1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Texas Tech University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Texas Tech University TX · Large public institution · Overall rank #86 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/texas-tech-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/texas-tech-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/texas-tech-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/texas-tech-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/texas-tech-university/similar/) ## Texas Tech University ranks #86 among nonprofit four-year institutions in the Azimuth composite. ### Who it’s a good fit for Texas Tech University is a large public university in Lubbock, Texas, where Business and Communication & Journalism lead the degree mix. Mobility is among the highest we track. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns above the median at comparable institutions. The model adds some of that for the factors it measures and subtracts some for what it cannot explain. Students who arrive with Pell Grants finish below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones — Petroleum Engineering and Computer and Information Sciences — are much smaller. ## Texas Tech at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 72.7% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 68.7% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $66,144 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $17,058 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $21,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $23,443 ## Texas Tech rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Texas Tech University is a public university in Lubbock, Texas, enrolling 32,394 undergraduates. Its composite standing is near the top of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (94th percentile). Texas Tech University admits 72.7% of applicants, a rate below the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 85.0% return for a second year and 68.7% finish within six years. Both figures run above the peer medians of 83.1% and 65.0%. An estimated 28.1% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students. The four pillars sit far apart. Mobility (97th percentile) is the strongest pillar, while affordability (62nd percentile) is the weakest. Access (85th) and return (71st) fall in between. The wide spread shows a strong mobility result and a weaker affordability result. Azimuth places Texas Tech University's mobility pillar in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Access follows at the 85th percentile, and the return pillar sits at the 71st percentile. Affordability is the weakest pillar, in the 62nd percentile. The university's composite rank is #86 among nonprofit four-year institutions. 27.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, the financial-access measure that opens the access pillar. Azimuth ranks Texas Tech University #216 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The pillar draws on the share of students receiving Pell Grants and on how those students progress to completion. They finish at 60.4%, which is 8.3 percentage points below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/). The gap is measured within the first-time full-time cohort and compares Pell recipients with the entering class as a whole. Azimuth ranks the university #46 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,096 more than the model expects for similar students, which is the earnings-beyond-expectations result—the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students. That outcome sits alongside the broad financial-access profile in the mobility calculation, which combines access and earnings into a single pillar. [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/) Texas Tech rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #86 | | [Texas](/rankings/best-colleges-in-texas/) | #13 | | [South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/) | #30 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 97 **Access & reach** National percentile: 85 **[Affordability](/school/texas-tech-university/cost/)** National percentile: 62 **[Return on investment](/school/texas-tech-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 71 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General**#1** 2. Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies**#2** 3. Animal Sciences**#3** 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/texas-tech-university/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / Texas Tech briefing ## [Texas Tech cost & financial aid](/school/texas-tech-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) Texas Tech University posts a published cost of attendance of $27,443. Texas residents pay $11,852 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay $24,451; room and board are listed at $10,742. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $19,070, which is $8,373 below the sticker total. That figure reflects aid recipients across all income bands. The result is $3,436 above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the university at #544 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That affordability rank falls in the 62nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. About 27.8% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access. Texas Tech University publishes a cost of attendance of $27,443, with in-state tuition and fees at $11,852 and out-of-state at $24,451. After aid, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for families earning under $30,000 is $12,457, rising to $17,058 for the $48,001–$75,000 band and $24,622 for families earning over $110,000. Azimuth ranks the university #544 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The average net price across all aid recipients is $19,070, which reflects an average financial aid savings of $8,373 against the published sticker price. Compared with the peer median net price of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size), Texas Tech's average net price sits above by $3,436. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,500, with 86.1% of federal aid recipients borrowing federal loans. That median is above the peer median of $20,076 by $1,424. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower figure, stands at $23,443. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment for a graduate with the median federal debt is $244. 