1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. The University of Texas at San Antonio Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # The University of Texas at San Antonio TX · Large public institution · Overall rank #34 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/admissions/)[Majors](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/similar/) ## In the 98th percentile nationally. ### Who it’s a good fit for The University of Texas at San Antonio is a public university in San Antonio, Texas, where the degree mix is led by Business and Computer & Information Sciences. Most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — adds, while the unexplained remainder subtracts. The typical graduate earns below the median at comparable schools, so the raw and adjusted pictures diverge. Students who arrive with Pell Grants finish within a few points of the rate for the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is among the highest we track. Families at the bottom of the income scale pay well below the published cost, while those at the top pay closer to it. The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and the largest programs are not the best-paid ones. A student drawn to Psychology or Kinesiology and Physical Education should go in knowing that the highest earnings come from smaller programs in computing and engineering. ## UTSA at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 86.8% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 52.6% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $60,333 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $9,172 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $20,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $13,859 ## UTSA rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) The University of Texas at San Antonio is a public university in San Antonio, Texas, enrolling 30,580 undergraduates. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, it sits near the top of the ranking (at the 98th percentile). The university admits 86.8% of applicants, against a median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Of students who start full time, 79.8% return for a second year, compared with a peer median of 83.1%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for that first-time, full-time cohort is 52.6%, against a peer median of 65.0%. An estimated 48.8% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, and a large part of the student body did not start here. The four pillars sit far apart. Mobility is the strongest (98th percentile), and access is close behind (92nd percentile). Return is the weakest of the four (56th percentile), with affordability in between (87th percentile). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) The University of Texas at San Antonio #34 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The university's strongest pillar is mobility, in the 98th percentile. Access follows at the 92nd percentile, and affordability at the 87th percentile. The return pillar, at the 56th percentile, is the weakest of the four. 44.1% of undergraduates are Pell Grant recipients. For access, Azimuth ranks The University of Texas at San Antonio #114 among nonprofit four-year institutions. The Pell share and the completion rate for those students give the access pillar its shape. Pell recipients finish at 55.6%, 3.0 percentage points above the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (52.6%). Azimuth ranks the university #23 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates at the university earn about $4,764 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/) UTSA rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #34 | | [Texas](/rankings/best-colleges-in-texas/) | #6 | | [South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/) | #11 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 98 **Access & reach** National percentile: 92 **[Affordability](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/cost/)** National percentile: 87 **[Return on investment](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/outcomes/)** National percentile: 56 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Interior Architecture**#10** 2. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management**#10** 3. Real Estate**#16** 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/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / UTSA briefing ## [UTSA cost & financial aid](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The University of Texas at San Antonio lists a published cost of attendance of $22,352 (an average across living arrangements). In-state students pay $9,011 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state tuition and fees run to $22,051. Room and board add another $14,912. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what students pay after grants and scholarships—is $10,836. Financial aid reduces the published cost by $11,516 on average. That average net price is $4,798 below the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #178 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The University of Texas at San Antonio publishes a cost of attendance of $22,352, an average across living arrangements. In-state tuition is $9,011 and room and board is $14,912. For families earning under $30,000, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $7,870, and it is $7,847 for the $30,001–$48,000 band. The average net price is $9,172 for families earning $48,001–$75,000, $15,446 for the $75,001–$110,000 band, and $20,489 for families earning over $110,000. Azimuth ranks the university #178 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Financial aid reduces the sticker price by an average of $11,516, bringing the average net price across all aid recipients to $10,836. The peer median net price at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $15,634, which places the university's average net price below by $4,798. Out-of-state students face a published tuition of $22,051. The median federal student debt at completion is $20,500. The median debt is above the peer median of $20,076 at comparable institutions. About 76.9% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing stands at $13,859. For a borrower with the median federal debt, the estimated monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $233. 