1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art NY · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #352 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/admissions/)[Majors](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art #352 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Consider The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art if you want a small, specialized private nonprofit university in New York built around Engineering and Visual & Performing Arts. Affordability is among the highest we track, the strongest pillar, while access is above average, the weakest. Typical earnings sit above the median at comparable institutions, and most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study. The largest program is not the best-paid one; Engineering fields report the highest earnings. Return is above average. The lowest income band pays a small fraction of the published cost, and the highest band pays more. Median federal debt sits below the peer median. What the typical aid recipient pays after aid sits below the peer median as well. The admission rate sits below the median for comparable institutions. If you choose Visual & Performing Arts, know that the highest earnings are in Engineering. ## The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 20.7% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 81.1% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $75,729 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $10,457 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $15,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $17,804 ## The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a private nonprofit university in New York, New York, enrolling 842 undergraduates. The university sits in the upper quarter of the Azimuth composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (76th percentile). The university admits 20.7% of applicants, against a median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Of students who start full time, 91.9% return for a second year, well above the peer median of 74.2%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 81.1%, against a peer median of 54.9%. An estimated 3.9% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the graduation rate describes the large majority of the student body. The four pillars sit apart. Affordability is the strongest, while access is the weakest. Return and mobility sit close together near the same level. Affordability is the pillar that stands out most clearly in the Azimuth profile for The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. It sits at the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The other three pillars cluster closer together, with return at the 61st percentile, mobility at the 61st percentile, and access at the 56th percentile. The spread between the strongest and weakest pillars is wide, with an affordability rank of #129 and an access rank of #646. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 1,295 and 1,501, and the middle 50% of submitted ACT scores fell between 28 and 34. 27.9% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art #646 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks the university #456 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. [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/) The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #352 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 61 **Access & reach** National percentile: 56 **[Affordability](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/cost/)** National percentile: 91 **[Return on investment](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/outcomes/)** National percentile: 61 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Fine and Studio Arts**#230** This school’s highest-ranked program nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ. [Explore major rankings](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art briefing ## [The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art cost & financial aid](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published cost of attendance at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is $64,190. Its published tuition and fees are $46,820, and room and board are $19,090. For the average aid recipient, financial aid reduces the sticker price by $50,921, bringing the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) down to $13,269. That average net price is $9,078 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #129 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The affordability pillar sits in the 91st percentile. The published cost of attendance is $64,190 (an average across living arrangements). Azimuth ranks The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art #129 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $3,749, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $10,457, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $25,870. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $22,121. Tuition and fees are $46,820. The average aid recipient receives $50,921 in grants and scholarships, bringing the average net price to $13,269. That is $9,078 below the $22,347 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $15,000 in federal student loans. That is $10,000 below the peer median of $25,000. 60.2% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Parents who borrow through [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) hold a separate median of $17,804. If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month. 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**$10,457** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art The median federal student debt at completion is $15,000. 60.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. That median sits $10,000 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, the debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month. Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a separate median of $17,804. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $75,729. That figure is $19,814 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), and it lands in the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, show a wide range. The typical earnings scenario matches the observed median, while the downside scenario sits at $24,920 and the upside reaches $132,801. The median federal debt of $15,000 is $10,000 below the median for comparable institutions, and it corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month if repaid over ten years. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $17,804. For student borrowers, 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** $15,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $17,804 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $170/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $226/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=the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/cost/) 02 / The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art briefing ## [The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art career outcomes & earnings](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $75,729. That figure is $19,814 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the return pillar in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings sit at the 84th percentile nationally. Four years after completion, federally aided graduates of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $75,729. The earnings cohort includes 156 completers. That median is $19,814 above the $55,915 figure for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among nonprofit four-year institutions, that earnings level sits in the 84th percentile. Estimated from the program mix, earnings scenarios run from $24,920 at the low end to $132,801 at the high end. The typical scenario lands at the same level as the observed median. An estimated 25.5% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The four-year figure captures only those who enter the workforce directly. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $75,729, in the 84th percentile. That is $19,814 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art #578 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university's programs concentrate in Engineering, Visual & Performing Arts, and Architecture. The downside earnings scenario, estimated from the program mix, is $24,920 and the upside is $132,801. An estimated 25.5% of graduates continue to graduate study. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $24,920 on the downside to $132,801 on the upside. The program mix spans fields with very different earnings profiles. At the higher end, Electrical Engineering graduates earn a median of $139,068 four years after completion, from 31 degrees awarded a year. Civil Engineering follows at $108,466, with 18 degrees awarded. The largest program, Fine and Studio Arts, sits at the lower end of the range at $24,920. Affordability is the pillar that stands out at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, and the debt figures show why. The median federal student loan debt for borrowers who finish is $15,000, which is $10,000 below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $170 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $17,804 in Parent PLUS loans. The average net price for aid recipients is $13,269, which is $9,078 below the peer median. The spread between the lowest and highest income bands is $22,121, with the lowest band averaging $3,749 and the highest averaging $25,870. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/outcomes/) 03 / The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art briefing ## [The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art acceptance rate & admissions](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art admits 20.7% of applicants. That figure sits well below the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 20.7% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1295 **Reported average** 1410 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1501 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/admissions/) 04 / The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art briefing ## [What are the largest majors at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art?](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The earnings spread across the largest programs at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is wide. The highest-earning fields are not the ones awarding the most degrees. Fine and Studio Arts is the largest program, with 62 degrees awarded and median earnings of $24,920 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #230 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Electrical Engineering graduates earn $139,068, the highest figure among the school's programs, from 31 degrees awarded. Chemical Engineering and Civil Engineering sit between the two extremes, with median earnings of $100,191 and $108,466 respectively. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is an engineering and art school. Engineering accounts for 51.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, and Visual & Performing Arts for 36.5%. The remaining 11.8% go to Architecture. The largest single program is Fine and Studio Arts, at 62 degrees a year. Its graduates earn $24,920 four years after completion, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #230 within its field. That is the only program with a national rank. The highest earnings come from Electrical Engineering, at $139,068 from 31 degrees a year. Civil Engineering and Chemical Engineering follow, both above six figures. A student choosing between the largest program and the best-paid one is looking at a six-figure earnings spread. Engineering accounts for 51.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, with Visual & Performing Arts at 36.5% and Architecture at 11.8%. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art has 1 program with an Azimuth national rank and 4 with published four-year earnings data. The largest program with published earnings is Fine and Studio Arts, at 62 degrees awarded, followed by Electrical Engineering at 31, Chemical Engineering at 23, and Civil Engineering at 18. Fine and Studio Arts, the only ranked program, shows graduate earnings of $24,920 four years after completion. It ranks #19 in New York within its field. The highest-earning program is Electrical Engineering, at $139,068 four years after completion, and it is also the second largest program by degrees awarded. Civil Engineering completers earn $108,466 four years after completion, and Chemical Engineering follows at $100,191. The three engineering programs hold the top earnings positions among the four programs with published data. Four-year earnings for fields where graduate study is common may understate later trajectories. Strength is concentrated in the engineering fields at this university. The largest program by degrees awarded, Fine and Studio Arts, posts the lowest four-year earnings among the four programs with data. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Fine and Studio Arts 62 degrees awarded** $24,920 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 31 degrees awarded** $139,068 **Chemical Engineering 23 degrees awarded** $100,191 **Architecture 20 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Civil Engineering 18 degrees awarded** $108,466 **Mechanical Engineering 16 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report 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/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/majors/) 05 / The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art briefing ## [What colleges are similar to The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art?](/school/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/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/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Admissions peerTrinity College29.3% admitted+ Comparison with The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | Measure | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | Trinity College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $75,729 | $83,645+$7,916 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | | Average annual net price | $13,269 | $34,832+$21,563 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art · higher cost | | Admission rate | 20.7% | 29.3% | [Explore Trinity College →](/school/trinity-college/) Higher-admission alternativeLong Island University86.2% admitted+ Comparison with The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | Measure | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | Long Island University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $75,729 | $74,905\-$824 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | | Average annual net price | $13,269 | $33,062+$19,793 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art · higher cost | | Admission rate | 20.7% | 86.2% | [Explore Long Island University →](/school/long-island-university/) Nearby alternativeManhattan UniversityNearby option · NY+ Comparison with The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | Measure | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | Manhattan University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $75,729 | $88,328+$12,599 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | | Average annual net price | $13,269 | $27,256+$13,987 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art · higher cost | | Admission rate | 20.7% | 78.9% | [Explore Manhattan University →](/school/manhattan-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeGeorgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus$119,180 earnings+ Comparison with The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | Measure | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $75,729 | $119,180+$43,451 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | | Average annual net price | $13,269 | $12,116\-$1,153 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art · lower cost | | Admission rate | 20.7% | 14.1% | [Explore Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus →](/school/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Hunter College$2,984 average net price+ Comparison with The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | Measure | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | CUNY Hunter College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $75,729 | $73,236\-$2,493 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | | Average annual net price | $13,269 | $2,984\-$10,285 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art · lower cost | | Admission rate | 20.7% | 53.8% | [Explore CUNY Hunter College →](/school/cuny-hunter-college/) Similar profileUniversity of Saint JosephMatched across several measures+ Comparison with The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | Measure | The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | University of Saint Joseph | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $75,729 | $73,035\-$2,694 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art | | Average annual net price | $13,269 | $27,989+$14,720 vs The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art · higher cost | | Admission rate | 20.7% | 78.6% | 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/the-cooper-union-for-the-advancement-of-science-and-art/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/)