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**$17,058** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Texas Tech Completers at Texas Tech University who borrowed through the federal program carry a median federal debt of $21,500. Relative to the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), its median is above by $1,424. Overall, 86.1% of federal aid recipients participate in federal borrowing. For the separate parent-borrower population, the median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan is $23,443. Texas Tech University completers who are working and not enrolled record median earnings of $66,144 four years after completion, a level in the 69th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That same group earn about $2,096 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome in the 63rd percentile. For the mix of programs offered, earnings scenarios point to $66,144 as typical, $51,535 on the downside, and $94,867 on the upside. Borrowers who complete leave with a median federal debt of $21,500, an amount that is above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,424. If repaid over ten years, that balance corresponds to an estimated monthly payment of $244. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $23,443. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $244. [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** $23,443 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $244/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $298/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=texas-tech-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/texas-tech-university/cost/) 02 / Texas Tech briefing ## [Texas Tech career outcomes & earnings](/school/texas-tech-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) The return pillar at Texas Tech University sits in the 71st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,096 more than the model expects for similar students, a level in the 63rd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $10,537. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,441. The STEM component adds $2,234 within the measured factors. Four years after completion, the median earnings reach $66,144, in the 69th percentile. That figure runs above the peer median of $65,610 by $534 among comparable institutions (same type and size). Four years after completion, the median earnings for Texas Tech University graduates stand at $66,144, based on 6,957 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that median in the 69th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The result sits above the median at comparable institutions (same type and size) of $65,610 by $534. Graduates earn about $2,096 more than the model expects for similar students. That outcome ranks in the 63rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth models three earnings scenarios from the university's program mix: a typical outcome of $66,144, a downside of $51,535, and an upside of $94,867. The model estimates that 29.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, a share inferred from program mix rather than observed enrollment. Four years after completion, the median earnings of Texas Tech University graduates stand at $66,144, placing the university in the 69th percentile nationally. The median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $65,610, so the university sits above that benchmark by $534. Graduates earn about $2,096 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 63rd percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $10,537. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,441. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,234. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #431 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix show a downside of $51,535 and an upside of $94,867. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, awarded 456 degrees and posts median earnings of $75,702, ranking #81 nationally in its field. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences is smaller at 363 degrees awarded but holds the university's strongest national rank at #1, with earnings of $56,117. The highest-earning program, Petroleum Engineering, reaches $139,864 from 43 degrees awarded. The high-return program Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies ranks #2 nationally and earns $78,435, which is 1.47x the national median for its field. The downside earnings scenario for Texas Tech University is $51,535 and the upside scenario reaches $94,867, a spread that reflects the mix of programs at the university. Several engineering and computing programs exceed even the upside scenario: Petroleum Engineering graduates earn a median of $139,864 four years after completion, and Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn $113,062. Programs such as Psychology show a median of $53,051, a figure near the downside scenario. Graduates of Texas Tech University earn a median of $66,144 four years after completion, which is $534 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $2,096 more than the model expects for similar students. The published cost of attendance is $27,443, and the average net price for aid recipients is $19,070. That average is $3,436 above the peer median of $15,634. Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $21,500 in federal student loans, which is $1,424 above the peer median of $20,076. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $23,443 in Parent PLUS loans. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$10,537 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$8,441 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$2,096 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/texas-tech-university/outcomes/) 03 / Texas Tech briefing ## [Texas Tech acceptance rate & admissions](/school/texas-tech-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) Texas Tech University admitted 72.7% of applicants in the most recent cycle, placing it below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 38,566 applicants, 26,634 admitted, and 7,579 enrolled first-year students. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 72.7% **25th percentile** 1110 **Median** 1180 **75th percentile** 1260 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/texas-tech-university/admissions/) 04 / Texas Tech briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Texas Tech?](/school/texas-tech-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 46 bachelor's programs at Texas Tech University, spanning fields from engineering to the arts. The highest-earning program, Petroleum Engineering, shows a median of $139,864 four years after completion, with 43 degrees awarded. Computer and Information Sciences follows at $113,062 and 252 degrees awarded. Business Administration and Management reports median earnings of $75,702 and an Azimuth national rank of #81 on 456 degrees awarded. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences earns $56,117 and holds the #1 national rank in its field, with 363 degrees awarded. Psychology, a moderate-earning field, reaches $53,051 and ranks #123 nationally. Texas Tech University has 46 ranked bachelor's programs with earnings data. The largest is Business Administration and Management, with 456 degrees awarded and a national rank of #81, where graduates earn a median of $75,702 four years after completion. Among the university's top-ranked programs, Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies holds the #2 spot with 35 degrees awarded and median earnings of $78,435. The bachelor's degrees at Texas Tech University are spread across a wide range of fields, with 53 programs reporting four-year earnings data and 46 earning an Azimuth national rank. The largest family is Business, accounting for 20.1% of degrees awarded, followed by Communication & Journalism and Biological Sciences, each at 10.0%. The three largest individual programs are Business Administration and Management with 456 degrees awarded, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences at 363, and Marketing at 339. The strongest programs by national rank are led by Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, which [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) #1 nationally and #1 in Texas within its field. Graduates from the program earn a median of $56,117 four years after completion. Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies ranks #1 in Texas within its field. Its benchmark ratio is 1.47x against the national median for its field, from 35 degrees awarded. The highest-earning program is Petroleum Engineering, where graduates earn a median of $139,864 four years after completion, a benchmark ratio of 1.33x, from 43 degrees awarded. Computer and Information Sciences is both the second-highest-earning program at $113,062 and a larger one at 252 degrees awarded. The pattern is one of breadth with a few concentrated strengths. The largest programs are not the highest-earning, and the highest-ranked programs are not the largest. The engineering programs, though small, post the strongest earnings, while the largest programs in business and communication sit closer to the national median for their fields. Across all fields, 23.5% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business Administration, Management and Operations 456 degrees awarded** $75,702 **Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General 363 degrees awarded** $56,117 **Marketing 339 degrees awarded** $72,953 **Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences 310 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Psychology, General 303 degrees awarded** $53,051 **Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication 292 degrees awarded** $62,247 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/texas-tech-university/majors/) 05 / Texas Tech briefing ## How does Texas Tech serve students from different backgrounds? Azimuth places Texas Tech University in the 97th percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 68.7%, while Pell recipients complete at a rate of 60.4% — below the overall rate by 8.3 percentage points. Graduates earn about $2,096 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 63rd percentile nationally. Azimuth places the access pillar of Texas Tech University in the 85th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The public university admits 72.7% of applicants and enrolls 32,394 undergraduates. Pell Grant recipients make up 27.8% of the undergraduate body, and an estimated 28.1% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students. 06 / Texas Tech briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Texas Tech?](/school/texas-tech-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/texas-tech-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Texas Tech. Admissions peerAbilene Christian University66.0% admitted+ Comparison with Texas Tech | Measure | Texas Tech | Abilene Christian University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,144 | $59,305\-$6,839 vs Texas Tech | | Average annual net price | $19,070 | $23,698+$4,628 vs Texas Tech · higher cost | | Admission rate | 72.7% | 66.0% | [Explore Abilene Christian University →](/school/abilene-christian-university/) Higher-admission alternativeLamar University86.4% admitted+ Comparison with Texas Tech | Measure | Texas Tech | Lamar University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,144 | $66,816+$672 vs Texas Tech | | Average annual net price | $19,070 | $9,366\-$9,704 vs Texas Tech · lower cost | | Admission rate | 72.7% | 86.4% | [Explore Lamar University →](/school/lamar-university/) Nearby alternativeWest Texas A & M UniversityNearby option · TX+ Comparison with Texas Tech | Measure | Texas Tech | West Texas A & M University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,144 | $55,166\-$10,978 vs Texas Tech | | Average annual net price | $19,070 | $19,487+$417 vs Texas Tech · higher cost | | Admission rate | 72.7% | 98.7% | [Explore West Texas A & M University →](/school/west-texas-a-m-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeThe University of Texas at Dallas$76,497 earnings+ Comparison with Texas Tech | Measure | Texas Tech | The University of Texas at Dallas | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,144 | $76,497+$10,353 vs Texas Tech | | Average annual net price | $19,070 | $18,267\-$803 vs Texas Tech · lower cost | | Admission rate | 72.7% | 65.1% | [Explore The University of Texas at Dallas →](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-dallas/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Brooklyn College$3,103 average net price+ Comparison with Texas Tech | Measure | Texas Tech | CUNY Brooklyn College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,144 | $62,833\-$3,311 vs Texas Tech | | Average annual net price | $19,070 | $3,103\-$15,967 vs Texas Tech · lower cost | | Admission rate | 72.7% | 58.4% | [Explore CUNY Brooklyn College →](/school/cuny-brooklyn-college/) Similar profileLouisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Texas Tech | Measure | Texas Tech | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $66,144 | $66,893+$749 vs Texas Tech | | Average annual net price | $19,070 | $19,151+$81 vs Texas Tech · higher cost | | Admission rate | 72.7% | 73.3% | [Explore Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College →](/school/louisiana-state-university-and-agricultural-mechanical-college/) 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/texas-tech-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 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/)