1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Ohio State University-Main Campus Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Large public institution · Overall rank #90 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/admissions/)[Majors](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/similar/) ## This public university reaches the 96th percentile for mobility nationally. ### Who it’s a good fit for Ohio State University-Main Campus is a public university in Columbus, Ohio, with a degree mix led by Business, Engineering, and Health Professions. Mobility is among the highest we track. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes part of that gap to the factors it measures, which adds, and part to a remainder it does not explain, which subtracts. Return is well above average. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it, and affordability is above average. Pell students complete at a rate below the cohort as a whole, and access is well above average. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are in different fields. ## Ohio State at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 60.6% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 87.7% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $70,682 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $9,807 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $19,976 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $25,868 ## Ohio State rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Ohio State University-Main Campus enrolls 45,638 undergraduates as a public university in Columbus, Ohio. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the university sits near the top of the field (94th percentile). Ohio State University-Main Campus admits 60.6% of applicants, compared with a median of 78.1% for comparable institutions. First-year retention reaches 94.2%, against a peer median of 83.1%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 87.7%, against 65.0% for the peer group. An estimated 26.5% of undergraduates arrive as transfers, so the six-year rate describes only the first-time, full-time cohort and leaves out a large share of the student body. Mobility is the strongest pillar (96th percentile) and affordability the weakest (68th percentile), with access and return falling between them. The four pillars sit far apart. The university reaches its highest percentile on mobility and its lowest on affordability, while access and return sit in the middle of the four-pillar range. The result is an uneven profile across the four dimensions Azimuth measures. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Ohio State University-Main Campus #90 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The university's strongest pillar is mobility, in the 96th percentile. The access pillar sits in the 84th percentile, the return pillar in the 77th percentile, and affordability in the 68th percentile. Affordability is the weakest pillar. Among enrolled students who submitted SATs, the middle half of scores fell between 1,310 and 1,480. For ACTs the range is 28 to 32. Pell Grants go to 20.2% of undergraduates. The six-year completion rate for those Pell recipients is 60.4%, 27.3 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (87.7%). Azimuth ranks Ohio State University-Main Campus #235 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #55 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,952 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/) Ohio State rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #90 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 96 **Access & reach** National percentile: 84 **[Affordability](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/cost/)** National percentile: 68 **[Return on investment](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/)** National percentile: 77 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Educational Administration and Supervision**#3** 2. Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies**#3** 3. Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other**#4** 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/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Ohio State briefing ## [Ohio State cost & financial aid](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Ohio State University-Main Campus lists a total cost of attendance of $30,305. That figure includes $13,244 for in-state tuition and fees, $40,022 for out-of-state tuition and fees, and $14,738 for room and board. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $17,339, a $12,966 reduction from the sticker total. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 43% of the published cost. That net price is above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,705; the peer median is $15,634. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth ranks the university #450 for affordability. That places the affordability pillar in the 68th percentile. Ohio State University-Main Campus publishes a cost of attendance of $30,305, with in-state tuition and fees at $13,244 and room and board at $14,738. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $4,885, rising to $9,807 for the $48,001–$75,000 band and $27,359 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $22,474, a difference of averages. Azimuth ranks the university #450 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Financial aid covers 43% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $12,966 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $17,339, which sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,705. Out-of-state students face a higher published tuition of $40,022, and their aid packages will differ from the in-state averages shown here. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, the median federal student debt is $19,976. That median is below the peer median of $20,076 by $100, and 85.6% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $227 a month. Parents who take out federal [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans borrow a median of $25,868. 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**$9,807** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Ohio State Federal loan borrowers who complete a degree at Ohio State University-Main Campus carry a median debt of $19,976. That median is below the $20,076 figure for comparable institutions (same type and size), a difference of $100. 