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**$9,172** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at UTSA Federal-loan borrowers who complete a degree at The University of Texas at San Antonio carry a median debt of $20,500. This median is above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Federal loans reach 76.9% of federal aid recipients. Separately, parent borrowers show a median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) loan of $13,859. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 56% of the bachelor's graduates who started as first-time students borrowed from any source, averaging $21,078 per borrower. Of those graduates, 56% held federal loans, averaging $20,234, including 7% who also held private loans averaging $22,996. Graduates of The University of Texas at San Antonio earn about $4,764 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome in the 71st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion stand at $60,333, which falls in the 52nd percentile nationally. Earnings scenarios derived from the university's program mix point to a typical earnings figure of $60,333, with a downside scenario of $47,482 and an upside scenario of $88,330. Borrowers finish with a median federal student debt of $20,500, a level that is above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The estimated monthly payment if repaid over ten years is $233. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $13,859. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $233. [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** $20,500 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $13,859 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $233/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $176/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-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/cost/) 02 / UTSA briefing ## [UTSA career outcomes & earnings](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) The University of Texas at San Antonio #648 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,764 more than the model expects for similar students, a level in the 71st percentile nationally. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $9,226. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,462. The STEM component adds $3,171 within the measured factors. The median earnings four years after completion reach $60,333, in the 52nd percentile. Comparable institutions (same type and size) show a peer median of $65,610, so the university sits below by $5,277. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $60,333 at The University of Texas at San Antonio. That figure is below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,277. The median is based on an earnings cohort of 6,500 completers. Graduates earn about $4,764 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 71st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, put the typical figure at $60,333. The downside earnings scenario is $47,482 and the upside reaches $88,330. An estimated 28.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Graduates of The University of Texas at San Antonio who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $60,333 in the fourth year after completing a degree. That figure is at the 52nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, $5,277 below the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #648 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. They earn about $4,764 more than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) measure the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students. That result falls at the 71st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. What the model attributes to measured factors (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $9,226, spread across business, technology, health, and social-science fields. The share it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,462 from the total gap. Within the measured factors, the STEM component alone adds $3,171. The typical earnings scenario is $60,333, while downside and upside scenarios sit at $47,482 and $88,330. An estimated 28.8% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The range between the downside and upside scenarios spans from $47,482 to $88,330, reflecting the variation in earnings across the university's program clusters. The highest-earning programs shape the upper end of this range, led by Computer and Information Sciences at $106,358 and Electrical Engineering at $90,846. Among the largest programs, Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management shows median earnings of $88,585, while Psychology graduates earn $49,048. Graduates earn about $4,764 more than the model expects for similar students. The earnings gap sits at the 71st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The published cost of attendance at The University of Texas at San Antonio is $22,352 (an average across living arrangements). After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients is $10,836. That is $4,798 below the peer median of $15,634 at comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who complete a degree leave with a median of $20,500 in federal student loans. That debt is $424 above the peer median of $20,076, and it corresponds to an estimated monthly payment of $233 if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow separately hold a median of $13,859 in Parent PLUS loans. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$9,226 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$4,462 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$4,764 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/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/outcomes/) 03 / UTSA briefing ## [UTSA acceptance rate & admissions](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) The University of Texas at San Antonio admitted 86.8% of applicants, a rate above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 25,422 applicants and 22,063 admitted students. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 86.8% **25th percentile** 1010 **Median** 1110 **75th percentile** 1210 CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/admissions/) 04 / UTSA briefing ## [What are the largest majors at UTSA?](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The University of Texas at San Antonio's highest-earning bachelor's program is Computer and Information Sciences, where completers earn a median of $106,358 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the program #39 nationally in its field, and it awarded 246 degrees. The university's largest program, Psychology, awarded 532 degrees and shows median earnings of $49,048, placing it #170 in the Azimuth field ranking. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management, with 356 degrees awarded, reaches $88,585 and holds the #1 state rank in Texas. Business Administration and Management awarded 345 degrees and reports median earnings of $65,018, a more moderate figure alongside its #175 national rank. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 40 bachelor's programs at The University of Texas at San Antonio, and earnings data cover 44 fields. The strongest national position belongs to Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management, ranked #10 in its field and #1 in Texas, with 356 degrees awarded and a median of $88,585 four years after completion. Interior Architecture follows at #10 nationally and #1 in Texas, producing 20 degrees and a median of $61,356. Real Estate ranks #16 with 45 degrees awarded and a median of $62,817. Public Administration holds a rank of #21, with 37 degrees and a median of $56,557. Management Information Systems and Services ranks #27 nationally, awarding 90 degrees and earning a median of $90,049. The University of Texas at San Antonio awards bachelor's degrees across 40 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 44 with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is led by Business, which accounts for 19.0% of degrees awarded, followed by Computer & Information Sciences at 10.0% and Psychology at 8.8%. The largest single programs are Psychology at 532 degrees awarded, Kinesiology and Physical Education at 417, and Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management at 356. The highest-ranked program is Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management, whose graduates earn a median of $88,585 four years after completion. Interior Architecture awards 20 degrees, and its graduates earn a median of $61,356 four years after completion. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #1 in Texas within its field. Music stands out for its return, with a benchmark ratio of 1.26x against the national median for its field. Real Estate, a smaller program at 45 degrees a year, earns a median of $62,817 and ranks #16 nationally and #2 in Texas within its field. The pattern here is one of concentrated strength in technology and computing fields, where high ranks and strong earnings coincide with a substantial number of degrees awarded. The largest programs in psychology and kinesiology sit closer to the national median for their fields, while the highest-ranked programs outside of computing are smaller. Across all fields, 29.2% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Psychology, General 532 degrees awarded** $49,048 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 417 degrees awarded** $54,399 **Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management 356 degrees awarded** $88,585 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 345 degrees awarded** $65,018 **Biology, General 308 degrees awarded** $56,721 **Communication and Media Studies 296 degrees awarded** $53,267 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-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/majors/) 05 / UTSA briefing ## How does UTSA serve students from different backgrounds? Azimuth places the mobility pillar for The University of Texas at San Antonio in the 98th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort complete at 55.6%, above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) of 52.6% by 3.0 percentage points. Graduates earn about $4,764 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 71st percentile. Azimuth places the access pillar of The University of Texas at San Antonio in the 92nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The public university admits 86.8% of applicants, a figure that exceeds the peer median of 78.1%. Pell Grant recipients account for 44.1% of the 30,580 undergraduates enrolled, and an estimated 48.8% arrive as transfers or part-time students. 06 / UTSA briefing ## [What colleges are similar to UTSA?](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/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-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with UTSA. Admissions peerTexas State University89.3% admitted+ Comparison with UTSA | Measure | UTSA | Texas State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,333 | $58,786\-$1,547 vs UTSA | | Average annual net price | $10,836 | $16,805+$5,969 vs UTSA · higher cost | | Admission rate | 86.8% | 89.3% | [Explore Texas State University →](/school/texas-state-university/) Higher-admission alternativeSt. Mary's University97.8% admitted+ Comparison with UTSA | Measure | UTSA | St. Mary's University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,333 | $58,545\-$1,788 vs UTSA | | Average annual net price | $10,836 | $21,145+$10,309 vs UTSA · higher cost | | Admission rate | 86.8% | 97.8% | Nearby alternativeTexas State UniversityNearby option · TX+ Comparison with UTSA | Measure | UTSA | Texas State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,333 | $58,786\-$1,547 vs UTSA | | Average annual net price | $10,836 | $16,805+$5,969 vs UTSA · higher cost | | Admission rate | 86.8% | 89.3% | [Explore Texas State University →](/school/texas-state-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Illinois Chicago$72,839 earnings+ Comparison with UTSA | Measure | UTSA | University of Illinois Chicago | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,333 | $72,839+$12,506 vs UTSA | | Average annual net price | $10,836 | $10,974+$138 vs UTSA · higher cost | | Admission rate | 86.8% | 77.4% | [Explore University of Illinois Chicago →](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/) Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Brooklyn College$3,103 average net price+ Comparison with UTSA | Measure | UTSA | CUNY Brooklyn College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,333 | $62,833+$2,500 vs UTSA | | Average annual net price | $10,836 | $3,103\-$7,733 vs UTSA · lower cost | | Admission rate | 86.8% | 58.4% | [Explore CUNY Brooklyn College →](/school/cuny-brooklyn-college/) Similar profileUniversity of North TexasMatched across several measures+ Comparison with UTSA | Measure | UTSA | University of North Texas | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $60,333 | $58,743\-$1,590 vs UTSA | | Average annual net price | $10,836 | $15,649+$4,813 vs UTSA · higher cost | | Admission rate | 86.8% | 72.2% | [Explore University of North Texas →](/school/university-of-north-texas/) 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-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/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/)