1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. SUNY Old Westbury Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # SUNY Old Westbury NY · Medium public institution · Overall rank #229 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/suny-old-westbury/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/suny-old-westbury/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/suny-old-westbury/admissions/)[Majors](/school/suny-old-westbury/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/suny-old-westbury/similar/) ## An 84th percentile overall standing among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for SUNY Old Westbury suits a student wanting a public university in New York where Business, Social Sciences and Education lead the degrees, with affordability among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them; the model attributes this to the factors it measures, which add to expected earnings, while the unexplained remainder subtracts. Typical earnings also sit above the median at comparable schools, yet return is around the average. The lowest income band pays well under the published cost, while the highest band pays much nearer to it. Pell students finish at a rate above the overall cohort, and the gap is within a few points. The admission rate sits 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 are much smaller. ## SUNY Old Westbury at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 83.6% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 44.6% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $58,756 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $13,852 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $14,997 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $16,500 ## SUNY Old Westbury rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) In Old Westbury, New York, SUNY Old Westbury is a public university with 4,162 undergraduates. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, it sits in the upper fifth of the field (84th percentile). SUNY Old Westbury admits 83.6% of applicants, against a median of 85.9% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 71.8% return for a second year, while the peer median is 73.7%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for that cohort is 44.6%, compared with a peer median of 49.1%. An estimated 41.7% of undergraduates arrive as transfers, so the six-year rate covers only the first-time full-time group and leaves out a large share of the student body. The four pillars sit far apart. Affordability is the strongest (94th percentile), while return is the weakest (46th percentile). Access and mobility cluster close together (83rd and 82nd). That wide spread between the top and bottom pillars is the central pattern in the university's overall profile. Affordability is the clearest part of the profile at SUNY Old Westbury, placing it in the 94th percentile of nonprofit four-year institutions. Access stands in the 83rd percentile, and mobility is in the 82nd percentile. Return, the weakest pillar, is in the 46th percentile. Strong affordability sits alongside solid access and mobility, though return is closer to the middle of nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell Grants reach 49.3% of undergraduates at SUNY Old Westbury, the core measure of financial access Azimuth uses here. Those students complete within six years at 47.9%, 3.3 percentage points above the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (44.6%). Azimuth ranks the university #252 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. For mobility, Azimuth ranks the university #268 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Its graduates earn about $1,939 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/) SUNY Old Westbury rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #229 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 82 **Access & reach** National percentile: 83 **[Affordability](/school/suny-old-westbury/cost/)** National percentile: 94 **[Return on investment](/school/suny-old-westbury/outcomes/)** National percentile: 46 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Special Education and Teaching**#6** 2. Criminology**#25** 3. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods**#32** This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/suny-old-westbury/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / SUNY Old Westbury briefing ## [SUNY Old Westbury cost & financial aid](/school/suny-old-westbury/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Affordability is a clear strength for families considering SUNY Old Westbury, where the published cost of attendance is $21,287 (an average across living arrangements). In-state tuition and fees are $8,422, room and board are $13,972, and out-of-state tuition and fees are $18,842. For aid recipients, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $11,282. Financial aid reduces the published cost by $10,005 on average, separating the listed bill from typical post-aid cost. Against the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $14,068, the average net price is $2,786 below. Azimuth ranks SUNY Old Westbury #90 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The lower cost relative to peers and the affordability standing point in the same direction. For aid recipients, SUNY Old Westbury has a published cost of attendance of $21,287 (an average), but the amount left after grants and scholarships varies by family-income band. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $6,645 in the lowest family-income band; $9,114 in the lower-middle band; $13,852 in the middle band; $15,712 in the upper-middle band; and $20,426 in the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $13,781. Azimuth ranks the university #90 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, $10,005 in aid savings means aid covers about 47% of the published cost, leaving an average net price of $11,282 across all aid recipients. That average is $2,786 below the peer median net price of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Published in-state tuition is $8,422, and out-of-state tuition is $18,842. The aid offset and lower peer comparison point toward a lower average price for aid recipients. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt at completion is $14,997, and 62.7% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The median is $6,232 below the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $16,500. 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**$13,852** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at SUNY Old Westbury Federal borrowing is used by 62.7% of federal aid recipients at SUNY Old Westbury, and completers who borrowed tend to leave with less debt than peers. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $14,997, excluding [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) and private loans. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median is $21,229; SUNY Old Westbury's median is $6,232 below that figure. For the separate parent-borrower population, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $16,500. At SUNY Old Westbury, lower borrowing sits alongside earnings that place near the middle of the national distribution. Median earnings are $58,756 four years after completion, which sits in Azimuth’s 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, offer a more favorable model-based measure. Graduates earn about $1,939 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places that measure in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings scenarios range from $48,859 in a downside case to $71,512 in an upside case, with $58,756 as the typical scenario. Median federal debt of $14,997 is $6,232 below the $21,229 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month if repaid over ten years. Lower debt and above-expected earnings point in the same direction. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $16,500. The median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 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** $14,997 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $16,500 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $170/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $210/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=suny-old-westbury#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/suny-old-westbury/cost/) 02 / SUNY Old Westbury briefing ## [SUNY Old Westbury career outcomes & earnings](/school/suny-old-westbury/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) For readers weighing returns, SUNY Old Westbury reports median earnings of $58,756 four years after completion, placing its earnings figure in the 46th percentile. Graduates earn about $1,939 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, is in the 62nd 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 $1,988. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $49. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301, with the university $1,455 above it. Above-expected earnings and the peer comparison point more favorably than the return percentile. SUNY Old Westbury posts a middle-of-the-pack earnings result, with median earnings of $58,756 four years after completion among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that measure in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 1,013 completers. The figure describes a schoolwide midpoint, so individual fields can land well above or below it. The typical earnings scenario, based on the program mix, is $58,756. An estimated 34.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. The typical scenario and the graduate-study estimate give useful context for a median that sits near the middle of nonprofit four-year institutions. SUNY Old Westbury has a return picture that sits above its comparable-institution benchmark, although its broader return standing is near the middle of nonprofit four-year institutions. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $58,756 four years after completion, in the 46th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301; the university’s figure is $1,455 above it. Graduates earn about $1,939 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, is in the 62nd percentile. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from $48,859 on the downside to $71,512 on the upside. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $1,988. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $49. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $496. The peer comparison and model estimate point in the same direction, despite the middle-range return percentile. Program-level earnings show a wide spread across the larger and higher-earning fields. Computer and Information Sciences is the highest-earning listed field, with 29 degrees awarded and median earnings of $94,236 four years after completion. Computer and Information Sciences has median earnings of $94,236 four years after completion, above the upside scenario of $71,512. SUNY Old Westbury’s earnings scenarios extend down to $48,859, with $58,756 as the typical scenario; they are scenarios, not observed graduate groups. Other named fields also differ: Finance shows $71,441 and Special Education and Teaching shows $62,389 four years after completion. The scenarios and program medians point to different earnings levels across fields. Borrowers who complete at SUNY Old Westbury leave with a lower debt figure than comparable institutions, alongside earnings that beat the model’s expectation. Median federal student loan debt is $14,997; the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $21,229. The university’s figure is below it by $6,232. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month if repaid over ten years. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, adds another view of return. Graduates earn about $1,939 more than the model expects for similar students. Lower borrowing and higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction, though debt figures apply only to federal-loan borrowers who completed. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$1,988 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$49 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$1,939 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/suny-old-westbury/outcomes/) 03 / SUNY Old Westbury briefing ## [SUNY Old Westbury acceptance rate & admissions](/school/suny-old-westbury/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) SUNY Old Westbury admitted 83.6% of applicants in the reported entering-class cycle, so the rate summarizes how often offers were made within that year's pool. That figure is below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Applicants should place SUNY Old Westbury alongside schools with a range of published admission rates when building an application list. The rate does not predict an admission decision for any individual applicant. Admissions **Admission rate** 83.6% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/suny-old-westbury/admissions/) 04 / SUNY Old Westbury briefing ## [What are the largest majors at SUNY Old Westbury?](/school/suny-old-westbury/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The highest-earning program at SUNY Old Westbury is not the largest. Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn a median of $94,236 four years after completion, from 29 degrees awarded a year. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #85 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The largest program, Psychology, awards 117 degrees a year and posts median earnings of $53,013. Azimuth ranks it #117 within its field. Accounting earns $70,351, ranks #133 nationally, and awards 83 degrees a year. Finance earns $71,441, ranks #133 nationally, and awards 35 degrees a year. Communication and Media Studies rounds out the large programs at $47,095, from 69 degrees a year. SUNY Old Westbury awards bachelor's degrees across 14 ranked programs, all of which have published four-year earnings data. Business is the largest program family, accounting for 23.9% of degrees awarded, followed by Social Sciences at 14.4% and Education at 11.8%. The largest single programs are Psychology with 117 degrees awarded, Biology with 84, and Accounting with 83. Special Education and Teaching is the highest-ranked program, at #4 in New York within its field, with 42 degrees awarded and four-year median earnings of $62,389. It carries a benchmark ratio of 1.24x against the national median for its field. Criminology ranks #25 nationally and #2 in New York within its field, with 66 degrees awarded. Computer and Information Sciences reports the highest four-year earnings at $94,236, from 29 degrees awarded. Teacher Education ranks #32 nationally within its field with 58 degrees awarded and median earnings of $57,360. The strongest programs are concentrated in education and social sciences, fields where the university holds top-fifty national ranks. The highest-earning program is a much smaller one in computing, and 13.0% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields overall. The largest programs in business and psychology sit outside the top one hundred nationally within their fields, while the best-ranked programs award fewer degrees. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Psychology, General 117 degrees awarded** $53,013 **Biology, General 84 degrees awarded** $60,351 **Accounting and Related Services 83 degrees awarded** $70,351 **Communication and Media Studies 69 degrees awarded** $47,095 **Criminology 66 degrees awarded** $52,598 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 58 degrees awarded** $57,360 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/suny-old-westbury/majors/) 05 / SUNY Old Westbury briefing ## How does SUNY Old Westbury serve students from different backgrounds? Pell recipients finish at a slightly higher rate than the full first-time, full-time cohort, alongside modeled earnings above expectations. The cohort’s [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 44.6%, and Pell recipients’ six-year completion rate is 47.9%, above the overall rate by 3.3 percentage points. Azimuth assigns SUNY Old Westbury’s mobility pillar to the 82nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, fall in the 62nd percentile. Graduates earn about $1,939 more than the model expects for similar students. The completion pattern and modeled earnings point in the same direction. At SUNY Old Westbury, access is shaped by a Pell Grant share of 49.3% and an estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group of 41.7%. The university admits 83.6% of applicants and enrolls 4,162 undergraduates. Azimuth places its access pillar in the 83rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those entry patterns and enrollment scale give access a broad role at the university. 06 / SUNY Old Westbury briefing ## [What colleges are similar to SUNY Old Westbury?](/school/suny-old-westbury/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/suny-old-westbury/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with SUNY Old Westbury. Admissions peerMetropolitan College of New York90.0% admitted+ Comparison with SUNY Old Westbury | Measure | SUNY Old Westbury | Metropolitan College of New York | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,756 | $53,658\-$5,098 vs SUNY Old Westbury | | Average annual net price | $11,282 | $28,882+$17,600 vs SUNY Old Westbury · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.6% | 90.0% | Higher-admission alternativeNew Jersey City University98.4% admitted+ Comparison with SUNY Old Westbury | Measure | SUNY Old Westbury | New Jersey City University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,756 | $60,965+$2,209 vs SUNY Old Westbury | | Average annual net price | $11,282 | $16,053+$4,771 vs SUNY Old Westbury · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.6% | 98.4% | [Explore New Jersey City University →](/school/new-jersey-city-university/) Nearby alternativeState University of New York at New PaltzNearby option · NY+ Comparison with SUNY Old Westbury | Measure | SUNY Old Westbury | State University of New York at New Paltz | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,756 | $56,933\-$1,823 vs SUNY Old Westbury | | Average annual net price | $11,282 | $18,809+$7,527 vs SUNY Old Westbury · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.6% | 61.6% | [Explore State University of New York at New Paltz →](/school/state-university-of-new-york-at-new-paltz/) Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus$74,059 earnings+ Comparison with SUNY Old Westbury | Measure | SUNY Old Westbury | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,756 | $74,059+$15,303 vs SUNY Old Westbury | | Average annual net price | $11,282 | $11,900+$618 vs SUNY Old Westbury · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.6% | 74.7% | [Explore University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus →](/school/university-of-colorado-denveranschutz-medical-campus/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Brooklyn College$3,103 average net price+ Comparison with SUNY Old Westbury | Measure | SUNY Old Westbury | CUNY Brooklyn College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,756 | $62,833+$4,077 vs SUNY Old Westbury | | Average annual net price | $11,282 | $3,103\-$8,179 vs SUNY Old Westbury · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.6% | 58.4% | [Explore CUNY Brooklyn College →](/school/cuny-brooklyn-college/) Similar profileUniversity of Southern MaineMatched across several measures+ Comparison with SUNY Old Westbury | Measure | SUNY Old Westbury | University of Southern Maine | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $58,756 | $60,816+$2,060 vs SUNY Old Westbury | | Average annual net price | $11,282 | $13,596+$2,314 vs SUNY Old Westbury · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.6% | 79.2% | [Explore University of Southern Maine →](/school/university-of-southern-maine/) 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/suny-old-westbury/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 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/)