1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Quincy University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Quincy University IL · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #1137 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/quincy-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/quincy-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/quincy-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/quincy-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/quincy-university/similar/) ## Affordability anchors Quincy University’s 23rd-percentile Azimuth profile. ### Who it’s a good fit for Quincy University is a private nonprofit university in Quincy, Illinois, where Business degrees lead the program mix. Affordability is the strongest pillar, sitting around the average, while mobility is below the levels seen at many peers. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds, while the part it attributes to a remainder it cannot explain subtracts. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate slightly above the overall cohort. What the lowest-income families pay on average after aid is well below the published cost, though the spread between the lowest and highest bands is wide. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that Nursing, the second-largest, is the best-paid field here. ## Quincy University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 50.9% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 45.0% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $59,724 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $17,804 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $24,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $16,609 ## Quincy University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Quincy University is a private nonprofit university in Quincy, Illinois, enrolling 1,010 undergraduates. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, its place is in the bottom quarter (23rd percentile), shaped by a wide spread across the four measured pillars. Just over half of applicants gain admission at 50.9%, while the peer median for comparable institutions of the same type and size is 75.7%. Among students beginning full time, 70.0% return after the first year, against a peer median of 74.2%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for that first-time, full-time cohort is 45.0%, compared with 54.9% for peers. An estimated 24.0% of entrants arrive as transfers, so the six-year rate describes the first-time, full-time cohort, which makes up the majority of those who study at Quincy University. Affordability is the strongest of the four pillars, while mobility is the weakest. Access and return fall between them. The four sit far apart. Affordability is the relative bright spot in Quincy University’s Azimuth profile. Azimuth places affordability in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, the university’s strongest pillar. Return is in the 24th percentile and access in the 41st percentile. Mobility is the weakest pillar, at the 12th percentile. 29.7% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, the financial-access measure that feeds into both the [access and mobility](/analysis/intro-to-college-azimuth-the-data-of-higher-education-in-illinois/) assessments. Pell recipients complete at 46.5%, 1.5 percentage points above the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (45.0%). Azimuth ranks Quincy University #866 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions, a placement that sits alongside the Pell share and the completion gap. The access rank compares the university to nonprofit four-year institutions on how well it reaches and graduates Pell students. Azimuth ranks the university #1,291 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,401 less than the model expects for similar students. The mobility pillar bundles access and [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) into one measure of economic mobility for the student body. [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/) Quincy University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #1,137 | | [Illinois](/rankings/best-colleges-in-illinois/) | #53 | | [Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/) | #293 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 12 **Access & reach** National percentile: 41 **[Affordability](/school/quincy-university/cost/)** National percentile: 54 **[Return on investment](/school/quincy-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 24 01 / Quincy University briefing ## [Quincy University cost & financial aid](/school/quincy-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) For aid recipients, Quincy University has an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $20,359, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, against a published cost of attendance of $50,091 (an average). Average aid savings against that sticker price are $29,732, leaving a substantially lower price for the average recipient rather than a guarantee for every family. Published tuition and fees are $37,140, and room and board are $13,000. Comparable institutions (same type and size) have a peer median net price of $22,347; Quincy sits $1,988 below that figure. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 5.0% of full-time undergraduates paid more than the base tuition and fees charge. Azimuth ranks the university #652 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The aid-reduced price and below-peer comparison point toward a relatively lower average cost for aid recipients. For aid recipients, Quincy University has a published cost of attendance of $50,091 (an average across living arrangements), and the amount left after aid varies across family-income bands. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $16,502 for the lowest family-income band, $13,561 for the lower-middle band, $17,804 for the middle band, $12,825 for the upper-middle band, and $25,231 for the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,729. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid offsets $29,732 against the published cost for the average aid recipient, covering about 59% of that cost. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $20,359, which is $1,988 below the peer median of $22,347 at comparable institutions (same type and size). Published tuition and fees are $37,140. The lower average price relative to peers aligns with the affordability standing, though family-band averages differ. Borrowing is common here, even though the median federal student loan debt at completion is below the comparable-institution figure. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, median debt is $24,000, $1,000 below the peer median of $25,000 at comparable institutions (same type and size); 95.7% of aid recipients borrow federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $273 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $16,609. 