1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia PA · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #684 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/admissions/)[Majors](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia #684 among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for The fit is clearest for a student drawn to a private university in Philadelphia with a heavy tilt toward business. Nearly half of degrees are in that family, and return is among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds to the result, while the unexplained remainder subtracts from it. The price case turns on income. The lowest band pays far less than the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it. Affordability is below the levels seen at many peers, and access is below the levels seen at many peers. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than on to further study. A student considering the largest programs at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia should know that the best-paid ones are not the largest. ## Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 88.8% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 78.8% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $84,010 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $24,297 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $25,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $42,436 ## Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia lands near the midpoint of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (composite at the 53rd percentile), yet its four pillars pull in opposite directions. The university is a private nonprofit university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, enrolling 4,948 undergraduates. Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia admits 88.8% of applicants; the median for comparable institutions of the same type and size is 71.2%. Among first-time, full-time students, 88.7% continue into the second year, against a peer median of 83.4%. 78.8% finish within six years, compared with 68.8% for peers. An estimated 9.9% of the student body arrives as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes only those who began as full-time freshmen. Return is the strongest pillar, and affordability the weakest, with access and mobility between them but much closer to the bottom of the field. The four sit far apart, with a wide gap between the strongest pillar and the other three. Return is the clearest strength in the Azimuth profile for Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia, while affordability is the clearest constraint. Azimuth places return in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, the university’s strongest pillar. Access is in the 25th percentile, and mobility is in the 43rd percentile among the same institutions. Affordability, the weakest pillar, is in the 13th percentile. The strong return reading sits beside a much less favorable affordability reading. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 1,170 and 1,350. The middle 50% of submitted ACT scores fell between 28 and 31. 19.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia #1,106 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 64.9%, 13.9 percentage points below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) (78.8%). Azimuth ranks the university #837 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,501 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/) Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #684 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 43 **Access & reach** National percentile: 25 **[Affordability](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/cost/)** National percentile: 13 **[Return on investment](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/outcomes/)** National percentile: 91 01 / Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia briefing ## [Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia cost & financial aid](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published annual cost at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia is $67,954, and aid recipients face an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $29,689, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees account for $53,260, with room and board listed at $16,240. Average financial aid offsets $38,265 from the sticker price. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $27,371, making this university's average $2,318 above that benchmark. Azimuth ranks Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia #1,237 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The above-peer net price and the affordability ranking point in the same direction. The sticker price at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia is $67,954 (an average across living arrangements), but what aid recipients actually pay depends heavily on family income. For families earning under $30,000, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $22,570; for the $30,001-$48,000 band, $23,022; for the $48,001-$75,000 band, $24,297; for the $75,001-$110,000 band, $28,772; and for those over $110,000, $33,222. The distance from the lowest to the highest band is $10,652. Azimuth places the university at #1,237 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Grants and scholarships cut the published price by more than half for a typical aid recipient, but the remaining cost still runs above the peer median. Aid covers about 56% of the published cost, or $38,265 in average savings. The average net price across all aid recipients totals $29,689, $2,318 above the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Published tuition and fees are $53,260, with room and board at $16,240. The deep aid discount and above-peer residual cost send mixed signals. Borrowing is common, and completed borrowers leave with slightly more debt than the peer median. 96.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $25,500, $1,301 above the peer median of $24,199 for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $290 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing for parent borrowers is $42,436. 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**$24,297** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Federal borrowing is widespread at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia, where 96.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $25,500. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $24,199, leaving the university $1,301 above it. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $42,436. Earnings at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia run well ahead of the peer median, and the model says graduates out-earn what it expects for similar students. The return pillar sits at the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $84,010. That is $15,760 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $3,501 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix stretch from $60,038 in a downside case to $103,667 in an upside case, with $84,010 as the typical outcome. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $25,500 in federal student loans, $1,301 above the peer median of $24,199. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $290 a month if repaid over ten years. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $42,436. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $290 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** $25,500 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $42,436 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $290/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $539/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=saint-josephs-university-philadelphia#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/cost/) 02 / Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia briefing ## [Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia career outcomes & earnings](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Return is a clear strength at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia, whose return pillar sits in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn median earnings of $84,010 four years after completion, in the 91st percentile. Graduates earn about $3,501 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 67th 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 $8,396. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,895. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250, with Saint Joseph's $15,760 above it. Above-peer earnings and higher-than-expected earnings point the same way. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $84,010 at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 2,564 completers. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, show a range from a downside of $60,038 to an upside of $103,667. The typical scenario lands at the same median. An estimated 29.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia posts a median of $84,010 for federally aided graduates four years after completion, placing the university in the 91st percentile nationally. That is $15,760 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #130 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,501 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 67th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $8,396. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,895. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $865. The program mix tilts toward business and health fields, and the earnings scenarios reflect that range. The downside scenario, estimated from lower-earning program clusters, sits at $60,038, while the upside scenario reaches $103,667. An estimated 29.