1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Roosevelt University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Roosevelt University IL · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #699 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/roosevelt-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/roosevelt-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/roosevelt-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/roosevelt-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/roosevelt-university/similar/) ## Azimuth puts Roosevelt University at the 52nd percentile overall among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Roosevelt University is a private nonprofit university in Chicago, Illinois, where Business, Health Professions, and Education lead the degree mix, and access is above average. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. Graduates earn more than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that gain to the factors it measures than to what it cannot explain. The typical graduate earns below the median at comparable schools, and the earnings edge shows up only after adjusting for who enrolls. Pell recipients finish above the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. The lowest income band pays far below the published cost, and the highest band pays closer to it. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions, and a student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are not the largest. Access is above average, while mobility is below the levels seen at many peers. ## Roosevelt University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 97.2% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 35.1% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $58,796 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $20,266 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $22,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $27,213 ## Roosevelt University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Roosevelt University is a private nonprofit university in Chicago, Illinois, enrolling 2,849 undergraduates. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the university lands near the middle of the field (52nd percentile). The admission rate is 97.2% of applicants, compared to a peer median — the middle value for comparable institutions of the same type and size — of 71.2%. First-year retention stands at 61.6%, against a peer median of 83.4%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 35.1%, compared to a peer median of 68.8%, and it counts only first-time full-time students. An estimated 42.8% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the completion figure describes only those who started at the university as first-time students. The four pillars sit far apart at Roosevelt University. Access is the strongest of the four, while mobility is the weakest. Return and affordability sit close together near the middle of the field. Access is the clearest strength in Roosevelt University’s Azimuth profile, while mobility is the area that sits furthest back. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth places access in the 73rd percentile and return in the 55th percentile. Affordability falls in the 54th percentile, compared with the 15th percentile for mobility, the weakest pillar. Submitted SAT scores for enrolled students cluster in the middle 50% from 895 to 1,175; the ACT range is 18 to 26 for the same group. Pell Grants go to 51.3% of undergraduates. Pell recipients finish at 40.3%, 5.2 percentage points above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) (35.1%). Azimuth places the university at #400 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #1,241 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,184 more 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/) Roosevelt University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #699 | | [Illinois](/rankings/best-colleges-in-illinois/) | #32 | | [Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/) | #157 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 15 **Access & reach** National percentile: 73 **[Affordability](/school/roosevelt-university/cost/)** National percentile: 54 **[Return on investment](/school/roosevelt-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 55 01 / Roosevelt University briefing ## [Roosevelt University cost & financial aid](/school/roosevelt-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) At Roosevelt University, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $20,194, well below the published cost of attendance. The standard published cost is $35,332, an average across living arrangements. Tuition and fees are $21,315, and room and board is $16,065. Financial aid offsets $15,138 of that published price on average. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $27,371; Roosevelt University’s figure is $7,177 below that median. Azimuth places Roosevelt University’s affordability pillar in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The lower average price relative to peers and the average aid offset point in the same direction for aid recipients. At Roosevelt University, the published cost of attendance is $35,332 (an average across living arrangements), with aid-recipient prices varying by family-income band. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $18,018 for the lowest-income band, $18,280 for the lower-middle band, $20,266 for the middle band, $24,944 for the upper-middle band, and $27,157 for the highest-income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,139. Azimuth ranks the university #644 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 43% of the published cost, an average offset of $15,138, leaving an average net price of $20,194 across all aid recipients. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $27,371; the university’s average is $7,177 below that figure. Published tuition and fees are $21,315. The aid offset and lower peer comparison point in the same direction. For borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt at completion is $22,000. The peer median debt at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $24,199, with the university $2,199 below it; 92.6% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent borrowers have median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $27,213. 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**$20,266** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Roosevelt University Federal loans reach 92.6% of federal aid recipients at Roosevelt University, making borrowing part of the cost picture for many. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $22,000. At comparable institutions (same type and size), median federal debt is $24,199, with Roosevelt University’s median $2,199 below that benchmark. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $27,213. Roosevelt University shows higher-than-expected earnings, though its four-year earnings occupy a more modest national position. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $58,796 four years after completion. Azimuth places that median in the 46th 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, are in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,184 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios range from $43,336 in the downside case to $72,367 in the upside case, with the typical scenario matching the observed median. Federal-loan borrowers who completed had median debt of $22,000, $2,199 below the $24,199 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and lower debt point one way, while the median earnings percentile is less strong. The separate [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) parent-borrower population has median borrowing of $27,213. For completers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 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** $22,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $27,213 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $250/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $346/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=roosevelt-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/roosevelt-university/cost/) 02 / Roosevelt University briefing ## [Roosevelt University career outcomes & earnings](/school/roosevelt-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Median earnings for Roosevelt University completers who are working and not enrolled four years after completion are $58,796. That places them in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits $9,454 below the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $68,250. Yet graduates earn about $8,184 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 79th percentile. The university's return pillar falls in the 55th 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 $4,550. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $3,634. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $282. Roosevelt University has a middle-range earnings result: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled report median earnings of $58,796 four years after completion. Azimuth places that measure in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, using an earnings cohort of 1,802 completers. [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, offers a more favorable view. Graduates earn about $8,184 more than the model expects for similar students. The typical scenario aligns with the reported median, while the downside and upside scenarios put earnings at $43,336 and $72,367. An estimated 29.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. Above-expected earnings sit alongside a broad scenario range and varied post-completion paths. At Roosevelt University, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $58,796 four years after completion, placing that figure in the 46th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250, leaving the university's figure $9,454 below it. Graduates earn about $8,184 more 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 79th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,550. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $3,634. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $282. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $43,336 in the downside scenario to $72,367 in the upside scenario. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Roosevelt University #656 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Nursing has the highest listed program earnings: 31 degrees awarded and median earnings of $75,716 four years after completion. Among the larger programs, Psychology awarded 64 degrees, with median earnings of $52,049. These program figures show a broad range of earnings within the university's degree mix. The modeled earnings range at Roosevelt University is wide enough that field choice deserves close attention. The downside earnings scenario is $43,336, and the upside scenario is $72,367; both are scenarios estimated from the program mix rather than observed graduate groups. For borrowers who complete, Roosevelt University pairs lower federal student loan debt than comparable institutions with earnings that exceed the model’s expectations. Median federal student loan debt is $22,000 among borrowers who completed, excluding Parent PLUS and private loans. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $24,199, and Roosevelt’s figure is below it by $2,199. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $250 a month if repaid over ten years. [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, offers a second return measure. Graduates earn about $8,184 more than the model expects for similar students. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $20,194, so it remains a separate average rather than a family-specific quote. Lower borrower debt and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$4,550 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$3,634 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$8,184 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/roosevelt-university/outcomes/) 03 / Roosevelt University briefing ## [Roosevelt University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/roosevelt-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) With an admission rate of 97.2%, Roosevelt University admitted nearly all applicants in the reported entering-class cycle, pointing to broad access in its published admissions outcome. That rate stands above the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 97.2% **Approximate lower endpoint** 895 **Reported average** 1011 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1175 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/roosevelt-university/admissions/) 04 / Roosevelt University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Roosevelt University?](/school/roosevelt-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At Roosevelt University, the listed fields span higher and more moderate median earnings four years after completion, making the program view more specific than a schoolwide figure. Nursing reports median earnings of $75,716 and 31 degrees awarded. Business/Corporate