1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. University of Louisville Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # University of Louisville KY · Large public institution · Overall rank #207 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-louisville/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/university-of-louisville/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-louisville/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-louisville/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-louisville/similar/) ## Azimuth places University of Louisville #207 among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for The University of Louisville is a public university in Kentucky whose degree mix is led by Health Professions, Business, and Engineering, with mobility, its strongest pillar, well above average. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes part of the gap to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — while an unexplained remainder subtracts from it. Most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study, so the four-year earnings figure captures most completers at a point when they are in the labor force. Students who arrive with Pell Grants finish below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole, and mobility is well above average. The lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it, so the aid structure tilts toward families with less to spend. The admission rate is near the median for comparable schools, and the program mix leans toward fields where the best-paid programs — engineering disciplines — are not the largest ones. A student drawn to nursing or kinesiology should go in knowing that the largest departments are not the best-paid ones. ## University of Louisville at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 79.4% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 61.2% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $67,853 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $16,419 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $20,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $20,717 ## University of Louisville rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky, enrolling 14,727 undergraduates. The university sits in the top sixth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with a composite percentile of 86th. The university admits 79.4% of applicants, a rate that is close to the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 81.5% return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.1%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 61.2%, compared to a peer median of 65.0%. An estimated 29.1% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, and the six-year rate describes the first-time, full-time cohort only. The four pillars are not far apart, but mobility is the strongest, at the 86th percentile, and affordability the weakest, at the 68th percentile. Access and return sit between them, at the 79th and 74th percentiles respectively. The shape is a broad-access public university in Kentucky where the strongest pillar is the one that measures how well Pell students finish. Mobility is the clearest strength in a four-part picture that is solid across the board. Azimuth places University of Louisville's mobility pillar in the 86th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth puts access in the 79th percentile and return in the 74th percentile. Affordability, the weakest pillar, is in the 68th percentile. The stronger mobility and access readings sit alongside a less favorable affordability reading. 30.6% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks University of Louisville #306 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at 49.8%, 11.4 percentage points below the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) (61.2%). Azimuth ranks the university #203 for mobility. Graduates earn about $2,742 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 Louisville rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #207 | | [Kentucky](/rankings/best-colleges-in-kentucky/) | #2 | | [South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/) | #72 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 86 **Access & reach** National percentile: 79 **[Affordability](/school/university-of-louisville/cost/)** National percentile: 68 **[Return on investment](/school/university-of-louisville/outcomes/)** National percentile: 74 ### Top-ranked majors 1. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas**#4** 2. Industrial Engineering**#19** 3. Business/Managerial Economics**#29** 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-louisville/majors/#major-rankings) 01 / University of Louisville briefing ## [University of Louisville cost & financial aid](/school/university-of-louisville/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) For aid recipients, University of Louisville brings the published price down to an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $17,988, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships. The published cost of attendance is $32,941. In-state tuition and fees are $13,136, out-of-state tuition and fees are $29,482, and room and board are $12,576. Financial aid reduces the published total by $14,953 for the average aid recipient. The average net price is $2,354 above the $15,634 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #459 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The aid reduction is substantial, though the resulting average price remains above the comparable-institution median. At University of Louisville, the published cost of attendance is $32,941, and aid recipients face different average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s across family-income bands. The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $15,138 for families in the lowest income band; $14,601 for those in the next-lowest band; $16,419 for middle-income families; $20,995 for families in the upper-middle band; and $25,186 for families in the highest income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,048. Azimuth ranks the university #459 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid offsets $14,953 against the sticker price and covers about 45% of the published cost. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $17,988, which is $2,354 above the peer median of $15,634 at comparable institutions (same type and size). Published tuition and fees are $13,136 for in-state students and $29,482 for out-of-state students. Aid covers a portion of published costs, but the overall average net price remains above the comparable-institution median. Federal borrowing is common among Louisville undergraduates: 80.3% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $20,500, close to the $20,076 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size), with a $424 gap. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month if repaid over ten years. For parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $20,717. 