1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Southeast Missouri State University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Southeast Missouri State University MO · Medium public institution · Overall rank #632 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Southeast Missouri State University #632 among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Southeast Missouri State University is a public university in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where Education and Business lead the degree mix. Affordability is the strongest pillar. 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 what it cannot explain. Pell recipients complete at a rate well below the cohort as a whole, and access is above average. Families at the bottom of the income scale pay well under the published cost, while those at the top pay closer to it. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid fields—computer and information technology, nursing—are not the ones awarding the most degrees. ## Southeast Missouri State University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 73.5% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 57.9% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $51,502 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $15,338 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $21,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $15,000 ## Southeast Missouri State University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Southeast Missouri State University is a public university in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, enrolling 6,373 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the middle of the field among nonprofit four-year institutions (57th percentile). The university admits 73.5% of applicants, a rate below the 85.9% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 75.8% return for a second year, above the 73.7% median for comparable institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 57.9%, also above the 49.1% median for comparable institutions. An estimated 25.8% of the entering class transfers in, so the six-year graduation rate tracks only the first-time full-time cohort and does not capture the full student body. The four pillars sit far apart. Affordability is the strongest, at the 74th percentile, while return is the weakest, at the 27th percentile. Access and mobility fall between the two, leaving a wide spread between affordability and return. Affordability is the clearest strength at Southeast Missouri State University, while return is the weakest part of its profile. Azimuth places affordability in the 74th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, its strongest pillar. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, access stands in the 67th percentile, mobility in the 57th percentile, and return in the 27th percentile, its weakest pillar. Strong affordability and access sit alongside a lower return measure. The middle 50% of submitted ACT scores at Southeast Missouri State University fell between 15 and 20. 30.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks the university #490 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 39.5%, 18.4 percentage points below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) (57.9%). Azimuth ranks the university #632 for mobility. Graduates earn about $3,224 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/) Southeast Missouri State University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #632 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 57 **Access & reach** National percentile: 67 **[Affordability](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/cost/)** National percentile: 74 **[Return on investment](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 27 01 / Southeast Missouri State University briefing ## [Southeast Missouri State University cost & financial aid](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Southeast Missouri State University posts a published cost of attendance of $25,177, and aid reduces that figure for recipients, though its average price sits above comparable schools. Published in-state tuition and fees are $9,903, while out-of-state tuition and fees are also $9,903. Room and board are listed at $12,198. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,882, with average aid savings of $9,295 against the published cost. That net price is above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $14,068 by $1,814. Azimuth places the university in the 74th percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The above-peer average price and the affordability standing point in different directions. Affordability is a relative strength at Southeast Missouri State University, where the published cost of attendance is $25,177. For aid recipients in the lowest-income family band, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $12,704; it is $13,342 in the next family-income band, $15,338 in the middle band, $17,395 in the next-highest band, and $21,267 in the highest-income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $8,563. Azimuth ranks the university #371 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 37% of the published cost, an average savings of $9,295. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $15,882. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $14,068, making this average $1,814 above that benchmark. Published in-state and out-of-state tuition are $9,903 and $9,903, and room and board is $12,198. Among federal-loan borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,500, and 80.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. That median is $271 above the peer median of $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size). With median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $15,000. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. 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**$15,338** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Southeast Missouri State University At Southeast Missouri State University, federal borrowing is common, and debt among borrowers who complete is slightly higher than the comparable-school midpoint. Among federal aid recipients, 80.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. For federal-loan borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $21,500. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $21,229 in federal student loan debt. The university’s median is $271 above that amount. For the separate population of [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) parent borrowers, median borrowing is $15,000. The investment picture at Southeast Missouri State University is restrained: graduate earnings sit low in the national distribution, alongside debt slightly above the comparable-school median. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn median earnings of $51,502 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings measure in the 22nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,224 less than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, fall in the 42nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The typical earnings scenario matches the reported median, with a downside scenario of $37,967 and an upside scenario of $77,643. For borrowers, median federal student loan debt is $21,500, compared with $21,229 at comparable institutions (same type and size); it is $271 above the peer median. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. The separate parent-borrower population at Southeast Missouri State University has median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $15,000. For federal student borrowers, median debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 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** $21,500 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $15,000 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $244/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $191/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=southeast-missouri-state-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/cost/) 02 / Southeast Missouri State University briefing ## [Southeast Missouri State University career outcomes & earnings](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Return is the weaker pillar at Southeast Missouri State University: Azimuth puts its return pillar in the 27th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,224 less than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places [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, in the 42nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,540. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $7,764. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $797. For federally aided completers working and not enrolled, median earnings are $51,502 four years after completion, in the 22nd percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301; the university sits $5,799 below it. Southeast Missouri State University graduates earn a median of $51,502 four years after completing a degree. The figure comes from an earnings cohort of 1,993 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. That median sits at the 22nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median is $5,799 below the $57,301 figure for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $3,224 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the earnings gap at the 42nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix span from $37,967 on the downside to $77,643 on the upside, with $51,502 as the typical outcome. An estimated 27.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. For federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, $51,502 is the median earnings four years after completion, placing Southeast Missouri State University in the 22nd percentile. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median, the middle value for that group, is $57,301; the university is below it by $5,799. Graduates earn about $3,224 less than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 42nd percentile. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from $37,967 in the downside case to $77,643 in the upside case. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,540. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $7,764. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $797. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #1,068 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program earnings vary sharply across fields. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management had 29 degrees awarded and median earnings of $106,797 four years after completion, or 1.26x of the national median for its field. Computer and Information Sciences awarded 41 degrees and had median earnings of $93,795, at 1.01x of its field’s national median. Nursing had 80 degrees awarded and median earnings of $85,155, or 0.96x of the national median for its field. These program figures range from below to above their field benchmarks. Program choice makes a wide difference in the modeled earnings picture. The downside earnings scenario is $37,967 and the upside scenario is $77,643, both modeled from the program mix rather than observed groups. Several fields show the upper end four years after completion: Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management has median earnings of $106,797, Computer and Information Sciences reaches $93,795, and Nursing reaches $85,155. These outcomes show why the modeled range is much wider than a single school-wide median. At Southeast Missouri State University, the money picture is mixed: borrowing sits near peer levels, and graduates earn about $3,224 less than the model expects for similar students. Borrowers who complete have median federal student loan debt of $21,500, which is above the $21,229 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,882, which is above the peer median of $14,068. The published cost of attendance is $25,177, and aid covers about 37% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Debt slightly above the peer median, earnings below the model, and a net price above peers make the return picture less favorable. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$4,540 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$7,764 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$3,224 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/southeast-missouri-state-university/outcomes/) 03 / Southeast Missouri State University briefing ## [Southeast Missouri State University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) At Southeast Missouri State University, the admission rate was 73.5%, so more than half of applicants in the reported pool were admitted. That figure is below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Admissions **Admission rate** 73.5% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/admissions/) 04 / Southeast Missouri State University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Southeast Missouri State University?](/school/southeast-missouri-state-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Program choice matters sharply at Southeast Missouri State University, where the higher-earning fields sit well apart from a large, moderate-earning field. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management has median earnings of $106,797 four years after completion and 29 degrees awarded. Computer and Information Sciences follows with $93,795 in median earnings and 41 degrees awarded. Nursing posts median earnings of $85,155 alongside 80 degrees awarded, placing it below the two computing fields but above the largest programs. Teacher Education awarded 95 degrees and has median earnings of $37,245 four years after completion. The contrast shows that the school-level earnings figure can conceal substantial differences across fields. Program choice carries a wide earnings range at this university, with technology and health fields appearing at the higher-earning end. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians awarded 27 degrees, and its median was $80,820. These fields sit well above the earnings reported for several of the university’s largest programs, so the intended field deserves close attention. The program mix at Southeast Missouri State University is spread across several fields, with no single family dominating. Education accounts for 12.6% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed closely by Business at 11.6% and Health Professions at 9.8%. The university has 33 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Liberal Arts and General Studies, at 118 degrees awarded a year, with median earnings of $45,383 four years after completion. Biology is next at 104 degrees awarded, and Teacher Education follows with 95. The highest-earning programs are much smaller. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management completers earn a median of $106,797 four years after completion, from 29 degrees awarded a year. Computer and Information Sciences is next at $93,795 with 41 degrees awarded, and Nursing at $85,155 with 80 degrees awarded. The pattern is one of broad access with a few technical programs that pay well above the rest. 14.8% of degrees are in STEM fields, and the highest-earning programs are concentrated in technology and healthcare. Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians and Finance round out the top five, at $80,820 and $78,407 respectively. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities 118 degrees awarded** $45,383 **Biology, General 104 degrees awarded** $45,207 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 95 degrees awarded** $37,245 **Psychology, General 90 degrees awarded** $44,580 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 83 degrees awarded** $59,834 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 80 degrees awarded** $85,155 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/southeast-missouri-state-university/majors/) 05 / Southeast Missouri State University briefing ## How does Southeast Missouri State University serve students from different backgrounds? For the first-time full-time cohort, completion is uneven: the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 57.9%, while Pell recipients complete within six years at 39.5%, below the overall rate by 18.4 percentage points. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 57th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,224 less than the model expects for similar students. That earnings-beyond-expectations measure sits in the 42nd percentile, leaving a mixed mobility picture alongside the completion figures. Access at Southeast Missouri State University includes an estimated 25.8% of undergraduates arriving as transfers or part-time students, alongside undergraduate enrollment of 6,373. The university admits 73.5% of applicants, and 30.4% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth places its access pillar in the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The transfer presence, Pell participation, and access standing point in the same direction. 06 / Southeast Missouri State University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Southeast Missouri State University?](/school/southeast-missouri-state-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/southeast-missouri-state-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Southeast Missouri State University. Admissions peerSiena Heights University68.9% admitted+ Comparison with Southeast Missouri State University | Measure | Southeast Missouri State University | Siena Heights University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $51,502 | $62,131+$10,629 vs Southeast Missouri State University | | Average annual net price | $15,882 | $17,124+$1,242 vs Southeast Missouri State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 73.5% | 68.9% | [Explore Siena Heights University →](/school/siena-heights-university/) Higher-admission alternativeMurray State University85.7% admitted+ Comparison with Southeast Missouri State University | Measure | Southeast Missouri State University | Murray State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $51,502 | $50,487\-$1,015 vs Southeast Missouri State University | | Average annual net price | $15,882 | $9,096\-$6,786 vs Southeast Missouri State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.5% | 85.7% | [Explore Murray State University →](/school/murray-state-university/) Nearby alternativeSouthern Illinois University-CarbondaleNearby option · IL+ Comparison with Southeast Missouri State University | Measure | Southeast Missouri State University | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $51,502 | $61,484+$9,982 vs Southeast Missouri State University | | Average annual net price | $15,882 | $13,297\-$2,585 vs Southeast Missouri State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.5% | 86.9% | [Explore Southern Illinois University-Carbondale →](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/) Higher-earnings alternativeMissouri University of Science and Technology$93,514 earnings+ Comparison with Southeast Missouri State University | Measure | Southeast Missouri State University | Missouri University of Science and Technology | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $51,502 | $93,514+$42,012 vs Southeast Missouri State University | | Average annual net price | $15,882 | $16,298+$416 vs Southeast Missouri State University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 73.5% | 72.6% | [Explore Missouri University of Science and Technology →](/school/missouri-university-of-science-and-technology/) Lower-cost alternativeMurray State University$9,096 average net price+ Comparison with Southeast Missouri State University | Measure | Southeast Missouri State University | Murray State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $51,502 | $50,487\-$1,015 vs Southeast Missouri State University | | Average annual net price | $15,882 | $9,096\-$6,786 vs Southeast Missouri State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.5% | 85.7% | [Explore Murray State University →](/school/murray-state-university/) Similar profileNorthern Michigan UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Southeast Missouri State University | Measure | Southeast Missouri State University | Northern Michigan University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $51,502 | $52,624+$1,122 vs Southeast Missouri State University | | Average annual net price | $15,882 | $14,085\-$1,797 vs Southeast Missouri State University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 73.5% | 84.0% | [Explore Northern Michigan University →](/school/northern-michigan-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/southeast-missouri-state-university/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 27, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 27, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)