Communications follows with median earnings of $70,005 across 17 degrees awarded. Finance had median earnings of $69,720 four years after completion, with 20 degrees awarded. At the more moderate end, Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft recorded $37,748 in median earnings and 40 degrees awarded. The listed arts field sits below the three higher-earning fields in this program snapshot. Program choice matters here because the largest fields post different median earnings four years after completion. Business accounts for 32.6% of bachelor’s degrees awarded, and its largest fields span a wide set of earnings figures. Among the largest fields with published earnings, Psychology awarded 64 degrees and had median earnings of $52,049 four years after completion; Biology awarded 43 degrees and had median earnings of $63,274; Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft awarded 40 degrees and had median earnings of $37,748; Criminal Justice awarded 37 degrees and had median earnings of $63,081; and Accounting awarded 36 degrees and had median earnings of $65,839. The bachelor's degrees at Roosevelt University are concentrated in a few professional fields. Business accounts for 32.6% of degrees awarded, with Health Professions at 12.0% and Education at 11.0%. The largest program with published earnings is Psychology, at 64 degrees awarded, followed by Biology with 43 and Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft with 40. Across the university, 16 programs have published four-year earnings data. The highest-earning program is Nursing, where graduates earn a median of $75,716 four years after completion, from 31 degrees awarded. Business/Corporate Communications follows at $70,005, with 17 degrees awarded. Among the largest programs with published earnings, Accounting graduates earn a median of $65,839, while Criminal Justice is close behind at $63,081. Psychology, the largest program, reports a median of $52,049. The pattern is one of earnings strength concentrated in business and health-related fields, while the largest program by degrees awarded sits in the middle of the earnings range. 11.7% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings among the largest programs range from $65,839 to $37,748. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Psychology, General 64 degrees awarded** $52,049 **Business/Commerce, General 48 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 46 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Biology, General 43 degrees awarded** $63,274 **Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft 40 degrees awarded** $37,748 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 37 degrees awarded** $63,081 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/roosevelt-university/majors/) 05 / Roosevelt University briefing ## How does Roosevelt University serve students from different backgrounds? Mobility at Roosevelt University is uneven: Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort complete within six years at 40.3%, compared with an overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) of 35.1%, above the overall rate by 5.2 percentage points. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 15th 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, point in a different direction. Graduates earn about $8,184 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth puts that measure in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, so the completion picture and modeled earnings picture do not point the same way. Entry is wide at Roosevelt University: the university admits 97.2% of applicants and enrolls 2,849 undergraduates. Pell Grant recipients make up 51.3% of undergraduates, with an estimated 42.8% entering as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth puts the access pillar in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. High admission and a sizeable transfer entry share describe several routes into the university. 06 / Roosevelt University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Roosevelt University?](/school/roosevelt-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/roosevelt-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Roosevelt University. Admissions peerBenedictine University95.2% admitted+ Comparison with Roosevelt University | Measure | Roosevelt University | Benedictine University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,796 | $72,460+$13,664 vs Roosevelt University | | Average annual net price | $20,194 | $22,313+$2,119 vs Roosevelt University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 97.2% | 95.2% | [Explore Benedictine University →](/school/benedictine-university/) Nearby alternativeDominican UniversityNearby option · IL+ Comparison with Roosevelt University | Measure | Roosevelt University | Dominican University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,796 | $59,507+$711 vs Roosevelt University | | Average annual net price | $20,194 | $11,745\-$8,449 vs Roosevelt University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 97.2% | 90.3% | [Explore Dominican University →](/school/dominican-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeConcordia University-Chicago$71,699 earnings+ Comparison with Roosevelt University | Measure | Roosevelt University | Concordia University-Chicago | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,796 | $71,699+$12,903 vs Roosevelt University | | Average annual net price | $20,194 | $18,436\-$1,758 vs Roosevelt University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 97.2% | 92.8% | Lower-cost alternativeTrinity International University-Illinois$2,835 average net price+ Comparison with Roosevelt University | Measure | Roosevelt University | Trinity International University-Illinois | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,796 | $51,985\-$6,811 vs Roosevelt University | | Average annual net price | $20,194 | $2,835\-$17,359 vs Roosevelt University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 97.2% | 100.0% | Similar profileBaldwin Wallace UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Roosevelt University | Measure | Roosevelt University | Baldwin Wallace University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,796 | $59,094+$298 vs Roosevelt University | | Average annual net price | $20,194 | $27,603+$7,409 vs Roosevelt University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 97.2% | 75.7% | [Explore Baldwin Wallace University →](/school/baldwin-wallace-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/roosevelt-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/)