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**$16,419** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at University of Louisville At University of Louisville, federal borrowing is widespread, and completion debt sits close to its peer reference. 80.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt is $20,500. The peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $20,076; the university's median is above that figure by $424. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers, a separate parent-borrower population, have median borrowing of $20,717. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 47% of graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $25,854 per borrower. The report includes federal loans for 46% of graduates, averaging $18,750. It also includes private loans for 11% of graduates, averaging $32,971. At University of Louisville, four-year earnings and modeled expectations offer a favorable financial picture, with debt matching the peer benchmark. Graduates earn median earnings of $67,853 four years after completion. Azimuth places the university in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions for that measure. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, are also positive. Graduates earn about $2,742 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places that measure in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The program-mix earnings scenarios show $67,853 in a typical scenario, $49,099 in a downside scenario, and $88,125 in an upside scenario. Median federal debt of $20,500 is above the $20,076 peer median by $424. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings alongside peer-level debt point the same way. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $20,717. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 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** $20,500 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $20,717 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $233/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $263/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-louisville#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/university-of-louisville/cost/) 02 / University of Louisville briefing ## [University of Louisville career outcomes & earnings](/school/university-of-louisville/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 $67,853. That is at the 73rd percentile nationally, and $2,243 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the university at the 74th percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,742 more than the model expects for similar students. That places the gap at the 65th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds $10,501. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $7,759. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,823. University of Louisville graduates have earnings that sit well above the middle of the national nonprofit four-year distribution. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $67,853, placing the university in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The measure is based on an earnings cohort of 3,752 completers. Graduates earn about $2,742 more than the model expects for similar students. A typical earnings scenario, based on the program mix, is $67,853. An estimated 28.4% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The four-year median and the higher-than-expected earnings point in the same direction. University of Louisville has median earnings of $67,853 four years after completion, placing it in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610, so the university stands $2,243 above that reference. Graduates earn about $2,742 more than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 65th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $10,501. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $7,759. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,823. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix run from $49,099 in the downside scenario to $88,125 in the upside scenario. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the return pillar #381 among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer comparison and the expectation measure both sit above their reference points, even as the model assigns opposite directions to parts of the gap. Nursing is the largest listed program, with 281 degrees awarded and median earnings of $78,902 four years after completion; Azimuth ranks it #233 nationally in its field. Among higher-earning programs, Industrial Engineering had 28 degrees awarded and median earnings of $104,538, Chemical Engineering had 47 degrees awarded and median earnings of $101,068, and Mechanical Engineering had 105 degrees awarded and median earnings of $89,056. The program figures range from a large program with solid earnings to smaller programs with higher medians. Earnings vary widely across the earnings scenarios at University of Louisville, from $49,099 in the downside scenario to $88,125 in the upside scenario. These are scenarios based on program mix, rather than observed groups. Among the upper-earning fields, Industrial Engineering completers have median earnings of $104,538 four years after completion, Chemical Engineering completers have $101,068, and Computer Engineering completers have $97,216. These fields show how program choice can sit at the upper end of the modeled range. At University of Louisville, borrowing for completers sits at the peer norm rather than below it. Federal student loan borrowers who completed have median debt of $20,500, close to the $20,076 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $233 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $2,742 more than the model expects for similar students. Those modeled earnings provide a favorable counterpoint to borrowing that matches the peer median. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $17,988. This is above the $15,634 peer median, and aid covers about 45% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Above-expected earnings and peer-level debt point in the same direction, though the average price is higher than at comparable institutions. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$10,501 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$7,759 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$2,742 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-louisville/outcomes/) 03 / University of Louisville briefing ## [University of Louisville acceptance rate & admissions](/school/university-of-louisville/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) University of Louisville admitted 79.4% of applicants, above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 15,668 first-year applicants, 12,442 admitted, and 3,120 enrolled. SAT: reported composite scores **Admission rate** 79.4% **25th percentile** 1010 **Median** 1120 **75th percentile** 1230 CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/university-of-louisville/admissions/) 04 / University of Louisville briefing ## [What are the largest majors at University of Louisville?](/school/university-of-louisville/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) University of Louisville has a wide earnings range across fields, so