1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Rider University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Rider University NJ · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #852 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/rider-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/rider-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/rider-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/rider-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/rider-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Rider University #852 among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Rider University is a private nonprofit university in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, where the degree mix is led by Business, Education, and Visual & Performing Arts, and access, its strongest pillar, is above average. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes the gap to a remainder it does not explain, which subtracts, and to the factors it measures, which adds. Return is around the average, and the typical graduate earns below the median at comparable schools, so the raw and adjusted results point the same way. The net price for the lowest income band sits well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it, and the spread between the two is wide. Pell students complete at a rate above the overall six-year graduation rate, and mobility is around the average. The admission rate is above 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 fields are not the largest ones. ## Rider University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 78.6% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 61.3% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $63,250 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $22,119 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $26,130 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $44,670 ## Rider University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Rider University is a private nonprofit university in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, enrolling 3,106 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (42nd percentile). The four pillars are spread out, with access as the strongest and affordability the weakest. The university admits 78.6% of applicants, a rate above the 71.2% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 78.4% return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.4%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 61.3%, compared to a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 25.0% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students. The shape is a private university where access is the strongest pillar, at the 60th percentile, while affordability is the weakest, at the 20th percentile. Return and mobility sit close together in the middle of the field, at the 50th and 49th percentiles respectively. The six-year graduation rate for the first-time, full-time cohort describes a minority of the student body at a school with a large transfer intake. Access is the clearest part of Rider University’s profile, which is more favorable on entry measures than on affordability. Azimuth places access in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions; return is in the 50th percentile and mobility in the 49th percentile. Affordability is the weakest pillar, at the 20th percentile. The access and affordability results point in different directions, so costs deserve close attention alongside the school’s access standing. Among enrolled students who submitted scores, the middle 50% of SAT scores fell between 1,100 and 1,320, and the middle 50% of ACT scores between 27 and 31. Pell Grants reach 34.7% of undergraduates. For access, the university stands at #584 among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Pell completion rate of 65.6% is 4.3 percentage points above the overall six-year rate (61.3%). Azimuth ranks the university #747 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,328 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/) Rider University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #852 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 49 **Access & reach** National percentile: 60 **[Affordability](/school/rider-university/cost/)** National percentile: 20 **[Return on investment](/school/rider-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 50 01 / Rider University briefing ## [Rider University cost & financial aid](/school/rider-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Rider University’s published cost is substantially reduced for aid recipients, although its affordability standing is less favorable than its peer comparison alone suggests. The published cost of attendance is $55,967 (an average across living arrangements). Tuition and fees are $41,120, and room and board are $17,230. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $24,792. Financial aid reduces the published amount by $31,175 on average. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $27,371; Rider is $2,579 below that figure. Azimuth ranks Rider University #1,131 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. A lower-than-peer net price and this affordability rank point in different directions. The published cost of attendance at Rider University is $55,967, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $41,120, and room and board is $17,230. Azimuth ranks the university #1,131 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, aid recipients in the lowest family-income band (under $30,000) average $15,824, those in the middle band ($48,001–$75,000) average $22,119, and those in the highest band (over $110,000) average $31,574. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $15,750. Aid covers about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, leaving an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $24,792 across all bands. That is $2,579 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $26,130 in federal student loans, $1,931 above the peer median of $24,199. 95.0% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $44,670 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $297 a month. 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**$22,119** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Rider University At Rider University, federal borrowing reaches 95.0% of federal aid recipients, so loan use is common rather than limited to a small group. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $26,130. For comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median federal debt is $24,199; Rider’s median is $1,931 above that figure. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers are a separate parent-borrower population, with median borrowing of $44,670. Rider University graduates have median earnings of $63,250 four years after completion, placing that figure in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sit in the 39th percentile. Graduates earn about $4,328 less than the model expects for similar students. The downside, typical, and upside earnings scenarios are $49,483, $63,250, and $84,143. Median federal debt is $1,931 above the $24,199 peer median, and that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $297 a month if repaid over ten years. The return picture is mixed: earnings sit above the middle of nonprofit four-year institutions, but the model expects more and debt is above peers. For parent borrowers, who are separate from student federal-loan borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $44,670. The median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $297 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** $26,130 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $44,670 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $297/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $568/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=rider-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/rider-university/cost/) 02 / Rider University briefing ## [Rider University career outcomes & earnings](/school/rider-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Rider University has a mixed earnings picture: its median is $63,250 four years after completion, placing it in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Yet graduates earn about $4,328 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, sits in the 39th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 50th 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 $5,727. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $10,055. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions in the same type and size, is $68,250, and the university’s median is $5,000 below it. The relative earnings percentile and the model and peer comparisons point in different directions. Rider University posts earnings in the upper half of nonprofit four-year institutions, though its modeled result falls short of expectations for similar students. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $63,250 four years after completion, based on an earnings cohort of 1,378 completers. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,328 less than the model expects for similar students. The typical earnings scenario, based on the program mix, is $63,250. An estimated 26.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The solid earnings percentile and below-expected result point in different directions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Rider University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $63,250, at the 61st percentile. That is $5,000 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #741 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,328 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 39th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,727. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $10,055. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $55, reflecting a degree mix where only 10.4% of awards are in STEM fields. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from a downside of $49,483 to an upside of $84,143. An estimated 26.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Program choice accounts for a broad range in modeled earnings at Rider University. The downside earnings scenario is $49,483, and the upside scenario is $84,143; both are estimated from the program mix rather than observed groups of graduates. Among higher-earning fields, Accounting has median earnings of $91,950 four years after completion, Finance reaches $88,405, and Management Science reaches $82,193. These field results give the modeled range a concrete shape. At Rider University, aid recipients face an average net price of $24,792. That figure is what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. It is below the $27,371 at comparable institutions (same type and size). Across income bands, the average net price is $15,824 for families in the lowest band, $18,090 in the next band, $22,119 in the middle band, $28,445 in the next-highest band, and $31,574 in the highest band. Aid covers about 56% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $26,130, above the $24,199 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,931. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $297 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $4,328 less than the model expects for similar students. The lower average net price sits alongside higher borrowing and earnings below model expectations. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$5,727 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$10,055 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$4,328 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/rider-university/outcomes/) 03 / Rider University briefing ## [Rider University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/rider-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Rider University admitted 78.6% of applicants in the reported entering class, so the published rate describes an admissions outcome rather than an individual prediction. That rate is higher than the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 78.6% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1100 **Reported average** 1227 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1320 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/rider-university/admissions/) 04 / Rider University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Rider University?](/school/rider-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At Rider University, program-level earnings range from comparatively high business fields to a more moderate large program, so the overall median does not describe every field. Four years after completion, Accounting has median earnings of $91,950 and 65 degrees awarded. Finance follows at $88,405, across 33 degrees awarded. Health Sciences sits in the higher-earning group at $79,664 with 21 degrees awarded. By contrast, Psychology, one of the university's larger fields, records $57,202 and 74 degrees awarded. The difference between these higher- and moderate-earning fields shows why a prospective major is central to interpreting the university's four-year earnings. Business accounts for 35.3% of bachelor’s degrees awarded at Rider University, and published earnings data cover 22 fields. The largest fields show a broad range of median earnings four years after completion, so the field chosen matters to the outcome picture. Rider University awards bachelor's degrees across 22 programs with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is anchored by Business, which accounts for 35.3% of degrees awarded, with Education at 12.6% and Visual & Performing Arts at 12.5%. The largest programs with published earnings are Psychology and Teacher Education, each at 74 degrees awarded, followed by Accounting at 65 degrees awarded. The highest-earning program is Accounting, where graduates earn a median of $91,950 four years after completion. That figure is a benchmark ratio of 1.21x against the national median for its field. Finance is next, at $88,405, from 33 degrees awarded a year. Health Sciences graduates earn $79,664, a benchmark ratio of 1.30x against its field. Management Science and Computer and Information Sciences round out the top five, at $82,193 and $72,734 respectively, though both sit below the national median for their fields. The pattern is one of concentrated strength in business-related fields, with Accounting standing out as both a large program and the highest earner. The largest programs by degrees awarded, Psychology and Teacher Education, earn $57,202 and $60,178 respectively. Across all fields, 10.4% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 74 degrees awarded** $60,178 **Psychology, General 74 degrees awarded** $57,202 **Accounting and Related Services 65 degrees awarded** $91,950 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 62 degrees awarded** $69,423 **Music 45 degrees awarded** $43,753 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 43 degrees awarded** $50,173 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/rider-university/majors/) 05 / Rider University briefing ## How does Rider University serve students from different backgrounds? Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort complete within six years at 65.6%, above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) of 61.3% by 4.3 percentage points. That completion comparison sits alongside a middle-range mobility standing. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth puts Rider University’s mobility pillar in the 49th percentile. [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, are in the 39th percentile. Graduates earn about $4,328 less than the model expects for similar students. Pell completion is higher than the overall rate, while modeled earnings are below expectations. Rider University offers several entry routes: it admits 78.6% of applicants and has 3,106 undergraduates. Pell Grant recipients account for 34.7% of undergraduates, and an estimated 25.0% of undergraduates enter as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth assigns the university’s access pillar to the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Its admission rate, Pell participation, and estimated transfer entry all describe the access picture. 06 / Rider University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Rider University?](/school/rider-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/rider-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Rider University. Admissions peerRowan University77.7% admitted+ Comparison with Rider University | Measure | Rider University | Rowan University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $63,250 | $62,686\-$564 vs Rider University | | Average annual net price | $24,792 | $22,408\-$2,384 vs Rider University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 78.6% | 77.7% | [Explore Rowan University →](/school/rowan-university/) Higher-admission alternativeSaint Peter's University90.3% admitted+ Comparison with Rider University | Measure | Rider University | Saint Peter's University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $63,250 | $64,352+$1,102 vs Rider University | | Average annual net price | $24,792 | $12,199\-$12,593 vs Rider University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 78.6% | 90.3% | [Explore Saint Peter's University →](/school/saint-peters-university/) Nearby alternativeSaint Peter's UniversityNearby option · NJ+ Comparison with Rider University | Measure | Rider University | Saint Peter's University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $63,250 | $64,352+$1,102 vs Rider University | | Average annual net price | $24,792 | $12,199\-$12,593 vs Rider University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 78.6% | 90.3% | [Explore Saint Peter's University →](/school/saint-peters-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeSUNY Maritime College$104,752 earnings+ Comparison with Rider University | Measure | Rider University | SUNY Maritime College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $63,250 | $104,752+$41,502 vs Rider University | | Average annual net price | $24,792 | $22,367\-$2,425 vs Rider University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 78.6% | 72.4% | [Explore SUNY Maritime College →](/school/suny-maritime-college/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Brooklyn College$3,103 average net price+ Comparison with Rider University | Measure | Rider University | CUNY Brooklyn College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $63,250 | $62,833\-$417 vs Rider University | | Average annual net price | $24,792 | $3,103\-$21,689 vs Rider University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 78.6% | 58.4% | [Explore CUNY Brooklyn College →](/school/cuny-brooklyn-college/) Similar profileSt. Joseph's University-New YorkMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Rider University | Measure | Rider University | St. Joseph's University-New York | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $63,250 | $64,336+$1,086 vs Rider University | | Average annual net price | $24,792 | $19,035\-$5,757 vs Rider University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 78.6% | 72.1% | [Explore St. Joseph's University-New York →](/school/st-josephs-university-new-york/) 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/rider-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 is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)