1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Northern Illinois University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Northern Illinois University IL · Large public institution · Overall rank #116 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/northern-illinois-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/northern-illinois-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/northern-illinois-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/northern-illinois-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/northern-illinois-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Northern Illinois University #116 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Northern Illinois University is a public university in Dekalb, Illinois, whose largest degree families are Business and Health Professions. Access is among the highest we track, and mobility is among the highest we track, so the university serves a broad range of students and moves them forward. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them, and the model attributes part of that to the factors it measures, which adds, while the unexplained remainder subtracts. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than on to further study, so the four-year figure is measured while most are in the labor force. The net price for the lowest income band sits well below the published cost, and the highest band pays closer to it. Pell students complete at a rate that is above the overall six-year graduation rate. The admission rate is below the median for comparable public universities of this size. A student drawn to Psychology should know that the largest single program earns less than the top engineering and business fields, which are smaller by degree count. ## NIU at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 69.8% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 48.7% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $64,583 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $12,797 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $22,162 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $19,508 ## NIU rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Northern Illinois University is a public university in Dekalb, Illinois, enrolling 11,301 undergraduates. Its composite standing is in the top tenth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (92nd percentile). The shape is a broad-access public campus where access and mobility are the strongest pillars, and return is the weakest, with affordability sitting between them. The university admits 69.8% of applicants, a rate that is below the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 69.6% return for a second year and 48.7% finish within six years. Both figures run below the peer medians of 83.1% and 65.0%, the middle values for comparable institutions. An estimated 42.7% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate covers only the first-time full-time cohort and does not reflect transfer outcomes. The four pillars sit far apart. Access is the strongest, and mobility is close behind. Return is the weakest of the four, and affordability sits between them. The spread between the strongest and weakest pillars is wide, with access and mobility near the top of the ranking and return closer to the middle. Northern Illinois University's strongest pillar is access, where Azimuth places the university in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That reflects a Pell share of 47.3% and an admission rate of 69.8%, which sits below the peer median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). The mobility pillar follows at the 92nd percentile, and affordability sits at the 78th percentile. The return pillar is the weakest, in the 65th percentile. Broad access and strong mobility coexist with a return pillar that trails the university's other strengths. 47.3% of undergraduates at Northern Illinois University receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access that indicates the share of the student body receiving federal need-based aid. Those students complete at 53.4%, above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) by 4.7 percentage points (48.7% for the entering cohort as a whole). The access pillar combines the reach of that aid with the completion result. Azimuth ranks Northern Illinois University #92 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The mobility pillar weighs that completion result alongside the earnings that follow. Azimuth ranks the university #122 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,199 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that coincides with the completion pattern for Pell 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/) NIU rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #116 | | [Illinois](/rankings/best-colleges-in-illinois/) | #5 | | [Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/) | #15 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 92 **Access & reach** National percentile: 94 **[Affordability](/school/northern-illinois-university/cost/)** National percentile: 78 **[Return on investment](/school/northern-illinois-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 65 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General**#5** 2. Health/Medical Preparatory Programs**#9** 3. Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions**#10** 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/northern-illinois-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / NIU briefing ## [NIU cost & financial aid](/school/northern-illinois-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Northern Illinois University combines a published cost of attendance of $28,851 with an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) that runs below the peer median, giving aid recipients a price advantage. The sticker price includes in-state tuition and fees of $13,248 and room and board of $14,160. After grants and scholarships, the average net price—what aid recipients actually pay—drops to $13,391, a savings of $15,460 against the published total. That average net price is below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,243. Azimuth ranks the university #316 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Northern Illinois University publishes a cost of attendance of $28,851, with in-state tuition and fees of $13,248 and room and board at $14,160. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay—is $10,126 for families earning under $30,000, $12,797 for families in the $48,001–$75,000 band, and $21,834 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,708. Azimuth ranks the university #316 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 54% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an average savings of $15,460 against the sticker price. The average net price for first-time, full-time aid recipients is $13,391, which sits below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,243. The median federal student debt at completion is $22,162, with about 90.4% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans. That debt sits above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions by $2,086. For a graduate with the median federal debt, the estimated monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $252. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $19,508. 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**$12,797** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at NIU Most undergraduates at Northern Illinois University borrow federal loans: 90.4% do so. Among those who complete a degree, the median federal student debt is $22,162. That median sits above the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,086. Parent borrowers, a separate population, carry a median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan of $19,508. Graduates of Northern Illinois University earn about $5,199 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome in the 72nd percentile nationally. The median earnings four years after completion are $64,583, which places the university in the 64th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median is below the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,027. Earnings scenarios based on the university's program mix show a downside scenario of $47,579 and an upside scenario of $84,667; the typical scenario matches the median earnings figure above. Borrowers who complete a degree leave with a median federal debt of $22,162, which corresponds to an estimated payment of $252 a month if repaid over ten years. That debt level is above the peer median of $20,076 by $2,086. Parent borrowers at Northern Illinois University took on a median of $19,508 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans, a separate federal borrowing population. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $252. [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** $22,162 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $19,508 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $252/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $248/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=northern-illinois-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/northern-illinois-university/cost/) 02 / NIU briefing ## [NIU career outcomes & earnings](/school/northern-illinois-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Graduates of Northern Illinois University earn about $5,199 more than the model expects for similar students. That result is in the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,704. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $2,505. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,655. Four years after completion, the median earnings for the university sit at $64,583, which lands in the 64th percentile nationally. That figure is below the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $1,027. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 65th percentile, a position that shows earnings above the model's expectation alongside a median that trails the peer group. Graduates of Northern Illinois University earn about $5,199 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that places the university in the 72nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion stand at $64,583, which is below the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,027. The earnings cohort includes 4,500 completers. Earnings scenarios anchored on the university's program mix show a downside scenario of $47,579 and an upside scenario reaching $84,667. An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The median earnings sit in the 64th percentile nationally. The return picture is mixed: graduates beat the model's expectations but the median sits below the peer median. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Northern Illinois University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $64,583, at the 64th percentile nationally. That is $1,027 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #517 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,199 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 72nd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,704. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $2,505. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,655. The fields that shape the earnings picture include engineering, computer science, and business, alongside large programs in psychology and health professions. Estimated from the program mix, the downside earnings scenario is $47,579 and the upside scenario is $84,667. An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings at Northern Illinois University vary widely with the program a student chooses. The earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from $47,579 on the downside to $84,667 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $64,583. The highest-earning programs exceed even the upside scenario. Electrical Engineering graduates earn a median of $93,962 four years after completion, from 35 degrees awarded a year. Computer Science is close behind at $93,438, with 132 degrees awarded. The value case at Northern Illinois University rests on a net price that sits well below the peer median, combined with earnings that exceed what the model expects. For the lowest income band, families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $10,126. The highest band, over $110,000, averages $21,834, a spread of $11,708 between the two ends. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $22,162 in federal student loans. That is $2,086 above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $252 a month. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$7,704 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$2,505 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$5,199 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/northern-illinois-university/outcomes/) 03 / NIU briefing ## [NIU acceptance rate & admissions](/school/northern-illinois-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Northern Illinois University admits 69.8% of applicants, a rate that sits below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Admissions **Admission rate** 69.8% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/northern-illinois-university/admissions/) 04 / NIU briefing ## [What are the largest majors at NIU?](/school/northern-illinois-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Northern Illinois University's largest programs show a wide spread in earnings four years after completion. Computer Science, with 132 degrees awarded, leads the group at a median of $93,438 and an Azimuth national rank of #120. Business Administration and Management follows at $73,176 on 149 