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# Salisbury University

MD · Medium public institution · Overall rank #532 nationally

Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026

Overview[Cost & aid](/school/salisbury-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/salisbury-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/salisbury-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/salisbury-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/salisbury-university/similar/)

## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Salisbury University #532 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions.

### Who it’s a good fit for

Salisbury University is a public university in Salisbury, Maryland, where Business, Health Professions, and Education account for the largest shares of degrees. Mobility is well above average.

Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — and a subtraction to the remainder it cannot explain.

Pell Grant recipients complete within a few points of the overall rate, and the lowest income band pays well below the published cost. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is wide, so what a family pays depends heavily on income.

The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid fields award far fewer degrees.

Allied Health Professions and Computer and Information Sciences award a fraction of the degrees that Communication and Media Studies or Psychology do.

## Salisbury University at a glance

### Admissions and outcomes

**Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)**
87.5%

**Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)**
68.1%

**Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)**
$61,985

### Cost and family borrowing

**Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)**
$12,909

**Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)**
$21,000

**Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)**
$33,815

## Salisbury University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings)

Salisbury University is a public university in Salisbury, Maryland, enrolling 6,057 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the middle among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The university admits 87.5% of applicants, close to the 85.9% median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among first-time, full-time students, 77.7% return for a second year, against a median of 73.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for that cohort is 68.2%, well above the peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 25.8% of entrants arrive as transfers, so the graduation rate describes a narrower slice of the student body than it would at a school with fewer transfer students.

The four pillars sit far apart. Mobility is the strongest (83rd percentile), and return is the weakest (45th percentile).

Access ties return at the 45th percentile, and affordability sits between that level and mobility at the 62nd percentile.

Azimuth evaluates Salisbury University on four pillars among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. Mobility is the strongest, in the 83rd percentile.

Affordability sits in the 62nd percentile. Access and return are the two weaker pillars, at the 45th and 45th percentiles respectively.

The profile is a public university whose Pell students finish close to the overall rate, with return and access tied for weakest of the four.

Among enrolled students who submitted ACT scores, the middle 50% fell between 20 and 29. Pell Grant recipients account for 25.9% of undergraduates.

The access pillar sits at #801 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those students finish within six years at 66.8%, which is 1.4 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (68.2%).

Azimuth ranks Salisbury University #247 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,387 less than the model expects for similar students.

[How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

Salisbury University rankings in context

| Geography | Rank |
| --- | --- |
| National | #532 |

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

### National pillar percentiles

**Economic mobility**
National percentile: 83

**Access & reach**
National percentile: 45

**[Affordability](/school/salisbury-university/cost/)**
National percentile: 62

**[Return on investment](/school/salisbury-university/outcomes/)**
National percentile: 45

01 / Salisbury University briefing

## [Salisbury University cost & financial aid](/school/salisbury-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)

The published cost of attendance at Salisbury University is $28,310. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $8,016 and required fees of $3,290 for the 2026-27 academic year.

Out-of-state tuition was $19,520, and on-campus food and housing were $14,190. Grants and scholarships reduce the sticker price by $10,567 for the average aid recipient.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $17,743, which is $3,675 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #535 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The published cost of attendance is $28,310. Azimuth ranks Salisbury University #535 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $6,743, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $12,909, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $22,759. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $16,016.

Aid covers about 37% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $17,743, which is $3,675 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $21,000 in federal student loans, $229 below the peer median of $21,229. 90.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $33,815 in [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loans. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month. It estimates costs and payments under different scenarios.

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**$12,909**

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

### Borrowing and repayment at Salisbury University

The median federal student debt at completion is $21,000. That median sits $229 below the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

If repaid over ten years, the median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month. Federal borrowing is widespread: 90.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Parent borrowers are a separate population, with a median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $33,815. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 52% of its 860 bachelor's graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $29,070 per borrower.

Of those graduates, 50% held federal loans, averaging $19,719. Of those graduates, 13% held private loans, including those who also borrowed federal loans, averaging $41,047.

The median for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled is $61,985 four years after graduating. That positions Salisbury University in the 57th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings are $4,684 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $7,387 less than the model expects for similar students.