85.6% of federal aid recipients rely on federal student loans. Among parent borrowers, a separate population from student borrowers, the median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) debt is $25,868. Working, non-enrolled completers from Ohio State University-Main Campus who received federal aid earn a median of $70,682 four years after graduation. That level ranks in the 77th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. These graduates earn about $1,952 less than the model expects for similar students, placing the outcome in the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios anchored to the university's program mix point to $70,682 as the typical outcome, $51,747 on the downside, and $103,008 on the upside. The median federal debt at completion, $19,976, is below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment is $227. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $25,868. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $227. [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** $19,976 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $25,868 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $227/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $329/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=ohio-state-university-main-campus#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/cost/) 02 / Ohio State briefing ## [Ohio State career outcomes & earnings](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) The median earnings four years after completing a degree at Ohio State University-Main Campus stand at $70,682, in the 77th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That is above the peer median of $65,610 by $5,072 among comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the return pillar 77th nationally. Graduates earn about $1,952 less than the model expects for similar students, a level in the 47th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $15,055. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $17,007. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,126. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Ohio State University-Main Campus who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $70,682. The median is drawn from a cohort of 12,019 completers. That figure sits $5,072 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $1,952 less than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 47th percentile. The metric compares actual pay with the model's expectation for similar students. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix span from $51,747 on the downside to $103,008 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $70,682. An estimated 31.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings picture is split: pay is above the peer median yet below the model's expectation for comparable students. Ohio State University-Main Campus graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $70,682 four years after completion, at the 77th percentile. That median sits $5,072 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #339 for the return pillar among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,952 less than the model expects for similar students. The gap lands at the 47th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $15,055. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $17,007. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,126, and the overall mix spans business, engineering, health professions and computer-related fields. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from $51,747 on the downside to $103,008 on the upside. These earnings scenarios are estimates from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. An estimated 31.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The earnings scenarios for Ohio State University-Main Campus stretch from a downside of $51,747 to an upside of $103,008, a spread that reflects the breadth of the university's program mix. The highest-earning programs sit well above the institutional median: Computer Engineering completers earn a median of $123,731 four years after completion, and Applied Mathematics graduates reach $120,495. The largest programs show a narrower but still substantial range. Finance, the most-awarded field with 813 degrees, posts a median of $97,986, while Communication and Media Studies graduates earn $62,096. Across the 94 programs with earnings data, the variation in outcomes is considerable, and the earnings scenarios capture that spread. Graduates at Ohio State University-Main Campus earn about $1,952 less than the model expects for similar students. Borrowers who complete hold a median of $19,976 in federal loans, $100 below the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt brings an estimated payment of $227 a month. For aid recipients, grants and scholarships bring the average price down to $17,339. That sits $1,705 above the $15,634 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 43% of the published cost on average, though individual packages vary. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $25,868 in Parent PLUS loans. Earnings fall short of what the model expects and the net price sits above the peer median, leaving the value picture mixed. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$15,055 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$17,007 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$1,952 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/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) 03 / Ohio State briefing ## [Ohio State acceptance rate & admissions](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Ohio State University-Main Campus admits 60.6% of applicants, a rate that sits below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 60.6% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1310 **Reported average** 1387 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1480 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/admissions/) 04 / Ohio State briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Ohio State?](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 86 bachelor's programs at Ohio State University-Main Campus, spanning fields from engineering to education. The highest-earning program is Computer Engineering, where completers earn a median of $123,731 four years after completion, with 404 degrees awarded and a national rank of #21. Among the largest programs, Finance leads with 813 degrees awarded and median earnings of $97,986, ranking #25 nationally. Communication and Media Studies follows with 489 degrees awarded and median earnings of $62,096, ranking #49. In contrast, Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services reports median earnings of $73,594 on 416 degrees awarded, illustrating the spread between higher- and moderate-earning fields. Ohio State University-Main Campus offers 86 ranked bachelor's programs, with several placing among the top ten nationally in their fields. Educational Administration and Supervision, with 67 degrees awarded and a median of $42,187 four years after completion, holds a #3 Azimuth national rank. Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies awards 64 degrees, earns a median of $67,018, and also ranks #3 nationally. Genetics ranks #4 nationally, with 56 degrees awarded and median earnings of $63,767. The largest program by degrees awarded is Finance, which grants 813 degrees, ranks #25 nationally, and shows a median of $97,986 four years after completion. Ohio State University-Main Campus awards bachelor's degrees across 86 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 94 with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is anchored by Business, which accounts for 19.1% of degrees awarded, followed by Engineering at 14.3% and Health Professions at 10.1%. The largest programs with published earnings are Finance at 813 degrees awarded, Communication and Media Studies at 489, and Biology at 429. The highest-ranked program is Educational Administration and Supervision, which awards 67 degrees a year and ranks #1 in Ohio within its field. Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies also ranks #1 in Ohio, with 64 degrees awarded and a benchmark ratio of 1.26x against the national median for its field. Genetics rounds out the top-ranked programs, with 56 degrees awarded and a rank of #1 in Ohio. The highest-earning program is Computer Engineering, where graduates earn a median of $123,731 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #21 nationally and #1 in Ohio within its field. Applied Mathematics follows at $120,495, from 91 degrees awarded a year. Strength is spread across a wide range of fields. The largest programs in business and communication sit alongside highly ranked, smaller programs in education and consumer economics, and the best-paid outcomes come from engineering and applied mathematics. Across all fields, 28.9% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Finance and Financial Management Services 813 degrees awarded** $97,986 **Research and Experimental Psychology 593 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Communication and Media Studies 489 degrees awarded** $62,096 **Biology, General 429 degrees awarded** $64,324 **Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services 416 degrees awarded** $73,594 **Marketing 405 degrees awarded** $81,119 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/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) 05 / Ohio State briefing ## How does Ohio State serve students from different backgrounds? Azimuth places Ohio State University-Main Campus in the 96th percentile for mobility 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 87.7%, while Pell recipients complete at a rate of 60.4% — below the overall rate by 27.3 percentage points. Graduates earn about $1,952 less than the model expects for similar students, a result that lands in the 47th percentile. Azimuth places the access pillar of Ohio State University-Main Campus in the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The public university admits 60.6% of applicants, a rate well below the peer median of 78.1%. Pell Grant recipients account for 20.2% of the 45,638 undergraduates, and an estimated 26.5% arrive as transfers or part-time students. 06 / Ohio State briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Ohio State?](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/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/ohio-state-university-main-campus/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Ohio State. Admissions peerUniversity of Dayton65.5% admitted+ Comparison with Ohio State | Measure | Ohio State | University of Dayton | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $70,682 | $78,870+$8,188 vs Ohio State | | Average annual net price | $17,339 | $29,533+$12,194 vs Ohio State · higher cost | | Admission rate | 60.6% | 65.5% | [Explore University of Dayton →](/school/university-of-dayton/) Higher-admission alternativeMiami University-Oxford75.4% admitted+ Comparison with Ohio State | Measure | Ohio State | Miami University-Oxford | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $70,682 | $70,785+$103 vs Ohio State | | Average annual net price | $17,339 | $28,384+$11,045 vs Ohio State · higher cost | | Admission rate | 60.6% | 75.4% | [Explore Miami University-Oxford →](/school/miami-university-oxford/) Nearby alternativeMiami University-OxfordNearby option · OH+ Comparison with Ohio State | Measure | Ohio State | Miami University-Oxford | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $70,682 | $70,785+$103 vs Ohio State | | Average annual net price | $17,339 | $28,384+$11,045 vs Ohio State · higher cost | | Admission rate | 60.6% | 75.4% | [Explore Miami University-Oxford →](/school/miami-university-oxford/) Higher-earnings alternativeIllinois Institute of Technology$91,312 earnings+ Comparison with Ohio State | Measure | Ohio State | Illinois Institute of Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $70,682 | $91,312+$20,630 vs Ohio State | | Average annual net price | $17,339 | $18,425+$1,086 vs Ohio State · higher cost | | Admission rate | 60.6% | 54.9% | [Explore Illinois Institute of Technology →](/school/illinois-institute-of-technology/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Brooklyn College$3,103 average net price+ Comparison with Ohio State | Measure | Ohio State | CUNY Brooklyn College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $70,682 | $62,833\-$7,849 vs Ohio State | | Average annual net price | $17,339 | $3,103\-$14,236 vs Ohio State · lower cost | | Admission rate | 60.6% | 58.4% | [Explore CUNY Brooklyn College →](/school/cuny-brooklyn-college/) Similar profileMichigan State UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Ohio State | Measure | Ohio State | Michigan State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $70,682 | $74,093+$3,411 vs Ohio State | | Average annual net price | $17,339 | $19,680+$2,341 vs Ohio State · higher cost | | Admission rate | 60.6% | 84.8% | [Explore Michigan State University →](/school/michigan-state-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/ohio-state-university-main-campus/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 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/)