degrees awarded, ranking #129 nationally. On the moderate-earning side, Psychology, the largest program with 193 degrees awarded, has a median of $49,669 and ranks #201 nationally. Teacher Education reaches $50,385 on 127 degrees awarded, ranking #102. This spread illustrates the range of earnings across fields at the university. Northern Illinois University has 34 bachelor's programs that carry an Azimuth national rank, with earnings data published for 43 fields. Its strongest-ranked field is Engineering Technologies/Technicians, which sits at #5 nationally and #1 in Illinois while awarding 58 degrees. Completers earn a median of $81,554 four years after completion. Health/Medical Preparatory Programs also ranks in the top ten at #9 nationally and #1 in Illinois, with 153 degrees awarded. Its completers earn a median of $55,778 four years after completion. Computer Science, one of the biggest fields by volume, ranks #120 nationally and #10 in Illinois, with 132 degrees awarded. Its completers earn a median of $93,438 four years after completion. Northern Illinois University awards bachelor's degrees across 34 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 43 with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is anchored by Business, which accounts for 19.6% of degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 16.1% and Education at 7.2%. The largest programs with published earnings are Psychology at 193 degrees awarded, Health/Medical Preparatory Programs at 153, and Business Administration and Management at 149. The highest-ranked program is Engineering Technologies/Technicians, which awards 58 degrees a year and ranks #1 in Illinois within its field. Its graduates earn a median of $81,554 four years after completion. Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, the second-largest program on campus, ranks #9 nationally and #1 in Illinois within its field. The highest-earning program is Electrical Engineering, with median earnings of $93,962 from 35 degrees awarded. Computer Science follows at $93,438 and is also the fourth-largest program by degrees. Accounting rounds out the top earners at $83,573, with 122 degrees awarded and a national rank of #71 within its field. Strength is spread across several fields rather than concentrated in one. The highest-ranked programs include a health preparatory track, an engineering technology field, and a mental health services program, while the highest earners are in engineering, computer science, and business. 20.0% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields, and four-year earnings for fields that commonly precede graduate study may understate later trajectories. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Psychology, General 193 degrees awarded** $49,669 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 166 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Health/Medical Preparatory Programs 153 degrees awarded** $55,778 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 149 degrees awarded** $73,176 **Computer Science 132 degrees awarded** $93,438 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 127 degrees awarded** $50,385 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/northern-illinois-university/majors/) 05 / NIU briefing ## How does NIU serve students from different backgrounds? Azimuth places the mobility pillar of Northern Illinois University in the 92nd 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 48.7%, while Pell recipients complete at 53.4% — above the overall rate by 4.7 percentage points. Graduates earn about $5,199 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that places the [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) measure in the 72nd percentile nationally. Northern Illinois University offers broad financial access at scale, enrolling 11,301 undergraduates and admitting 69.8% of those who apply. That admission rate falls below the peer median of 78.1%, while 47.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. An estimated 42.7% of undergraduates enter from other institutions. Azimuth ranks the access pillar in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. 06 / NIU briefing ## [What colleges are similar to NIU?](/school/northern-illinois-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/northern-illinois-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with NIU. Admissions peerNortheastern Illinois University74.6% admitted+ Comparison with NIU | Measure | NIU | Northeastern Illinois University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,583 | $60,607\-$3,976 vs NIU | | Average annual net price | $13,391 | $14,109+$718 vs NIU · higher cost | | Admission rate | 69.8% | 74.6% | [Explore Northeastern Illinois University →](/school/northeastern-illinois-university/) Higher-admission alternativeAurora University80.9% admitted+ Comparison with NIU | Measure | NIU | Aurora University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,583 | $64,521\-$62 vs NIU | | Average annual net price | $13,391 | $18,838+$5,447 vs NIU · higher cost | | Admission rate | 69.8% | 80.9% | [Explore Aurora University →](/school/aurora-university/) Nearby alternativeIllinois State UniversityNearby option · IL+ Comparison with NIU | Measure | NIU | Illinois State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,583 | $62,507\-$2,076 vs NIU | | Average annual net price | $13,391 | $19,398+$6,007 vs NIU · higher cost | | Admission rate | 69.8% | 88.2% | [Explore Illinois State University →](/school/illinois-state-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of St Francis$75,229 earnings+ Comparison with NIU | Measure | NIU | University of St Francis | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,583 | $75,229+$10,646 vs NIU | | Average annual net price | $13,391 | $13,006\-$385 vs NIU · lower cost | | Admission rate | 69.8% | 65.3% | [Explore University of St Francis →](/school/university-of-st-francis/) Lower-cost alternativeIndiana University-Northwest$5,130 average net price+ Comparison with NIU | Measure | NIU | Indiana University-Northwest | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,583 | $59,535\-$5,048 vs NIU | | Average annual net price | $13,391 | $5,130\-$8,261 vs NIU · lower cost | | Admission rate | 69.8% | 73.4% | [Explore Indiana University-Northwest →](/school/indiana-university-northwest/) Similar profileMinnesota State University-MankatoMatched across several measures+ Comparison with NIU | Measure | NIU | Minnesota State University-Mankato | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $64,583 | $64,235\-$348 vs NIU | | Average annual net price | $13,391 | $19,139+$5,748 vs NIU · higher cost | | Admission rate | 69.8% | 88.4% | [Explore Minnesota State University-Mankato →](/school/minnesota-state-university-mankato/) 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/northern-illinois-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/)