That result sits at the 27th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, run from $50,919 on the downside through $61,985 for the typical case to $86,089 on the upside.

Borrowers who finish hold a median of $21,000 in federal loans, which is $229 below the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month.

Earnings land above the peer median but below what the model expects, while debt sits almost exactly at the peer median.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $33,815. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 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**
$21,000

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$33,815

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$239/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$430/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=salisbury-university#student-tool)

[Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/salisbury-university/cost/)

02 / Salisbury University briefing

## [Salisbury University career outcomes & earnings](/school/salisbury-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added)

Salisbury University graduates earn a median of $61,985 four years after completing a degree, which is at the 57th percentile nationally. The return pillar ranks at the 45th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That is $4,684 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $7,387 less than the model expects for similar students.

That places the gap at the 27th 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 $7,260.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $14,647. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $521.

Salisbury University graduates who received federal aid and are working and not enrolled earn a median of $61,985 four years after finishing a degree. That median is drawn from a cohort of 2,119 completers and sits at the 57th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a typical outcome of $61,985, a downside scenario of $50,919, and an upside scenario of $86,089. Based on the program mix, an estimated 29.9% of graduates go on to some form of graduate study.

That estimate suggests most graduates enter the workforce directly rather than pursuing any further degrees immediately.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Salisbury University who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $61,985, in the 57th percentile nationally. That figure is $4,684 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #805 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,387 less than the model expects for similar students.

The shortfall sits at the 27th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,260.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $14,647. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $521.

The program mix leans toward fields with moderate earnings, and the scenarios estimated from that mix show the range. The downside earnings scenario is $50,919, while the upside reaches $86,089.

An estimated 29.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

The earnings scenarios point to a wide spread: the downside scenario is $50,919 and the upside scenario reaches $86,089. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates.

At the upper end, Allied Health Professions graduates earn a median of $109,739 four years after completion, from 30 degrees awarded. Computer and Information Sciences follows at $97,414, with 29 degrees awarded.

The largest programs sit lower: Communication and Media Studies, at 156 degrees a year, posts a median of $56,048.

The debt load at Salisbury University is close to the norm for its peers. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $21,000 in federal student loans, $229 below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $239 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $33,815 in Parent PLUS loans.

The earnings picture calls for a close look at the program level. Graduates earn about $7,387 less than the model expects for similar students, and the return pillar sits at the 45th percentile.

A student considering the largest programs should weigh the debt against the earnings those fields typically show.

What explains value-added earnings?

**Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.**
+$7,260

**Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.**
\-$14,647

**Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.**
\-$7,387

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/salisbury-university/outcomes/)

03 / Salisbury University briefing

## [Salisbury University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/salisbury-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention)

Salisbury University admits 87.5% of applicants, close to the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 8,793 first-year applicants and 7,761 admitted applicants, with 1,441 enrolling.

SAT: reported composite scores

**Admission rate**
87.5%

**25th percentile**
1190

**Median**
1230

**75th percentile**
1300

CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

[Read the full admissions brief](/school/salisbury-university/admissions/)

04 / Salisbury University briefing

## [What are the largest majors at Salisbury University?](/school/salisbury-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs)

The highest-earning programs at Salisbury University are concentrated in health and technical fields, while the largest programs by degrees awarded sit in the social sciences and education. Allied Health Professions leads with median earnings of $109,739 four years after completion, from 30 degrees awarded.

Computer and Information Sciences follows at $97,414 with 29 degrees awarded. Nursing, a larger program at 99 degrees awarded, reports $86,233.

By contrast, the largest program is Communication and Media Studies with 156 degrees awarded and median earnings of $56,048. Psychology is close behind in size at 148 degrees awarded and $50,319.

The earnings spread between the most popular fields and the highest-paying ones is wide, and 13.2% of degrees are in STEM.

The largest programs at Salisbury University are spread across the social sciences, education, and health, with Business accounting for 14.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 10.5% and Education at 10.0%. Communication and Media Studies is the single largest program, awarding 156 degrees a year.

