1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Northeastern University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Northeastern University MA · Large private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #204 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/northeastern-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/northeastern-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/northeastern-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/northeastern-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/northeastern-university/similar/) ## An overall profile in the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, according to Azimuth. ### Who it’s a good fit for Northeastern University is a private nonprofit university in Boston, Massachusetts, whose degree mix is led by Business, Engineering, and Computer & Information Sciences. Return is among the highest we track. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes the gap to the factors it measures—field of study, enrollment and the local labor market—which adds, and to a remainder it does not explain, which subtracts. The typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools, so the raw and adjusted results pull in opposite directions. Affordability is below the levels seen at many peers, and the spread between the lowest and highest income bands is wide. The lowest-income band pays a fraction of the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it. Pell students complete at a rate well below the overall cohort, and mobility is above average. The admission rate is far below the median for comparable schools. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, and the highest-earning program is not the largest one. ## Northeastern at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 5.2% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 90.5% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $101,903 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $5,301 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $24,250 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $34,984 ## Northeastern rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Northeastern University is a private nonprofit university in Boston, Massachusetts, enrolling 17,326 undergraduates. Its composite standing is near the top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (86th percentile). The four pillars are spread wide: return is the strongest, while affordability is the weakest. The university admits 5.2% of applicants, a rate far below the 47.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 96.9% return for a second year and 90.5% finish within six years. Both figures run well above the medians for comparable institutions, which are 90.1% for retention and 80.0% for completion. An estimated 39.2% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students. The shape is a highly selective private university where return sits in the top decile and access is close behind (88th percentile). Mobility and affordability are the weaker pillars. The gap between the strongest and weakest pillar is the widest among the four. Return is the clearest strength in Northeastern University’s Azimuth profile, but affordability is its weak point for families comparing costs. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, return sits in the 95th percentile, making it the strongest pillar. Access is in the 88th percentile and mobility in the 61st percentile. Affordability is in the 15th percentile, the weakest of the four pillars. 12.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Northeastern University #174 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 60.5%, 30.0 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. Azimuth ranks the university #576 for mobility. Graduates earn about $3,343 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/) Northeastern rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #204 | | [Massachusetts](/rankings/best-colleges-in-massachusetts/) | #12 | | [Northeast](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-northeast/) | #48 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 61 **Access & reach** National percentile: 88 **[Affordability](/school/northeastern-university/cost/)** National percentile: 15 **[Return on investment](/school/northeastern-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 95 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration**#1** 2. Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions**#1** 3. Engineering, Other**#2** 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/northeastern-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Northeastern briefing ## [Northeastern cost & financial aid](/school/northeastern-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) For aid recipients, Northeastern University’s price after aid is far below its published annual cost. The published cost of attendance is $84,641, an average across living arrangements. On-campus tuition and fees are $66,162, and room and board is $19,580. Its average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $30,915. Financial aid lowers that published cost by $53,726 on average. That average net price is below the peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size), with a gap of $5,296. Azimuth ranks the university #1,208 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The average aid discount is substantial, but the affordability placement shows that cost remains a weaker part of the overall picture. At Northeastern University, the published cost of attendance is $84,641 (an average across living arrangements), and aid changes the picture substantially by family income. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $2,264 for the lowest family-income band, $2,436 for the lower-middle band, $5,301 for the middle band, $16,241 for the upper-middle band, and $47,696 for the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $45,432, and Azimuth ranks the university #1,208 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, financial aid savings against the sticker price average $53,726, with aid covering about 63% of the published cost. Across aid recipients, the average net price is $30,915; it is below the peer median of $36,211 at comparable institutions (same type and size), a difference of $5,296. Published tuition and fees are $66,162, while room and board are $19,580. Federal borrowing is widespread here: 91.6% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $24,250, above the $23,168 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size), with a difference of $1,082. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing among parent borrowers is $34,984. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 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**$5,301** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Northeastern Borrowing is widespread at Northeastern University, so federal debt at completion is relevant to many families. 