1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. North Carolina A & T State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # North Carolina A & T State University NC · Large public institution · Overall rank #141 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/similar/) ## Overall placement: #141 among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for North Carolina A & T State University is a public university in Greensboro, North Carolina, where the degree mix is led by Engineering and Business. Access is among the highest we track, the strongest of the four pillars. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds to expected earnings, while the part it attributes to a remainder it cannot explain subtracts from them. Most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study. Access is among the highest we track, while return is modestly below average. Students who arrive with Pell Grants finish below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions, and the degree mix leans toward engineering and business. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are much smaller technical fields, most in engineering. ## North Carolina A & T State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 49.9% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 57.2% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $56,996 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $11,973 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $27,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $20,004 ## North Carolina A & T State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) North Carolina A & T State University is a public university in Greensboro, North Carolina, enrolling 12,182 undergraduates. Its composite standing is in the top fifth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (90th percentile). The shape is a selective public campus where access is the strongest pillar and return the weakest, with mobility and affordability sitting between them. The university admits 49.9% of applicants, a rate well below the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 77.5% return for a second year and 57.2% finish within six years. Those figures sit below the peer medians of 83.1% and 65.0%. An estimated 20.6% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students. The four pillars sit far apart. Access and mobility score highest, while affordability is lower and return is the weakest of the four. The page that follows examines what that shape means for a student deciding whether the university is worth the cost. Access is the defining part of the profile: Azimuth places the university in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility follows at the 90th percentile, while affordability stands at the 73rd percentile. Return is the weakest pillar, in the 35th percentile. High access and mobility sit alongside a less favorable return reading. The student body at North Carolina A & T State University draws heavily from federal Pell Grant recipients, who make up 52.3% of all undergraduates. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth ranks the university #34 for access. Pell recipients complete at 49.1%, a figure that is 8.1 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (57.2%). Azimuth ranks the university #142 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,026 less 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/) North Carolina A & T State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #141 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 90 **Access & reach** National percentile: 98 **[Affordability](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 73 **[Return on investment](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 35 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Other**#4** 2. Architectural Engineering**#13** 3. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General**#19** 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/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / North Carolina A & T State University briefing ## [North Carolina A & T State University cost & financial aid](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) North Carolina A & T State University offers a comparatively lower average price after aid, even though its published cost of attendance is $20,427. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $10,846, and average aid savings against the published cost are $9,581. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $3,540 for the 2025-26 academic year. Out-of-state tuition was $17,050, with required fees of $3,193. On-campus food and housing carried a sticker charge of $8,397. That average net price is $4,788 below the $15,634 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The lower average price relative to peers and the affordability standing point in the same direction. The published cost of attendance at North Carolina A & T State University is $20,427. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $8,223 in the lowest family-income band, $9,462 in the next band, $11,973 in the middle band, $16,454 in the next-highest band, and $17,311 in the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,088. Azimuth ranks the university #380 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 47% of the published cost, a savings of $9,581. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $10,846, compared with a peer median of $15,634, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). That average sits $4,788 below the peer figure, so aid recipients face a lower average price than at comparable institutions. Federal student loan borrowers who complete have median debt of $27,000, and 92.9% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The peer median federal debt at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $20,076, placing the university $6,924 above that level. 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 for parent borrowers is $20,004. 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**$11,973** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at North Carolina A & T State University Borrowing is widespread at North Carolina A & T State University, where 92.9% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among federal-loan borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $27,000. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $20,076, and this university’s median is $6,924 above it. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $20,004. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 70% of graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative amount of $28,012 per borrower. That group included 69% of graduates with federal loans averaging $21,869. It also included 12% of graduates with private loans averaging $38,600. A guarded investment picture emerges at North Carolina A & T State University from its earnings and borrowing figures. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $56,996 four years after completion. Azimuth places those earnings in the 39th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, provide a second measure. Graduates earn about $5,026 less than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places that measure in the 36th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The downside earnings scenario is $43,900 and the upside scenario is $93,798; the typical scenario matches the observed median. Median federal student loan debt is $27,000, $6,924 above the peer median of $20,076, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower-than-expected earnings and debt above the peer median point in the same direction. Parent borrowers have median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $20,004, a separate borrowing population from student borrowers. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 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** $27,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $20,004 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $307/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $254/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=north-carolina-a-t-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/cost/) 02 / North Carolina A & T State University briefing ## [North Carolina A & T State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Azimuth places the return pillar for North Carolina A & T State University at the 35th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $56,996, in the 39th percentile. That is $8,614 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $5,026 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 36th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,088. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $11,114. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,429. Among federally aided completers from North Carolina A & T State University who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $56,996 four years after completion. That amount is $8,614 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The earnings cohort includes 2,410 completers, and the measure sits in the 39th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,026 less than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) measure the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students. That result is in the 36th percentile. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix span from $43,900 on the downside to $93,798 on the upside, with $56,996 as the typical outcome. An estimated 25.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Access is the strongest Azimuth pillar for North Carolina A & T State University, whereas its return figures sit lower in the school profile. Median earnings are $56,996 four years after completion, in the 39th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610, leaving the university $8,614 below that figure. Graduates earn about $5,026 less than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 36th percentile. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 35th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $43,900 in the downside scenario to $93,798 in the upside scenario. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,088. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $11,114. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,429. The peer comparison and the model comparison use different reference points. Liberal Arts and General Studies is the largest program, with 162 degrees awarded and median earnings of $45,367 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #154 among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Computer Science awarded 57 degrees and has median earnings of $105,342; Azimuth ranks it #115 among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The largest program and the higher-earning fields named here show a broad range of program earnings. Outcomes differ sharply by field, as the program-mix model spans lower- and higher-earning scenarios. The downside earnings scenario is $43,900 and the upside scenario is $93,798, both modeled from the program mix rather than observed groups. Among programs, median earnings four years after completion are $109,537 in Chemical Engineering, $105,342 in Computer Science, and $98,567 in Computer Engineering. These program medians help explain the breadth of the modeled range. The cost-and-debt picture is mixed: average net price is below the peer median, but borrower debt is above its peer benchmark. At North Carolina A & T State University, the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $10,846. That is below the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $15,634 by $4,788. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $27,000. It is above the median at comparable institutions (same type and size) of $20,076 by $6,924. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $5,026 less than the model expects for similar students. The below-peer price and above-peer debt pull in opposite directions, alongside earnings below the model’s expectation. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$6,088 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$11,114 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$5,026 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/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / North Carolina A & T State University briefing ## [North Carolina A & T State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) North Carolina A & T State University admits 49.9% of applicants, a rate below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 36,499 first-year applicants and 18,706 admitted applicants. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 49.9% **25th percentile** 1020 **Median** 1100 **75th percentile** 1180 CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/admissions/) 04 / North Carolina A & T State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at North Carolina A & T State University?](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At North Carolina A & T State University, program choice separates technical fields with higher earnings four years after completion from larger programs at more moderate levels. Computer Science records median earnings of $105,342 and 57 degrees awarded; [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #115 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Industrial Engineering posts $93,183 with 43 degrees awarded and an Azimuth rank of #57 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Business Administration and Management has median earnings of $60,863 four years after completion across 117 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #285 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Kinesiology and Physical Education records $42,978 and 120 degrees awarded, with an Azimuth national field rank of #211. The figures show a clear difference between the higher-earning technical programs and these more moderate-earning large programs. North Carolina A & T State University has 27 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, and the strongest of them sit in engineering and technology fields. Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians ranks #4 in its field, with 22 degrees awarded and median earnings of $74,974 four years after completion. The highest-earning program is Chemical Engineering, at $109,537 four years out. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #25 nationally and #2 in North Carolina, with 33 degrees awarded a year. The largest program is Liberal Arts and General Studies, ranked #154 nationally and #5 in North Carolina, with 162 degrees awarded and median earnings of $45,367. Psychology and Communication and Media Studies follow, at 157 and 145 degrees respectively. The best-paid programs are concentrated in engineering, while the largest programs sit in the liberal arts and social sciences. North Carolina A & T State University awards bachelor's degrees across 27 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 35 with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is led by Engineering, which accounts for 15.8% of degrees awarded, followed by Business at 11.7% and Liberal Arts & General Studies at 7.9%. The largest single programs are Liberal Arts and General Studies at 162 degrees awarded, Psychology at 157, and Communication and Media Studies at 145. The highest-ranked program is Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, which [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) #2 in North Carolina within its field. It awards 22 degrees a year and graduates earn a median of $74,974 four years after completion. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences is another highly ranked program, at #19 nationally within its field, with 24 degrees awarded and median earnings of $43,937. The highest-earning programs are in engineering. Chemical Engineering leads at $109,537, from 33 degrees awarded, and Computer Science follows at $105,342 with 57 degrees awarded. Industrial Engineering, which also appears among the top-ranked programs, earns $93,183 from 43 degrees awarded and ranks #57 nationally and #2 in North Carolina within its field. The pattern is one of concentrated strength in applied and technical fields. The highest-ranked and highest-earning programs sit in engineering and industrial technologies, while the largest programs by degrees awarded are in liberal arts and social sciences. Across all fields, 30.7% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 162 degrees awarded** $45,367 **Psychology, General 157 degrees awarded** $45,215 **Communication and Media Studies 145 degrees awarded** $48,804 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 120 degrees awarded** $42,978 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 117 degrees awarded** $60,863 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 110 degrees awarded** $51,474 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/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/majors/) 05 / North Carolina A & T State University briefing ## How does North Carolina A & T State University serve students from different backgrounds? North Carolina A & T State University pairs solid completion with weaker [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). In the first-time full-time cohort, the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 57.2%, compared with 49.1% for Pell recipients, below the overall rate by 8.1 percentage points. Azimuth puts its mobility pillar in the 90th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between graduate earnings and the model’s expectation for similar students, are less favorable: Graduates earn about $5,026 less than the model expects for similar students. That measure stands in the 36th percentile, so the completion picture and earnings measure point in different directions. Access is the clearest strength at North Carolina A & T State University, where 49.9% of applicants are admitted. The university enrolls 12,182 undergraduates; 52.3% receive Pell Grants, and the estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group is 20.6%. Azimuth puts the access pillar in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell participation, transfer entry, and undergraduate enrollment show that access reaches students through more than one path. 06 / North Carolina A & T State University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to North Carolina A & T State University?](/school/north-carolina-a-t-state-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/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with North Carolina A & T State University. Admissions peerUniversity of Lynchburg43.0% admitted+ Comparison with North Carolina A & T State University | Measure | North Carolina A & T State University | University of Lynchburg | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,996 | $60,701+$3,705 vs North Carolina A & T State University | | Average annual net price | $10,846 | $22,235+$11,389 vs North Carolina A & T State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 49.9% | 43.0% | Higher-admission alternativePfeiffer University96.0% admitted+ Comparison with North Carolina A & T State University | Measure | North Carolina A & T State University | Pfeiffer University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,996 | $57,619+$623 vs North Carolina A & T State University | | Average annual net price | $10,846 | $19,076+$8,230 vs North Carolina A & T State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 49.9% | 96.0% | Nearby alternativeWinston-Salem State UniversityNearby option · NC+ Comparison with North Carolina A & T State University | Measure | North Carolina A & T State University | Winston-Salem State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,996 | $56,396\-$600 vs North Carolina A & T State University | | Average annual net price | $10,846 | $13,479+$2,633 vs North Carolina A & T State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 49.9% | 78.3% | [Explore Winston-Salem State University →](/school/winston-salem-state-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeFlorida Polytechnic University$86,952 earnings+ Comparison with North Carolina A & T State University | Measure | North Carolina A & T State University | Florida Polytechnic University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,996 | $86,952+$29,956 vs North Carolina A & T State University | | Average annual net price | $10,846 | $11,853+$1,007 vs North Carolina A & T State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 49.9% | 57.5% | [Explore Florida Polytechnic University →](/school/florida-polytechnic-university/) Lower-cost alternativeFayetteville State University$7,892 average net price+ Comparison with North Carolina A & T State University | Measure | North Carolina A & T State University | Fayetteville State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,996 | $51,687\-$5,309 vs North Carolina A & T State University | | Average annual net price | $10,846 | $7,892\-$2,954 vs North Carolina A & T State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 49.9% | 82.2% | [Explore Fayetteville State University →](/school/fayetteville-state-university/) Similar profileUniversity of MemphisMatched across several measures+ Comparison with North Carolina A & T State University | Measure | North Carolina A & T State University | University of Memphis | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $56,996 | $57,507+$511 vs North Carolina A & T State University | | Average annual net price | $10,846 | $12,397+$1,551 vs North Carolina A & T State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 49.9% | 72.0% | [Explore University of Memphis →](/school/university-of-memphis/) 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/north-carolina-a-t-state-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)