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**$17,804** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Quincy University Borrowing is widespread at Quincy University: 95.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $24,000. The median is $1,000 below the $25,000 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $16,609. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 72% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative borrowing of $28,342 per borrower. Of these graduates, 72% had federal loans averaging $28,342. Of these graduates, 14% had private loans averaging $33,483. Quincy University’s investment picture is mixed: median earnings are near the middle of the national distribution, yet the model expects more from similar students. Graduates earn $59,724 four years after completion, in the 50th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,401 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, fall in the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program-mix scenarios place downside earnings at $49,706, typical earnings at $59,724, and upside earnings at $74,664. Median federal debt is $24,000, which is $1,000 below the $25,000 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $273 a month if repaid over ten years. Below-peer debt and lower-than-expected earnings pull the return picture in different directions. Among parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $16,609, separate from student federal loans. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $273 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** $24,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $16,609 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $273/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $211/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=quincy-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/quincy-university/cost/) 02 / Quincy University briefing ## [Quincy University career outcomes & earnings](/school/quincy-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $59,724. That is at the 50th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, and $3,809 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $4,401 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 38th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth places the university at the 24th percentile for return. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $2,983. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $7,384. Quincy University posts middle-range graduate earnings, though its modeled earnings comparison is less favorable. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $59,724 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 50th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 291 completers. A typical earnings scenario modeled from the program mix is $59,724, not an observed group of graduates. Graduates earn about $4,401 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 a modeled comparison. An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The middle-range earnings percentile and below-expected earnings give a mixed return picture. Quincy University presents a mixed return picture: median earnings are $59,724 four years after completion, in the 50th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $55,915, and the university’s figure is $3,809 above it. Graduates earn about $4,401 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 38th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $2,983. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $7,384. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $368. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $49,706 on the downside to $74,664 on the upside, with $59,724 as the typical scenario. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 24th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program results span a wide range, with Nursing the highest-earning named field: 20 degrees awarded and median earnings of $78,599 four years after completion. That median is 0.88x of the national median for its field. Management Science, the largest program with published earnings named field, awarded 24 degrees and has median earnings of $58,745. The modeled earnings range is broad, making field choice especially relevant at Quincy University. The downside earnings scenario is $49,706 and the upside scenario is $74,664; both are scenarios estimated from the program mix rather than observed groups of graduates. Program medians four years after completion reach $78,599 in Nursing, $62,841 in Liberal Arts and General Studies, and $58,745 in Management Science. Those field-level figures help explain the span between the earnings scenarios. Affordability is the stronger part of the financial picture at Quincy University, though graduate earnings fall short of the model’s expectation. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $20,359, below the $22,347 at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,988. Aid covers about 59% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Average net prices by family-income band are $16,502 for the lowest band, $13,561 for the next band, $17,804 for the middle band, $12,825 for the next-highest band, and $25,231 for the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,729. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $24,000, below the $25,000 peer median among comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,000. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $273 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $4,401 less than the model expects for similar students. Lower net price and debt contrast with below-expected earnings. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$2,983 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$7,384 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$4,401 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/quincy-university/outcomes/) 03 / Quincy University briefing ## [Quincy University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/quincy-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Quincy University admitted 50.9% of applicants, below the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 1,873 first-year applicants, 1,032 admitted applicants, and 317 enrolled students. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 50.9% **25th percentile** 1000 **Median** 1110 **75th percentile** 1200 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/quincy-university/admissions/) 04 / Quincy University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Quincy University?](/school/quincy-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Quincy University shows a clear spread across its largest fields, with Nursing at the higher end four years after completion. Its median earnings were $78,599, with 20 degrees awarded in an academic year. Liberal Arts and General Studies also sat toward the higher end, at $62,841 with 7 degrees awarded. More moderate figures appear in Management Science, which recorded $58,745 and 24 degrees awarded. Finance posted $58,139 across 15 degrees awarded. The contrast between the higher and moderate figures means that the earnings picture varies substantially by field four years after completion. Program choice matters at Quincy University: earnings data cover 5 bachelor’s fields, and Business accounts for 27.9% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. The available figures show a wide range across these fields. The program mix at Quincy University is led by Business, which accounts for 27.9% of bachelor's degrees awarded. Parks, Recreation & Fitness and Biological Sciences follow, at 11.8% and 11.3% respectively. The university has 5 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest program with published earnings is Management Science, at 24 degrees awarded a year. Its graduates earn a median of $58,745 four years after completion, which is 0.68x the national median for the field. Nursing is the second-largest program with published earnings, with 20 degrees awarded, and it is also the highest-earning program: its median of $78,599 sits at 0.88x the national field median. Finance and Accounting round out the largest programs with published earnings, at 15 and 7 degrees awarded. Their four-year earnings are $58,139 and $55,610, both below the national medians for their fields. The pattern is concentrated: a business core with a strong nursing outcome, and most programs earning below their national field medians. 12.2% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings for fields where graduate study is common, like the biological sciences, may understate later trajectories. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 24 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods 24 degrees awarded** $58,745 **Biology, General 23 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 20 degrees awarded** $78,599 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 17 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Finance and Financial Management Services 15 degrees awarded** $58,139 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/quincy-university/majors/) 05 / Quincy University briefing ## How does Quincy University serve students from different backgrounds? Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort complete within six years at 46.5%, a level above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) of 45.0% by 1.5 percentage points. The university's graduates earn about $4,401 less than the model expects for similar students, which places [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, in the 38th percentile. Azimuth positions the mobility pillar in the 12th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. These mobility indicators send mixed signals: Pell completion runs above the overall graduation rate, yet earnings sit below the model's expectation. Quincy University enrolls 1,010 undergraduates at its campus in Quincy, Illinois, admitting 50.9% of those who apply. Within that student body, 29.7% receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access, and an estimated 24.0% enter as transfers or part-time students rather than first-time students. Azimuth positions the access pillar in the 41st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. These measures together show a profile combining direct admission and transfer pathways. 06 / Quincy University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Quincy University?](/school/quincy-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/quincy-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Quincy University. Admissions peerBemidji State University56.0% admitted+ Comparison with Quincy University | Measure | Quincy University | Bemidji State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $59,724 | $60,307+$583 vs Quincy University | | Average annual net price | $20,359 | $15,261\-$5,098 vs Quincy University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 50.9% | 56.0% | [Explore Bemidji State University →](/school/bemidji-state-university/) Higher-admission alternativeUniversity of Illinois Springfield85.9% admitted+ Comparison with Quincy University | Measure | Quincy University | University of Illinois Springfield | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $59,724 | $63,235+$3,511 vs Quincy University | | Average annual net price | $20,359 | $9,833\-$10,526 vs Quincy University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 50.9% | 85.9% | [Explore University of Illinois Springfield →](/school/university-of-illinois-springfield/) Nearby alternativeMonmouth CollegeNearby option · IL+ Comparison with Quincy University | Measure | Quincy University | Monmouth College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $59,724 | $51,368\-$8,356 vs Quincy University | | Average annual net price | $20,359 | $17,133\-$3,226 vs Quincy University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 50.9% | 90.9% | Higher-earnings alternativeIllinois Institute of Technology$91,312 earnings+ Comparison with Quincy University | Measure | Quincy University | Illinois Institute of Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $59,724 | $91,312+$31,588 vs Quincy University | | Average annual net price | $20,359 | $18,425\-$1,934 vs Quincy University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 50.9% | 54.9% | [Explore Illinois Institute of Technology →](/school/illinois-institute-of-technology/) Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Illinois Springfield$9,833 average net price+ Comparison with Quincy University | Measure | Quincy University | University of Illinois Springfield | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $59,724 | $63,235+$3,511 vs Quincy University | | Average annual net price | $20,359 | $9,833\-$10,526 vs Quincy University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 50.9% | 85.9% | [Explore University of Illinois Springfield →](/school/university-of-illinois-springfield/) Similar profileUniversity of JamestownMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Quincy University | Measure | Quincy University | University of Jamestown | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $59,724 | $59,388\-$336 vs Quincy University | | Average annual net price | $20,359 | $19,567\-$792 vs Quincy University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 50.9% | 88.1% | 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/quincy-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/)