1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology IN · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #724 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/admissions/)[Majors](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/similar/) ## Azimuth places Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in the 51st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit university in Terre Haute, Indiana, whose degree mix is entirely STEM, led by Engineering and Computer & Information Sciences. Return is among the highest we track, while affordability is below the levels seen at many peers. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes the gap to the factors it measures, which adds to expected earnings, while the remainder it does not explain subtracts. The typical graduate earns above the median at comparable schools, so the raw and adjusted results point the same way. The published cost is well above what the lowest income band pays on average. Pell students finish at a rate above the cohort as a whole, yet access is below the levels seen at many peers. The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study. A student drawn to the largest program should know that the highest-earning one is not the largest. ## Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 76.9% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 78.2% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $97,780 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $37,396 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $25,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $71,022 ## Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit university in Terre Haute, Indiana, enrolling 2,309 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (51st percentile). The four pillars that make up that standing are far apart: return is the strongest and affordability is the weakest. The university admits 76.9% of applicants, a rate above the 71.2% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 91.7% 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 78.2%, compared to a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 2.7% of students are not first-time, full-time entrants, so nearly all students begin here as first-year students. The shape is a private technology-focused campus where return sits at the top of the field and affordability at the bottom. Access and mobility land in between (8th and 56th percentiles, respectively). The distance between the strongest and weakest pillars is the defining feature of the composite. For families weighing cost against outcomes, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has a sharply uneven Azimuth profile: return is its strongest pillar, and affordability its weakest. Azimuth places return in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility is in the 56th percentile. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, access is in the 8th percentile and affordability is in the 2nd percentile. High return sits alongside very low affordability. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 1,320 and 1,500. For students who submitted ACT scores, the middle 50% ranged from 29 to 34. 11.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology #1,344 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Pell completion rate is 85.2%, which sits 7.0 percentage points above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) (78.2%). The access pillar is shaped by a Pell share that is modest and a Pell completion rate that exceeds the overall rate. Azimuth ranks the university #644 for mobility. Graduates earn about $17,474 more than the model expects for similar students. The mobility picture is one where strong completion for Pell students coincides with earnings that run well ahead of the model's prediction. [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/) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #724 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 56 **Access & reach** National percentile: 8 **[Affordability](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/cost/)** National percentile: 2 **[Return on investment](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/outcomes/)** National percentile: 97 01 / Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology briefing ## [Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology cost & financial aid](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Published charges make Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology a costly option before aid is applied. Its published cost of attendance is $77,890, including $58,649 in tuition and fees and $17,727 for room and board. 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 $42,513. Aid reduces the published cost by $35,377 on average. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $27,371, and the university is $15,142 above that midpoint. Azimuth places its affordability pillar in the 2nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The above-peer net price and low affordability standing point in the same direction. The published cost of attendance at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is $77,890 before aid, and affordability ranks near the bottom of nonprofit four-year institutions. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $36,843 for families earning under thirty thousand, $33,742 for the thirty-thousand-to-forty-eight-thousand family-income band, $37,396 for the forty-eight-thousand-to-seventy-five-thousand family-income band, $38,843 for the seventy-five-thousand-to-one-hundred-ten-thousand family-income band, and $45,994 for families earning over one hundred ten thousand. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,151. Azimuth ranks the university #1,385 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 45% of the published cost, or $35,377 against the sticker price. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $42,513, while published tuition and fees are $58,649. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $27,371; the university’s average net price is $15,142 above that figure. Aid offsets a substantial part of the published cost, but the average price remains above the comparable-institution median. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $25,000, and 95.8% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The peer median debt at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $24,199, with the university’s median $801 above it. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $71,022. 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**$37,396** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Borrowing is widespread at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and the typical federal debt figure sits only slightly above the comparable-school benchmark. 95.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans; among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $25,000. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $24,199, leaving Rose-Hulman’s median $801 above it. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $71,022. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology delivers a strong earnings profile. Graduates earn a median of $97,780 four years after completion, a level that ranks in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. They earn about $17,474 more than the model expects for similar students, which sits in the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios include a downside of $88,942, a typical outcome of $97,780, and an upside of $121,851. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $25,000, above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 a month if repaid over ten years. Strong observed earnings and [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) point the same way, while debt sits above the peer median. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $71,022. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 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** $25,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $71,022 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $284/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $902/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=rose-hulman-institute-of-technology#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/cost/) 02 / Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology briefing ## [Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology career outcomes & earnings](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology stands out most on return, with its return pillar in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $97,780 four years after completion, placing that measure in the 97th percentile. Graduates earn about $17,474 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, falls in the 94th 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 $20,116. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $2,642. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250; the university's earnings are $29,530 above it. The model result and peer comparison point in the same direction. At Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the early-career earnings measure is a median of $97,780 four years after completion. It covers federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places this result in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, using an earnings cohort of 529 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, is also favorable. Graduates earn about $17,474 more than the model expects for similar students. The earnings scenarios, based on the program mix, put typical earnings at $97,780, with a downside scenario of $88,942 and an upside scenario of $121,851. An estimated 23.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The scenario range and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $97,780 four years after completion, a figure at the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median is $29,530 above the peer median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #45 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $17,474 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the earnings gap at the 94th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) measure the gap between what graduates actually earn and what the model expects for similar students in the data. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $20,116. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $2,642. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $14,895 at an institution where the engineering and computer science programs are by far the largest fields of study. Estimated earnings scenarios for graduates, derived from the program mix, span from $88,942 on the downside to $121,851 on the upside. An estimated 23.3% of graduates continue on to graduate study, based on the program mix overall. Outcomes differ across fields, and the model’s scenarios put the lower and upper ends well apart. The downside earnings scenario is $88,942, while the upside scenario is $121,851; both are estimated from the program mix rather than observed groups. Among named fields, Computer Science has median earnings of $123,753 four years after completion; Mathematics has $112,187, and Computer Engineering has $109,164. Those field medians help explain the broad modeled range. At Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, borrower debt sits close to the peer figure, while graduate earnings run ahead of the model’s expectation. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $25,000, excluding Parent PLUS and private loans. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median is $24,199, with Rose-Hulman’s figure above it by $801. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $284 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, provide a separate return measure. Graduates earn about $17,474 more than the model expects for similar students. Higher-than-expected earnings sit beside debt that is only slightly above the comparable-college median. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$20,116 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$2,642 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$17,474 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/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/outcomes/) 03 / Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology briefing ## [Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology acceptance rate & admissions](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology admitted 76.9% of applicants, a rate above the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 6,094 first-year applicants and 4,684 admitted applicants. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 76.9% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1320 **Reported average** 1427 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1500 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/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/admissions/) 04 / Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology?](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the largest fields cluster in technical areas, with computer-focused programs at the higher end of four-year earnings. Computer Science reports median earnings of $123,753 four years after completion and 94 degrees awarded. Computer Engineering records $109,164 with 61 degrees awarded. At a more moderate level within this group, Chemical Engineering has median earnings of $98,341 and 43 degrees awarded, while Mechanical Engineering posts $95,983 across 120 degrees awarded. The range shows that even among the largest fields, four-year earnings vary by field. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s largest bachelor’s fields are concentrated in technical subjects, with earnings varying across them four years after completion. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology awards nearly all of its bachelor's degrees in technical fields. Engineering accounts for 68.4% of degrees awarded, with Computer & Information Sciences next at 20.9% and Mathematics & Statistics at 7.1%. The school has 8 programs with published four-year earnings data, and the largest are Mechanical Engineering at 120 degrees awarded, Computer Science at 94, and Computer Engineering at 61. Computer Science is both the second-largest program and the highest-earning, with a median of $123,753 four years after completion. That is a benchmark ratio—program earnings compared with the national median for its field—of 1.16x. Mathematics is a smaller program at 32 degrees awarded, but its graduates earn $112,187 four years after completion, a benchmark ratio of 1.61x against the national median for its field. Computer Engineering graduates earn $109,164 four years after completion. The pattern is concentrated in engineering, computing, and mathematics. The highest earnings come from the computing and mathematics programs, while the largest programs by degrees awarded are in the traditional engineering fields. 100.0% of degrees are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Mechanical Engineering 120 degrees awarded** $95,983 **Computer Science 94 degrees awarded** $123,753 **Computer Engineering 61 degrees awarded** $109,164 **Chemical Engineering 43 degrees awarded** $98,341 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 39 degrees awarded** $96,448 **Mathematics 32 degrees awarded** $112,187 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/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/majors/) 05 / Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology briefing ## How does Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology serve students from different backgrounds? At Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Pell recipients complete at a higher six-year rate than the overall first-time full-time cohort. Their six-year completion rate is 85.2%, above the 78.2% [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) by 7.0 percentage points. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 56th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $17,474 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, stands in the 94th percentile. Higher Pell completion and above-expected earnings point in the same direction. With an admission rate of 76.9%, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology admits most applicants, but its access measures point to a narrower reach overall. Azimuth places its access pillar in the 8th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell Grant recipients account for 11.8% of undergraduates. Undergraduate enrollment is 2,309, and an estimated 2.7% enter as transfers or part-time students. Admission, Pell participation, and transfer entry together describe a limited access profile. 06 / Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology?](/school/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/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/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Admissions peerRochester Institute of Technology66.9% admitted+ Comparison with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Measure | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Rochester Institute of Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $97,780 | $84,133\-$13,647 vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | | Average annual net price | $42,513 | $34,906\-$7,607 vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · lower cost | | Admission rate | 76.9% | 66.9% | [Explore Rochester Institute of Technology →](/school/rochester-institute-of-technology/) Higher-admission alternativeWentworth Institute of Technology91.2% admitted+ Comparison with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Measure | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Wentworth Institute of Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $97,780 | $95,027\-$2,753 vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | | Average annual net price | $42,513 | $34,170\-$8,343 vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · lower cost | | Admission rate | 76.9% | 91.2% | [Explore Wentworth Institute of Technology →](/school/wentworth-institute-of-technology/) Nearby alternativePurdue University-Main CampusNearby option · IN+ Comparison with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Measure | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Purdue University-Main Campus | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $97,780 | $81,751\-$16,029 vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | | Average annual net price | $42,513 | $14,600\-$27,913 vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · lower cost | | Admission rate | 76.9% | 49.9% | [Explore Purdue University-Main Campus →](/school/purdue-university-main-campus/) Lower-cost alternativeUnited States Merchant Marine Academy$6,174 average net price+ Comparison with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Measure | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | United States Merchant Marine Academy | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $97,780 | $92,950\-$4,830 vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | | Average annual net price | $42,513 | $6,174\-$36,339 vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · lower cost | | Admission rate | 76.9% | 34.2% | [Explore United States Merchant Marine Academy →](/school/united-states-merchant-marine-academy/) Similar profileMilwaukee School of EngineeringMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Measure | Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Milwaukee School of Engineering | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $97,780 | $90,607\-$7,173 vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | | Average annual net price | $42,513 | $22,453\-$20,060 vs Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology · lower cost | | Admission rate | 76.9% | 58.9% | [Explore Milwaukee School of Engineering →](/school/milwaukee-school-of-engineering/) 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/rose-hulman-institute-of-technology/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/)