program choice shapes the picture four years after completion. Among the higher-earning options, Nursing reports median earnings of $78,902 and 281 degrees awarded; [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #233 nationally within its academic field. Mechanical Engineering records $89,056 with 105 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #154 within its academic field. Subject-Area Teacher Education shows median earnings of $74,873 four years after completion, alongside 174 degrees awarded. Azimuth ranks the field #4 nationally within its academic field. Chemical Engineering reports $101,068 and 47 degrees awarded, with an Azimuth national rank of #48 within its academic field. The contrast between these fields shows that earnings vary substantially across the university's larger and nationally ranked programs. University of Louisville offers ranked bachelor’s programs in fields such as education, engineering, and business. Azimuth identifies 29 ranked bachelor’s programs among nonprofit four-year institutions. Industrial Engineering is ranked #19 nationally by Azimuth, with 28 degrees awarded and median earnings of $104,538 four years after completion. The University of Louisville's bachelor's degrees are spread across several large families, with Health Professions accounting for 13.8% of degrees awarded, Business for 13.0%, and Engineering for 12.4%. The university has 29 ranked programs and 35 with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Nursing, at 281 degrees awarded, followed by Kinesiology and Physical Education with 228 and Psychology with 221. The highest-ranked program is Subject-Area Teacher Education, which [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) #1 in Kentucky within its field and awards 174 degrees a year. Industrial Engineering ranks #19 nationally within its field and #1 in Kentucky within its field. The highest-earning program is Industrial Engineering, where graduates earn a median of $104,538 four years after completion, and awards 28 degrees a year. Chemical Engineering and Computer Engineering follow, with medians of $101,068 and $97,216 respectively. Nursing, the largest program, reports median earnings of $78,902 and ranks #4 in Kentucky within its field. The pattern is one of breadth rather than concentration: the largest programs are not the highest-earning, and the highest-earning programs are relatively small. Engineering fields dominate the top of the earnings list, while the largest programs by degrees awarded sit in health, education, and social sciences. 21.0% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 281 degrees awarded** $78,902 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 228 degrees awarded** $53,496 **Psychology, General 221 degrees awarded** $51,387 **Communication and Media Studies 177 degrees awarded** $55,636 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas 174 degrees awarded** $74,873 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 144 degrees awarded** $57,399 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-louisville/majors/) 05 / University of Louisville briefing ## How does University of Louisville serve students from different backgrounds? At University of Louisville, modeled earnings and degree completion offer a positive mobility picture, although Pell completion trails the overall rate. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 61.2%; for Pell recipients, the six-year completion rate is 49.8%, below the overall rate by 11.4 percentage points. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the mobility pillar lands in the 86th percentile. Graduates earn about $2,742 more than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 65th percentile. Higher modeled earnings sit alongside a Pell completion gap. University of Louisville admits 79.4% of applicants and enrolls 14,727 undergraduates, setting a broad entry point at a large public university. 30.6% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and an estimated 29.1% arrive as transfer-in students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. These measures show access through admissions, financial access, and transfer entry. 06 / University of Louisville briefing ## [What colleges are similar to University of Louisville?](/school/university-of-louisville/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-louisville/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with University of Louisville. Admissions peerEastern Kentucky University77.6% admitted+ Comparison with University of Louisville | Measure | University of Louisville | Eastern Kentucky University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,853 | $54,691\-$13,162 vs University of Louisville | | Average annual net price | $17,988 | $11,040\-$6,948 vs University of Louisville · lower cost | | Admission rate | 79.4% | 77.6% | [Explore Eastern Kentucky University →](/school/eastern-kentucky-university/) Higher-admission alternativeSpalding University99.5% admitted+ Comparison with University of Louisville | Measure | University of Louisville | Spalding University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,853 | $64,136\-$3,717 vs University of Louisville | | Average annual net price | $17,988 | $25,491+$7,503 vs University of Louisville · higher cost | | Admission rate | 79.4% | 99.5% | Nearby alternativeBellarmine UniversityNearby option · KY+ Comparison with University of Louisville | Measure | University of Louisville | Bellarmine University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,853 | $64,564\-$3,289 vs University of Louisville | | Average annual net price | $17,988 | $21,499+$3,511 vs University of Louisville · higher cost | | Admission rate | 79.4% | 86.1% | Higher-earnings alternativeRegis University$81,785 earnings+ Comparison with University of Louisville | Measure | University of Louisville | Regis University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,853 | $81,785+$13,932 vs University of Louisville | | Average annual net price | $17,988 | $18,397+$409 vs University of Louisville · higher cost | | Admission rate | 79.4% | 86.5% | Lower-cost alternativeNorthern Kentucky University$8,191 average net price+ Comparison with University of Louisville | Measure | University of Louisville | Northern Kentucky University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,853 | $58,429\-$9,424 vs University of Louisville | | Average annual net price | $17,988 | $8,191\-$9,797 vs University of Louisville · lower cost | | Admission rate | 79.4% | 67.7% | [Explore Northern Kentucky University →](/school/northern-kentucky-university/) Similar profileTowson UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with University of Louisville | Measure | University of Louisville | Towson University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $67,853 | $65,610\-$2,243 vs University of Louisville | | Average annual net price | $17,988 | $17,413\-$575 vs University of Louisville · lower cost | | Admission rate | 79.4% | 82.0% | [Explore Towson University →](/school/towson-university/) 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-louisville/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/)