University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Molloy University is a private nonprofit university in Rockville Centre, New York, enrolling 3,162 undergraduates. The composite sits near the top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with return as the strongest pillar and affordability the weakest. The university admits 81.7% of applicants, a rate above the 71.2% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 85.2% return for a second year and 69.9% finish within six years. Those figures run ahead of the peer medians of 83.4% and 68.8%, though the six-year rate counts only first-time, full-time students. An estimated 30.9% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students. The four pillars sit far apart. Return is the outlier, while access and mobility sit near the middle of the field. Affordability is the weakest, creating a wide spread between the strongest and weakest dimensions of the composite. Molloy University's return pillar is its standout, landing in the 98th percentile among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $31,176 more than the model expects for similar students, which coincides with that high placement. The other pillars are more mixed. Access sits in the 56th percentile and mobility in the 54th percentile, while affordability is the weakest, in the 21st percentile. A strong earnings profile alongside a below-average affordability score means the return on investment is high, but the cost and debt picture requires a closer look. Pell Grants reach 33.7% of undergraduates. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 1,088 and 1,290. The middle 50% of submitted ACT scores fell between 22 and 28. Among Pell recipients, 66.4% finish within six years. That trails the overall cohort rate (69.9%) by 3.5 percentage points. Azimuth ranks the university #645 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #672 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Completers earn about $31,176 more than the model expects for similar students. [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/) Molloy University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #212 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 54 **Access & reach** National percentile: 56 **[Affordability](/school/molloy-university/cost/)** National percentile: 21 **[Return on investment](/school/molloy-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 98 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing**#16** 2. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities**#19** 3. Accounting and Related Services**#78** 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/molloy-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Molloy University briefing ## [Molloy University cost & financial aid](/school/molloy-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published cost of attendance at Molloy University is $50,720, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $39,790, and room and board are $18,800. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what students pay after grants and scholarships, is $24,347, meaning aid lowers the sticker price by $26,373 on average. That average net price is $3,024 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Azimuth ranks the university #1,114 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The affordability pillar sits at the 21st percentile, the weakest of the four pillars for Molloy University. Molloy University publishes a cost of attendance of $50,720, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $39,790 and room and board are $18,800. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $17,548. For families in the $48,001–$75,000 band it is $22,739, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $30,144. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,596. Azimuth ranks the university #1,114 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 52% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $26,373 that brings the average net price across all aid recipients to $24,347. That figure sits below the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $3,024. The published tuition and fees are the starting point before aid is applied. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, the median federal student debt is $27,000. That median runs above the peer median of $24,199 for comparable institutions by $2,801, and 92.2% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower figure, is $39,248. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 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**$22,739** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Molloy University Borrowing is widespread at Molloy University: 92.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. The median federal student debt among completers is $27,000. That median sits above the $24,199 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,801, a modest gap. For parents who borrow separately through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program, the median loan is $39,248. Return is Molloy University's strongest pillar, and the earnings figures show why. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $96,058, at the 96th percentile. That is $27,808 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $31,176 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome at the 99th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $54,172 in a downside case to $117,011 in an upside case, with $96,058 as the typical scenario. On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt at completion is $27,000, which is $2,801 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $39,248. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $307. [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** $27,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $39,248 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $307/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $499/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=molloy-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/molloy-university/cost/) 02 / Molloy University briefing ## [Molloy University career outcomes & earnings](/school/molloy-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Molloy University delivers strong earnings outcomes for graduates, with the return pillar in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $31,176 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 99th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,611. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $25,565. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $863. Four years after completion, completers earn a median of $96,058, in the 96th percentile nationally. That figure is above the peer median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $27,808. The combination of a large earnings advantage over the model and a wide lead over the peer median points to a strong return for graduates. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $96,058. That figure is drawn from an earnings cohort of 1,216 completers and places Molloy University in the 96th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $31,176 more than the model expects for similar students. That gap sits at the 99th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, show a downside of $54,172 and an upside of $117,011. An estimated 26.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Molloy University graduates earn a median of $96,058 four years after completion, placing the university in the 96th percentile nationally. That is $27,808 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #37 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $31,176 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 99th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,611. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $25,565. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $863. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from a downside of $54,172 to an upside of $117,011. An estimated 26.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings scenarios at Molloy University span from a downside of $54,172 to an upside of $117,011 four years after completion, with the typical scenario at $96,058. That range reflects the variation across the university's 14 programs with published earnings data. The highest-earning program, Nursing, reaches a median of $117,011. Several other programs also show strong outcomes: Allied Health Professions completers earn $111,267, and Accounting completers earn $92,683. The published cost of attendance is $50,720 (an average across living arrangements), but aid reduces the price for recipients. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $24,347, which is $3,024 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete leave with a median of $27,000 in federal student loans. That figure is $2,801 above the median for comparable institutions, which is $24,199, and corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $39,248. Graduates earn about $31,176 more than the model expects for similar students. A family weighing Molloy University should look closely at the net price for their income band and the debt figures alongside the earnings outcomes. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$5,611 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$25,565 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$31,176 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/molloy-university/outcomes/) 03 / Molloy University briefing ## [Molloy University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/molloy-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Molloy University, a private nonprofit university in Rockville Centre, New York, admits 81.7% of applicants. That is above the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 81.7% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1088 **Reported average** 1187 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1290 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/molloy-university/admissions/) 04 / Molloy University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Molloy University?](/school/molloy-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Molloy University awards bachelor's degrees across 14 fields with published four-year earnings, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 8 of them nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings spread is anchored by Nursing, the university's largest program, where completers earn a median of $117,011 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks the program #16 nationally (#3 in New York) on 489 degrees awarded. Allied Health Professions follows at $111,267 with 13 degrees awarded. Among the larger programs, Special Education and Teaching reaches $71,781 on 32 degrees awarded. Business Administration and Management reports $66,051 and an Azimuth national rank of #264 on 28 degrees awarded. The health-professions cluster reports higher median earnings than the business and education programs shown. Molloy University publishes earnings data for 14 bachelor's programs, 8 of which hold an Azimuth national rank. The university awards most of its degrees in health professions, and the largest program, Nursing, accounts for 489 degrees awarded. It ranks #16 nationally and #3 in New York, with a median of $117,011 four years after completion. The next-largest programs with published earnings are Criminal Justice (34 degrees awarded, median $52,820), Special Education and Teaching (32 degrees awarded, median $71,781), Business Administration and Management (28 degrees awarded, median $66,051), and Liberal Arts and General Studies (26 degrees awarded, median $71,097). The highest-earning program outside of nursing is Allied Health Professions, which awarded 13 degrees and shows a median of $111,267. The bachelor's degree mix at Molloy University is anchored in a single family: Health Professions accounts for 62.0% of degrees awarded, with Business a distant second at 9.8% and Education at 5.9%. The university has 8 ranked programs and 14 with published four-year earnings data. The largest program with published earnings is Nursing, at 489 degrees awarded, followed by Criminal Justice with 34 and Special Education and Teaching with 32. Nursing is also the highest-earning program, with a median of $117,011 four years after completion, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #3 in New York within its field. The program carries a benchmark ratio of 1.32x against the national median for its field. Allied Health Professions, a much smaller program at 13 degrees awarded, reports the second-highest earnings at $111,267. Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks #19 nationally within its field and #2 in New York. The program awards 26 degrees and reports median earnings of $71,097. The pattern is one of concentration: the largest program is also the highest-ranked and best-paid, and the health professions family dominates the degree count. 4.8% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields, so the earnings strength here runs through clinical programs rather than technical ones. Accounting ranks #78 nationally within its field with 24 degrees awarded and a median of $92,683 four years after completion. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 489 degrees awarded** $117,011 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 34 degrees awarded** $52,820 **Biology, General 33 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Special Education and Teaching 32 degrees awarded** $71,781 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 28 degrees awarded** $66,051 **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 26 degrees awarded** $71,097 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/molloy-university/majors/) 05 / Molloy University briefing ## How does Molloy University serve students from different backgrounds? The mobility pillar is 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 69.9%, while Pell recipients complete at 66.4%, a figure that sits below the overall rate by 3.5 percentage points. Graduates earn about $31,176 more than the model expects for similar students, placing the [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) measure in the 99th percentile. Molloy University, a private nonprofit university, admits 81.7% of those who apply, enrolling 3,162 undergraduates at its Rockville Centre, New York campus. The undergraduate population includes a 33.7% share of Pell Grant recipients, while an estimated 30.9% arrive as transfers or part-time students. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the access pillar sits in the 56th percentile. 06 / Molloy University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Molloy University?](/school/molloy-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/molloy-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Molloy University. Admissions peerDeSales University77.1% admitted+ Comparison with Molloy University | Measure | Molloy University | DeSales University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $96,058 | $74,078\-$21,980 vs Molloy University | | Average annual net price | $24,347 | $31,643+$7,296 vs Molloy University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 81.7% | 77.1% | [Explore DeSales University →](/school/desales-university/) Higher-admission alternativeOregon Institute of Technology95.0% admitted+ Comparison with Molloy University | Measure | Molloy University | Oregon Institute of Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $96,058 | $87,138\-$8,920 vs Molloy University | | Average annual net price | $24,347 | $15,706\-$8,641 vs Molloy University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 81.7% | 95.0% | [Explore Oregon Institute of Technology →](/school/oregon-institute-of-technology/) Nearby alternativeAdelphi UniversityNearby option · NY+ Comparison with Molloy University | Measure | Molloy University | Adelphi University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $96,058 | $83,002\-$13,056 vs Molloy University | | Average annual net price | $24,347 | $30,783+$6,436 vs Molloy University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 81.7% | 65.9% | [Explore Adelphi University →](/school/adelphi-university/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Bernard M Baruch College$3,033 average net price+ Comparison with Molloy University | Measure | Molloy University | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $96,058 | $82,748\-$13,310 vs Molloy University | | Average annual net price | $24,347 | $3,033\-$21,314 vs Molloy University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 81.7% | 47.5% | [Explore CUNY Bernard M Baruch College →](/school/cuny-bernard-m-baruch-college/) Similar profileMassachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Molloy University | Measure | Molloy University | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $96,058 | $93,192\-$2,866 vs Molloy University | | Average annual net price | $24,347 | $39,545+$15,198 vs Molloy University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 81.7% | 85.2% | [Explore Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences →](/school/massachusetts-college-of-pharmacy-and-health-sciences/) 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/molloy-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 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/)