Its completers earn a median of $56,048 four years after completion, which is 0.99x the national median for the field. The highest earnings sit in a handful of health and technical fields.

Allied Health Professions graduates earn a median of $109,739 four years after completion, from 30 degrees a year. Computer and Information Sciences follows at a median of $97,414 four years after completion, with 29 degrees awarded.

The degree mix at Salisbury University is broad, with no single family dominating. Business leads at 14.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, closely followed by Health Professions at 10.5% and Education at 10.0%.

The university awards degrees across 29 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest programs are Communication and Media Studies at 156 degrees awarded, Psychology at 148, and Kinesiology and Physical Education at 145.

The highest-earning programs are a different set. Allied Health Professions graduates earn a median of $109,739 four years after completion, from 30 degrees awarded.

Computer and Information Sciences follows at $97,414, with 29 degrees awarded. Nursing reports a median of $86,233, with 99 degrees awarded.

The pattern is one of concentrated strength in health and technical fields, while the largest programs by degrees awarded show more modest earnings. Across all fields, 13.2% of degrees are in STEM.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields

**Communication and Media Studies 156 degrees awarded**
$56,048

**Psychology, General 148 degrees awarded**
$50,319

**Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 145 degrees awarded**
$59,892

**Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 135 degrees awarded**
$55,807

**Social Work 103 degrees awarded**
$59,110

**Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 99 degrees awarded**
$86,233

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/salisbury-university/majors/)

05 / Salisbury University briefing

## [What colleges are similar to Salisbury University?](/school/salisbury-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/salisbury-university/similar/#peer-matching).

### A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Salisbury University.

Admissions peerGeorge Mason University87.5% admitted+

Comparison with Salisbury University

| Measure | Salisbury University | George Mason University |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $61,985 | $78,425+$16,440 vs Salisbury University |
| Average annual net price | $17,743 | $17,915+$172 vs Salisbury University · higher cost |
| Admission rate | 87.5% | 87.5% |

[Explore George Mason University →](/school/george-mason-university/)

Higher-admission alternativeTrinity Washington University99.5% admitted+

Comparison with Salisbury University

| Measure | Salisbury University | Trinity Washington University |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $61,985 | $64,019+$2,034 vs Salisbury University |
| Average annual net price | $17,743 | $9,302\-$8,441 vs Salisbury University · lower cost |
| Admission rate | 87.5% | 99.5% |

Nearby alternativeMorgan State UniversityNearby option · MD+

Comparison with Salisbury University

| Measure | Salisbury University | Morgan State University |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $61,985 | $62,308+$323 vs Salisbury University |
| Average annual net price | $17,743 | $14,985\-$2,758 vs Salisbury University · lower cost |
| Admission rate | 87.5% | 82.2% |

[Explore Morgan State University →](/school/morgan-state-university/)

Higher-earnings alternativeGeorge Mason University$78,425 earnings+

Comparison with Salisbury University

| Measure | Salisbury University | George Mason University |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $61,985 | $78,425+$16,440 vs Salisbury University |
| Average annual net price | $17,743 | $17,915+$172 vs Salisbury University · higher cost |
| Admission rate | 87.5% | 87.5% |

[Explore George Mason University →](/school/george-mason-university/)

Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Maryland Eastern Shore$13,338 average net price+

Comparison with Salisbury University

| Measure | Salisbury University | University of Maryland Eastern Shore |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $61,985 | $55,733\-$6,252 vs Salisbury University |
| Average annual net price | $17,743 | $13,338\-$4,405 vs Salisbury University · lower cost |
| Admission rate | 87.5% | 96.4% |

Similar profileGeorgia College & State UniversityMatched across several measures+

Comparison with Salisbury University

| Measure | Salisbury University | Georgia College & State University |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Peer earnings · 4 years | $61,985 | $62,852+$867 vs Salisbury University |
| Average annual net price | $17,743 | $20,686+$2,943 vs Salisbury University · higher cost |
| Admission rate | 87.5% | 78.2% |

[Explore Georgia College & State University →](/school/georgia-college-state-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/salisbury-university/similar/)

## Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 28, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 28, 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/)
