1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. University of Connecticut Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # University of Connecticut CT · Large public institution · Overall rank #105 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-connecticut/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/university-of-connecticut/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-connecticut/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-connecticut/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-connecticut/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) University of Connecticut #105 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for University of Connecticut is a public university in Storrs, Connecticut, whose degree mix is led by Social Sciences, Business, and Engineering. Mobility is among the highest we track, and 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 model attributes part of the gap to the factors it measures, which adds, and part to what it cannot explain, which subtracts. Return is well above average. Pell recipients finish below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is among the highest we track. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it, so the aid case turns on income. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools. A student drawn to the social sciences should go in knowing that the largest departments are not the best-paid ones. ## University of Connecticut at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 52.4% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 83.3% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $78,925 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $20,608 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $21,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $35,324 ## University of Connecticut rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) University of Connecticut enrolls 19,835 undergraduates as a public university in Storrs, Connecticut. Its overall standing among nonprofit four-year institutions sits in the top tenth of the field (93rd percentile). The admission rate is 52.4%, against a median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Retention for the first-time, full-time cohort is 92.5%, and the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 83.3%. Peer medians for that group are 83.1% and 65.0%. An estimated 14.6% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate covers only the first-time, full-time cohort. University of Connecticut places mobility at the top of its four pillars (95th percentile) and affordability at the bottom (33rd percentile). Return and access sit close together in the upper eighties (87th and 87th percentiles), yet the four pillars as a whole are spread across a wide range. The University of Connecticut's strongest pillar is mobility, where it sits in the 95th percentile, reflecting the scale at which graduates reach earnings that outpace their pre-college economic circumstances. The access pillar follows at the 87th percentile and the return pillar at the 87th percentile, while affordability is the weakest pillar, in the 33rd percentile. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) University of Connecticut #105 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The affordability pillar is the one area where the university sits below the median for nonprofit four-year institutions, while the other three pillars all land above it. The undergraduate population at University of Connecticut includes 25.4% Pell Grant recipients, students who receive federal aid based on family financial circumstances. For access, Azimuth ranks the university #195 among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year completion rate for Pell recipients is 73.8%, which sits 9.5 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole (83.3%). Azimuth ranks University of Connecticut #77 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $9,186 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/) University of Connecticut rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #105 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 95 **Access & reach** National percentile: 87 **[Affordability](/school/university-of-connecticut/cost/)** National percentile: 33 **[Return on investment](/school/university-of-connecticut/outcomes/)** National percentile: 87 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Zoology/Animal Biology**#1** 2. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration**#6** 3. Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences**#8** 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/university-of-connecticut/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / University of Connecticut briefing ## [University of Connecticut cost & financial aid](/school/university-of-connecticut/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The University of Connecticut's published cost of attendance is $39,426, but the average aid recipient pays a [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $25,097—a savings of $14,329 against the sticker total. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported sticker charges for the 2026-27 academic year of $17,010 in-state tuition and $4,564 in required fees. On-campus food and housing was $15,184, and out-of-state tuition was $39,678. That average net price sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $9,463, which makes affordability the university's weakest pillar. Azimuth ranks UConn #947 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The lowest-income band averages $15,193, a figure that, while not negative, still represents a steep discount from the sticker price for families who qualify for the most aid. The University of Connecticut publishes a cost of attendance of $39,426, a figure that shifts considerably once aid is applied. For families earning under $30,000, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $15,193, rising to $16,339 in the $30,001–$48,000 band and $20,608 in the $48,001–$75,000 band. For families earning $75,001–$110,000, the average net price is $28,285, and for those earning over $110,000 it reaches $33,797. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $18,604. Azimuth ranks the university #947 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 36% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $14,329 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $25,097, which sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $9,463. 85.1% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans, and the median federal student debt at completion is $21,500. That figure is above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,424. For parents, the median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $35,324. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**$20,608** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at University of Connecticut 85.1% of federal aid recipients borrow federally. For completers who did so, median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,500. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $20,076, and the university's median is $1,424 above that figure. Parent borrowers form a separate population, with median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $35,324. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 53% of graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $30,427 per borrower. The any-source group includes 51% of graduates with federal loans averaging $19,868 per federal borrower. It also includes 12% of graduates with private loans averaging $49,610 per private borrower. The return picture at University of Connecticut is strong: graduates earn well above both the model's expectation and the peer median. Four years after completion, the median earnings reach $78,925, a figure in the 87th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $9,186 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome in the 81st percentile nationally. That median is above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $13,315. Earnings scenarios derived from the university's program mix show a downside scenario of $56,589 and an upside scenario of $102,503. On the cost side, the median federal student debt at completion is $21,500, which is above the $20,076 peer median by $1,424. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $35,324. 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** $35,324 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $244/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $449/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=university-of-connecticut#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/university-of-connecticut/cost/) 02 / University of Connecticut briefing ## [University of Connecticut career outcomes & earnings](/school/university-of-connecticut/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completion, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $78,925. That places the figure in the 87th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That is $13,315 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size), $65,610. They earn about $9,186 more than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 81st percentile. The return pillar is at the 87th 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 $11,793. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $2,607. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,027. Four years after finishing, the median federally aided completer from the University of Connecticut who is working and not enrolled earns $78,925. That amount is $13,315 above the median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That median reflects 6,472 completers and sits at the 87th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $9,186 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the result at the 81st percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, span from $56,589 on the downside to $102,503 on the upside, with $78,925 as the typical figure. An estimated 32.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #192 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completing a bachelor's degree at the University of Connecticut, graduates earn a median of $78,925, which places the university in the 87th percentile nationally. That figure runs above the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $13,315. Graduates earn about $9,186 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 81st percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $11,793. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $2,607. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,027. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the university #192 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix show a downside of $56,589 and an upside of $102,503, according to the earnings scenarios. The largest program, Psychology, awarded 396 degrees and shows median earnings of $57,961 four years after completion, ranking #54 nationally in its field. Finance is both large, at 253 degrees, and the highest-earning among the largest programs at $102,286. It ranks #29 nationally and #1 in Connecticut. The high-return program is Zoology/Animal Biology, which ranks #1 nationally and earns 1.58x the national median for its field. The large social-science and business programs, alongside the high-earning engineering fields, coincide with a return profile that beats the model, even though the institution itself subtracts slightly from expected earnings. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: from $56,589 on the downside to $102,503 on the upside. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates. At the higher end, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration graduates earn $122,474 four years after completion, and Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn $117,412. Computer Engineering is close behind at $115,117. Much of the variation in the overall earnings picture coincides with the program a student chooses. The published cost of attendance at University of Connecticut is $39,426, and aid covers about 36% of that for the average aid recipient. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $25,097, which is $9,463 above the peer median of $15,634 at comparable institutions (same type and size). Borrowers who finish carry a median of $21,500 in federal student loans, $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 $35,324 in Parent PLUS loans. Earnings sit well above the peer median and beat the model's expectation. Net prices, however, run above those at comparable schools, and the affordability pillar sits at the 33rd percentile. A family's actual cost will depend on its income band and aid package. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$11,793 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$2,607 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$9,186 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/university-of-connecticut/outcomes/) 03 / University of Connecticut briefing ## [University of Connecticut acceptance rate & admissions](/school/university-of-connecticut/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) The University of Connecticut admits 52.4% of applicants, a rate well below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 59,553 applicants, 32,369 admitted students, and 4,663 enrolled first-year students. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 52.4% **25th percentile** 1260 **Median** 1350 **75th percentile** 1420 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/university-of-connecticut/admissions/) 04 / University of Connecticut briefing ## [What are the largest majors at University of Connecticut?](/school/university-of-connecticut/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The University of Connecticut's strongest earnings sit in health sciences and engineering, while large social-science and business programs land at more moderate levels. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration tops the list at $122,474 four years after completion, with 60 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #6. Computer and Information Sciences follows at $117,412 and 74 degrees awarded. Among the largest programs, Finance reaches $102,286 on 253 degrees awarded and ranks #29 nationally. Psychology, the biggest program with 396 degrees awarded, reports median earnings of $57,961 and an Azimuth national rank of #54. Economics sits between them at $81,881 on 384 degrees awarded. University of Connecticut fields 53 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, with earnings data published for 61 fields. The largest, Psychology, awarded 396 degrees and shows a median of $57,961 four years after completion, ranking #54 nationally and #1 in Connecticut. Several programs hold a top-ten national rank. Zoology/Animal Biology ranks #1 with 107 degrees awarded and a median of $69,471. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration ranks #6 with 60 degrees awarded and a median of $122,474. Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences ranks #8 nationally, awarded 159 degrees, and reports a median of $73,120. Chemistry also ranks #8, with 37 degrees awarded and a median of $84,609. University of Connecticut awards bachelor's degrees across 53 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 61 with published four-year earnings data. The program mix is broad, with Social Sciences accounting for 13.0% of degrees awarded, Business for 12.8%, and Engineering for 11.8%. The largest single programs are Psychology at 396 degrees awarded, Economics at 384, and Finance at 253. Zoology/Animal Biology awards 107 degrees a year and graduates earn a median of $69,471 four years after completion, a benchmark ratio of 1.58x against the national median for its field. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration is also highly ranked, at #6 nationally and #1 in Connecticut, with 60 degrees awarded and median earnings of $122,474. The highest-earning program is Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, where graduates earn a median of $122,474 from 60 degrees awarded a year. Computer and Information Sciences follows at $117,412 from 74 degrees, and Computer Engineering at $115,117 from 84 degrees, where it ranks #38 nationally and #1 in Connecticut. Strength is spread across the sciences and professional fields rather than concentrated in one area. The largest programs in social sciences and business sit alongside highly ranked programs in the life sciences and a cluster of engineering and computing fields with six-figure median earnings. Across all fields, 28.3% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Psychology, General 396 degrees awarded** $57,961 **Economics 384 degrees awarded** $81,881 **Finance and Financial Management Services 253 degrees awarded** $102,286 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 234 degrees awarded** $92,601 **Communication and Media Studies 231 degrees awarded** $68,542 **Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services 224 degrees awarded** $79,657 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/university-of-connecticut/majors/) 05 / University of Connecticut briefing ## How does University of Connecticut serve students from different backgrounds? The University of Connecticut delivers strong completion results, earning a mobility pillar percentile of 95th among nonprofit four-year institutions. The first-time full-time cohort posts a [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) of 83.3%, and Pell recipients complete at 73.8% — below the overall rate by 9.5 percentage points. Graduates earn about $9,186 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 81st percentile nationally. A high completion rate alongside higher-than-expected earnings points to strong outcomes for students who reach the finish line. University of Connecticut is a public university that combines broad access with strong completion, enrolling 19,835 undergraduates. The university admits 52.4% of applicants, a rate well below the peer median of 78.1%—the middle value for comparable institutions—and an estimated 14.6% of undergraduates enter as transfers or part-time students. Pell Grant recipients account for 25.4% of the undergraduate body. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 87th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. 06 / University of Connecticut briefing ## [What colleges are similar to University of Connecticut?](/school/university-of-connecticut/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/university-of-connecticut/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with University of Connecticut. Admissions peerProvidence College50.9% admitted+ Comparison with University of Connecticut | Measure | University of Connecticut | Providence College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $78,925 | $83,143+$4,218 vs University of Connecticut | | Average annual net price | $25,097 | $48,523+$23,426 vs University of Connecticut · higher cost | | Admission rate | 52.4% | 50.9% | Higher-admission alternativeRivier University82.6% admitted+ Comparison with University of Connecticut | Measure | University of Connecticut | Rivier University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $78,925 | $79,087+$162 vs University of Connecticut | | Average annual net price | $25,097 | $28,082+$2,985 vs University of Connecticut · higher cost | | Admission rate | 52.4% | 82.6% | Nearby alternativeTrinity CollegeNearby option · CT+ Comparison with University of Connecticut | Measure | University of Connecticut | Trinity College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $78,925 | $83,645+$4,720 vs University of Connecticut | | Average annual net price | $25,097 | $34,832+$9,735 vs University of Connecticut · higher cost | | Admission rate | 52.4% | 29.3% | [Explore Trinity College →](/school/trinity-college/) Higher-earnings alternativeMaine Maritime Academy$113,298 earnings+ Comparison with University of Connecticut | Measure | University of Connecticut | Maine Maritime Academy | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $78,925 | $113,298+$34,373 vs University of Connecticut | | Average annual net price | $25,097 | $23,414\-$1,683 vs University of Connecticut · lower cost | | Admission rate | 52.4% | 54.1% | [Explore Maine Maritime Academy →](/school/maine-maritime-academy/) Lower-cost alternativeWilliams College$17,716 average net price+ Comparison with University of Connecticut | Measure | University of Connecticut | Williams College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $78,925 | $80,487+$1,562 vs University of Connecticut | | Average annual net price | $25,097 | $17,716\-$7,381 vs University of Connecticut · lower cost | | Admission rate | 52.4% | 8.3% | [Explore Williams College →](/school/williams-college/) Similar profileUniversity at BuffaloMatched across several measures+ Comparison with University of Connecticut | Measure | University of Connecticut | University at Buffalo | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $78,925 | $71,430\-$7,495 vs University of Connecticut | | Average annual net price | $25,097 | $20,995\-$4,102 vs University of Connecticut · lower cost | | Admission rate | 52.4% | 74.2% | [Explore University at Buffalo →](/school/university-at-buffalo/) 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/university-of-connecticut/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/)