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Earnings differ across the modeled program mix, so the schoolwide result does not describe every field. The downside scenario is $60,038, and the upside scenario is $103,667; these are earnings scenarios rather than observed groups. The average net price—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $29,689 at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia. That is $2,318 above the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $25,500 in federal student loans. That debt is $1,301 above the peer median of $24,199, and corresponds to an estimated payment of $290 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $42,436. Graduates earn about $3,501 more than the model expects for similar students. The net price and debt both sit above the peer benchmarks, so the value turns on whether a student's specific program lands on the higher end of the earnings scenarios. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$8,396 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$4,895 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$3,501 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/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/outcomes/) 03 / Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia briefing ## [Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia acceptance rate & admissions](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia admitted 88.8% of applicants, a higher share than the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). That rate describes the outcome across the reported applicant pool, rather than setting an admission threshold or predicting an individual decision. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 88.8% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1170 **Reported average** 1258 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1350 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/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/admissions/) 04 / Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia?](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Business accounts for 46.4% of degrees awarded, and earnings differ sharply across the university’s larger and higher-earning fields. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration has median earnings of $122,633 four years after completion, alongside 92 degrees awarded. Computer Science posts $110,178 with 16 degrees awarded, placing it at the higher end of the program results. Finance combines $96,993 in median earnings four years after completion with 128 degrees awarded. At a more moderate earnings level, Marketing records $78,522 and 119 degrees awarded. The contrast shows that field choice matters even among programs that award substantial numbers of degrees. Business accounts for 46.4% of bachelor’s degrees awarded at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia, making it the school’s largest program family. Among its largest bachelor’s programs, median earnings four years after completion vary across fields. The largest fields therefore show a wide range of early-career earnings. The bachelor's degree mix at Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia is anchored in business, with the Business family accounting for 46.4% of degrees awarded. Health Professions follows at 14.0%, and Biological Sciences at 9.3%. Across 24 programs with published four-year earnings data, the largest by degrees awarded is Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations at 144 degrees a year. Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences and Management Science follow closely, each with 129 degrees awarded. The highest-earning program is Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, with 92 degrees awarded and a median of $122,633 four years after completion. Computer Science, a much smaller program at 16 degrees awarded, is the second-highest-earning at $110,178. Insurance is the third-highest-earning, with 58 degrees awarded and a median of $101,930. Finance, one of the largest programs at 128 degrees awarded, earns a median of $96,993. The pattern is a business-heavy university where the largest programs are not the highest-paid ones. The top-earning field, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, is a specialized health profession with a median that stands well apart from the rest of the list. With 15.2% of degrees awarded in STEM fields, the university's earnings profile shows a mix weighted toward professional and business programs rather than technical disciplines. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations 144 degrees awarded** $80,764 **Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other 129 degrees awarded** $85,690 **Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods 129 degrees awarded** $96,930 **Finance and Financial Management Services 128 degrees awarded** $96,993 **Marketing 119 degrees awarded** $78,522 **Biology, General 118 degrees awarded** $82,769 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/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/majors/) 05 / Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia briefing ## How does Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia serve students from different backgrounds? On [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, graduates earn about $3,501 more than the model expects for similar students. That measure sits in the 67th percentile, and Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 43rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The first-time full-time cohort has a 78.8% [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/); Pell recipients complete within six years at 64.9%, below the overall rate by 13.9 percentage points. Above-expected earnings sit alongside a lower completion rate for Pell recipients. Admission is relatively open: Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia admits 88.8% of applicants, with 4,948 undergraduates enrolled. Pell Grant recipients make up 19.8% of undergraduates, and the estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group is 9.9%. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the university’s access pillar falls in the 25th percentile. These measures describe entry through admission, Pell participation, and transfer pathways. 06 / Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia?](/school/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/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/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia. Admissions peerSt. John's University-New York83.4% admitted+ Comparison with Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Measure | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | St. John's University-New York | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $84,010 | $77,868\-$6,142 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | | Average annual net price | $29,689 | $29,999+$310 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia · higher cost | | Admission rate | 88.8% | 83.4% | [Explore St. John's University-New York →](/school/st-johns-university-new-york/) Higher-admission alternativeAmerican International College99.6% admitted+ Comparison with Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Measure | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | American International College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $84,010 | $71,565\-$12,445 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | | Average annual net price | $29,689 | $23,274\-$6,415 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia · lower cost | | Admission rate | 88.8% | 99.6% | Nearby alternativeDrexel UniversityNearby option · PA+ Comparison with Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Measure | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Drexel University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $84,010 | $91,041+$7,031 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | | Average annual net price | $29,689 | $38,509+$8,820 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia · higher cost | | Admission rate | 88.8% | 79.4% | [Explore Drexel University →](/school/drexel-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeYeshivas Be'er Yitzchok$95,988 earnings+ Comparison with Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Measure | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $84,010 | $95,988+$11,978 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | | Average annual net price | $29,689 | $28,599\-$1,090 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia · lower cost | | Admission rate | 88.8% | 86.2% | [Explore Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok →](/school/yeshivas-beer-yitzchok/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Bernard M Baruch College$3,033 average net price+ Comparison with Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Measure | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | CUNY Bernard M Baruch College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $84,010 | $82,748\-$1,262 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | | Average annual net price | $29,689 | $3,033\-$26,656 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia · lower cost | | Admission rate | 88.8% | 47.5% | [Explore CUNY Bernard M Baruch College →](/school/cuny-bernard-m-baruch-college/) Similar profileAdelphi UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Measure | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Adelphi University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $84,010 | $83,002\-$1,008 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | | Average annual net price | $29,689 | $30,783+$1,094 vs Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia · higher cost | | Admission rate | 88.8% | 65.9% | [Explore Adelphi University →](/school/adelphi-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/saint-josephs-university-philadelphia/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/)