91.6% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. For borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $24,250. The peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size) is the same, leaving the university's median above it by $1,082. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers are a separate parent-borrower population, with median debt of $34,984. The debt benchmark matches peers, even as federal borrowing reaches a large share of undergraduates. The return at Northeastern University is strong, but the cost side pulls the investment picture in two directions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $101,903, a figure in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,343 less than the model expects for similar students, an outcome that falls at the 42nd percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from $72,999 in a downside case to $142,144 in an upside case, with $101,903 as the typical outcome. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $24,250 in federal student loans, which is $1,082 above the $23,168 median for comparable institutions. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 a month if repaid over ten years. Federal borrowing figures separate student and parent borrowers. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $34,984. For student borrowers, median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 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** $24,250 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $34,984 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $276/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $444/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=northeastern-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/northeastern-university/cost/) 02 / Northeastern briefing ## [Northeastern career outcomes & earnings](/school/northeastern-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Northeastern University shows observed earnings alongside a modeled shortfall relative to expectations. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,343 less than the model expects for similar students, placing [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/)—the gap between graduate earnings and the model’s expectation for similar students—in the 42nd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $20,436. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $23,779. Median earnings are $101,903 four years after completion, in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That is $18,288 above the peer median of $83,615, the middle value for comparable institutions of the same type and size. The return picture is mixed: observed earnings sit above peers, while the model expects somewhat more. Four years after completing a degree, Northeastern University graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $101,903. Azimuth places that figure in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 4,671 completers. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show the range around that median. The typical earnings scenario equals the observed median, while the downside is $72,999 and the upside is $142,144. An estimated 28.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The remaining graduates are not accounted for in that estimate. Return is Northeastern University's strongest pillar, though the model places graduates below its expectation. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $101,903 four years after completion; Azimuth places that figure in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. This is $18,288 above the peer median of $83,615, the middle value for comparable institutions in the same type and size. Graduates earn about $3,343 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 42nd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $20,436. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $23,779. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $5,659. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from $72,999 on the downside to $142,144 on the upside. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Computer and Information Sciences has the highest program earnings figure, with 483 degrees awarded and median earnings of $163,708 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #8 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field, and its earnings are 1.80x the national median for that field. Business/Commerce, the largest listed program, awarded 957 degrees and has median earnings of $113,620; Azimuth ranks it #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Mechanical Engineering awarded 275 degrees, with median earnings of $103,384 and an Azimuth rank of #24 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The program figures show different earnings levels across fields alongside high field-specific rankings. Graduate earnings vary widely by modeled scenario and by field. The downside earnings scenario is $72,999 four years after completion, compared with an upside scenario of $142,144; the typical scenario is $101,903. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration reaches $142,985, and Computer Engineering reaches $135,416. These field figures show why the modeled range is broader than the school-level median alone suggests. Borrowing at Northeastern University looks typical for its peer group, leaving the earnings picture as an important part of the cost decision. Median federal student loan debt for borrowers who completed is $24,250, close to the $23,168 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). This measure covers federal-loan borrowers who completed, rather than every graduate. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $276 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate parent-borrower population, have median debt of $34,984. Graduates earn about $3,343 less than the model expects for similar students. Debt that matches peers alongside lower-than-expected earnings makes the return picture mixed. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$20,436 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$23,779 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$3,343 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/northeastern-university/outcomes/) 03 / Northeastern briefing ## [Northeastern acceptance rate & admissions](/school/northeastern-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Northeastern University admits 5.2% of applicants, a rate far below the median of 47.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 98,397 applicants and 5,132 admitted students. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 5.2% **25th percentile** 1450 **Median** 1490 **75th percentile** 1520 CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/northeastern-university/admissions/) 04 / Northeastern briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Northeastern?](/school/northeastern-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Earnings differ sharply across Northeastern University's ranked fields four years after completion, separating higher-earning computing and pharmacy fields from moderate-earning engineering and rehabilitation fields. Computer and Information Sciences records median earnings of $163,708 and 483 degrees awarded; [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #8 nationally in its field among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration posts $142,985 with 66 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national field rank of #1 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions shows $81,320 and 60 degrees awarded, with Azimuth ranking it #1 nationally in its field among nonprofit four-year institutions. Engineering has $112,019 in median earnings and 162 degrees awarded; Azimuth places it #2 nationally in its field among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business/Commerce is the largest program and holds a leading national placement, while Northeastern University has 29 ranked bachelor’s programs overall. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Business/Commerce #2 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field; it awarded 957 degrees and its completers had median earnings of $113,620 four years after completion. Northeastern University awards bachelor's degrees across 29 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 32 with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is anchored by Business, which accounts for 23.9% of degrees awarded, followed by Engineering at 20.0% and Computer & Information Sciences at 12.2%. The largest single programs are Business/Commerce at 957 degrees awarded, Computer and Information Sciences at 483, and Mechanical Engineering at 275. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration earns a median of $142,985 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #1 in Massachusetts within its field. Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions ranks #1 nationally within its field and #1 in Massachusetts, from 60 degrees awarded a year. Business/Commerce ranks #1 in Massachusetts within its field. Mathematics carries a benchmark ratio of 1.80x against the national median for its field. Across all fields, 44.2% of degrees awarded are in STEM. The university's top-ranked programs span business, health, and engineering, with earnings that range from $125,162 in International Business to $113,620 in Business/Commerce. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business/Commerce, General 957 degrees awarded** $113,620 **Computer and Information Sciences, General 483 degrees awarded** $163,708 **Mechanical Engineering 275 degrees awarded** $103,384 **Health and Medical Administrative Services 163 degrees awarded** $80,233 **Engineering, Other 162 degrees awarded** $112,019 **Economics 160 degrees awarded** $101,423 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/northeastern-university/majors/) 05 / Northeastern briefing ## How does Northeastern serve students from different backgrounds? Return is the university’s strongest pillar, but mobility is mixed. Azimuth puts mobility in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Within the first-time full-time cohort, the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 90.5%, while Pell recipients complete at 60.5%, below the overall rate by 30.0 percentage points. Graduates earn about $3,343 less than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth puts [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/)—the gap between graduate earnings and the model’s expectation for similar students—in the 42nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. At Northeastern University, admission is limited: the university admits 5.2% of applicants. Undergraduate enrollment totals 17,326 undergraduates in Boston, Massachusetts, with 12.3% receiving Pell Grants and an estimated 39.2% arriving as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The profile combines a small admission rate with access measures that rank well in Azimuth’s coverage. 06 / Northeastern briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Northeastern?](/school/northeastern-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/northeastern-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Northeastern. Admissions peerBoston University11.1% admitted+ Comparison with Northeastern | Measure | Northeastern | Boston University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $101,903 | $83,615\-$18,288 vs Northeastern | | Average annual net price | $30,915 | $24,402\-$6,513 vs Northeastern · lower cost | | Admission rate | 5.2% | 11.1% | [Explore Boston University →](/school/boston-university/) Higher-admission alternativeMassachusetts Maritime Academy94.7% admitted+ Comparison with Northeastern | Measure | Northeastern | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $101,903 | $103,680+$1,777 vs Northeastern | | Average annual net price | $30,915 | $21,582\-$9,333 vs Northeastern · lower cost | | Admission rate | 5.2% | 94.7% | [Explore Massachusetts Maritime Academy →](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/) Nearby alternativeBoston CollegeNearby option · MA+ Comparison with Northeastern | Measure | Northeastern | Boston College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $101,903 | $96,145\-$5,758 vs Northeastern | | Average annual net price | $30,915 | $41,704+$10,789 vs Northeastern · higher cost | | Admission rate | 5.2% | 16.4% | [Explore Boston College →](/school/boston-college/) Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Pennsylvania$124,586 earnings+ Comparison with Northeastern | Measure | Northeastern | University of Pennsylvania | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $101,903 | $124,586+$22,683 vs Northeastern | | Average annual net price | $30,915 | $28,699\-$2,216 vs Northeastern · lower cost | | Admission rate | 5.2% | 5.4% | [Explore University of Pennsylvania →](/school/university-of-pennsylvania/) Lower-cost alternativeMassachusetts Maritime Academy$21,582 average net price+ Comparison with Northeastern | Measure | Northeastern | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $101,903 | $103,680+$1,777 vs Northeastern | | Average annual net price | $30,915 | $21,582\-$9,333 vs Northeastern · lower cost | | Admission rate | 5.2% | 94.7% | [Explore Massachusetts Maritime Academy →](/school/massachusetts-maritime-academy/) Similar profileBoston UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Northeastern | Measure | Northeastern | Boston University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $101,903 | $83,615\-$18,288 vs Northeastern | | Average annual net price | $30,915 | $24,402\-$6,513 vs Northeastern · lower cost | | Admission rate | 5.2% | 11.1% | [Explore Boston University →](/school/boston-university/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/northeastern-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 29, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 29, 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/)