1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. University of Northwestern-St Paul Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # University of Northwestern-St Paul MN · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #1293 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/similar/) ## [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) University of Northwestern-St Paul #1,293 overall among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for The University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private nonprofit university in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where Theology is the largest program family. Return is the strongest pillar, but it sits around the average, and graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them. The earnings picture is mixed. Graduates earn above the median at comparable schools, yet they earn less than the model expects. The model attributes the part it can measure to adding to expected earnings, while the remainder it cannot explain subtracts from them. Access is below the levels seen at many peers, and affordability is modestly below average. Pell students complete at a rate below the cohort as a whole, and what families in the lowest income band pay on average sits well below the published cost. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions, and an estimated share of graduates continues to graduate study, based on the program mix. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid one, Nursing, is not the largest. ## University of Northwestern-St Paul at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 93.5% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 68.1% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $57,471 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $21,689 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $21,325 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $28,694 ## University of Northwestern-St Paul rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) University of Northwestern-St Paul is a private nonprofit university in Saint Paul, Minnesota, enrolling 1,442 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the lower portion of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (12th percentile). The university admits 93.5% of applicants, a rate above the 75.7% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 82.9% return for a second year and 68.1% finish within six years. Both figures run above the medians for comparable institutions, which are 74.2% and 54.9%. An estimated 17.6% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students. The shape is a private nonprofit where return and mobility sit in the middle of the field, while affordability and access trail. The four pillars are spread apart, with return the strongest and access the weakest. Access sits far below the others, and the pillars do not cluster tightly. The clearest relative showing at University of Northwestern-St Paul is return, but its four-pillar profile has sizable weaker areas. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, return stands in the 47th percentile, the university’s strongest pillar. Mobility is in the 40th percentile, affordability in the 29th percentile, and access in the 3rd percentile, its weakest pillar. Return and mobility sit higher than affordability and access in this profile. Pell Grants reach 15.7% of the undergraduate population at University of Northwestern-St Paul, a financial-access measure that tracks federal aid to lower-income students. Azimuth places the university at #1,427 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Students who enter with Pell Grants finish within six years at 64.4%, a rate that sits below the overall cohort figure (68.1%) by 3.7 percentage points. For mobility, Azimuth ranks the university #878 among nonprofit four-year institutions. On earnings, graduates earn about $2,957 less 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 Northwestern-St Paul rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #1,293 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 40 **Access & reach** National percentile: 3 **[Affordability](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/cost/)** National percentile: 29 **[Return on investment](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/outcomes/)** National percentile: 47 01 / University of Northwestern-St Paul briefing ## [University of Northwestern-St Paul cost & financial aid](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) At University of Northwestern-St Paul, the gap between listed charges and aid-recipient cost is substantial, though its average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is above the peer median. The published cost of attendance is $51,325, which includes $37,920 in tuition and fees and $11,534 for room and board. For aid recipients, the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $27,705, with $23,620 in average aid savings against the listed cost. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $22,347; the university's figure is $5,358 above it. Azimuth ranks the university #1,006 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The aid discount reduces published charges, but the remaining average cost sits above that of comparable institutions. University of Northwestern-St Paul carries a published cost of attendance of $51,325, with aid-recipient prices differing across family-income bands. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $26,696 in the lowest-income family band, $23,884 in the lower-middle band, $21,689 in the middle band, $25,267 in the upper-middle band, and $31,348 in the highest-income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $4,652. Azimuth ranks the university #1,006 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 46% of the published cost, representing financial aid savings of $23,620. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $27,705. Published tuition and fees are $37,920, and room and board are $11,534. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $22,347; the university’s average net price is $5,358 above that benchmark. Aid offsets a substantial share of the published cost, though the average price remains above the comparable-institution median. Federal borrowing is common: 92.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $21,325, $3,675 below the $25,000 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing among parent borrowers is $28,694. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 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**$21,689** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at University of Northwestern-St Paul Federal borrowing is widespread at University of Northwestern-St Paul: 92.7% of federal aid recipients take federal loans, and completers who borrowed have median federal student loan debt of $21,325. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median federal debt is $25,000. The university’s median is below that figure by $3,675. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $28,694. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled at University of Northwestern-St Paul have median earnings of $57,471. Their median federal debt is below the peer median. Azimuth places those earnings in the 41st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) show that graduates earn about $2,957 less than the model expects for similar students. That measure compares what graduates earn to what the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places that measure in the 43rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings scenarios range from $45,910 in a downside case to $80,585 in an upside case, with the typical outcome matching the median. Median federal debt at completion is $21,325, below the $25,000 median for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $3,675. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing among parent borrowers is $28,694, a separate population from student federal-loan borrowers. For borrowers with median federal student debt, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 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** $21,325 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $28,694 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $242/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $365/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-northwestern-st-paul#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/cost/) 02 / University of Northwestern-St Paul briefing ## [University of Northwestern-St Paul career outcomes & earnings](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) At University of Northwestern-St Paul, return measures are mixed. Azimuth places return in the 47th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,957 less than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between graduate earnings and the model expectation for similar students, is in the 43rd 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 $161. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $3,118. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $89. Median earnings are $57,471 four years after completion, in the 41st percentile. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median, or middle value, is $55,915; the university is $1,556 above it. The model and peer comparisons point different ways. Federally aided graduates of University of Northwestern-St Paul who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $57,471 four years after completion. That is $1,556 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Among nonprofit four-year institutions, that median lands at the 41st percentile. The underlying earnings cohort includes 624 completers. Graduates earn about $2,957 less than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 43rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Estimated earnings scenarios from the program mix run from $45,910 on the downside to $80,585 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $57,471. An estimated 27.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $57,471. That is $1,556 above the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) University of Northwestern-St Paul #778 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,957 less than the model expects for similar students. That places the result at the 43rd 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 $161. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $3,118. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $89. Degrees awarded cluster heavily in theology and health fields, with business as a smaller share and a small fraction in STEM disciplines. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, run from a downside of $45,910 to an upside of $80,585 four years after completion. An estimated 27.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. The modeled earnings picture at University of Northwestern-St Paul spans from a downside scenario of $45,910 to an upside scenario of $80,585. Both are scenarios estimated from the program mix, rather than observed groups of graduates. Among individual fields, median earnings four years after completion are $78,661 in Nursing, $77,128 in Accounting, and $64,339 in Criminal Justice. Those field results illustrate the range represented in the earnings scenarios. At University of Northwestern-St Paul, borrowing is lower than at comparable institutions, but the earnings signal is less favorable. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $21,325, below the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $25,000 by $3,675. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $2,957 less than the model expects for similar students. For aid recipients, average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $27,705. It is above the $22,347 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size), by $5,358. Lower borrowing sits beside a higher average net price and lower-than-expected earnings, so the return picture is mixed. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$161 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$3,118 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$2,957 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-northwestern-st-paul/outcomes/) 03 / University of Northwestern-St Paul briefing ## [University of Northwestern-St Paul acceptance rate & admissions](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) University of Northwestern-St Paul admitted a broad share of its reported applicant pool, with an admission rate of 93.5%. That rate is above the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 93.5% **Approximate lower endpoint** 868 **Reported average** 1173 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1271 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/admissions/) 04 / University of Northwestern-St Paul briefing ## [What are the largest majors at University of Northwestern-St Paul?](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At University of Northwestern-St Paul, program earnings differ across the fields with the largest and highest-earning offerings, so the intended major matters when reading the school’s overall return picture. Nursing is at the higher end, with median earnings of $78,661 four years after completion and 84 degrees awarded. Accounting also posts $77,128 with 21 degrees awarded, placing it near the upper end of the published program figures. Business Administration and Management sits in a middle range at $68,086 and 34 degrees awarded. At a more moderate level, Psychology records median earnings of $46,555 four years after completion across 32 degrees awarded. The contrast between these fields shows that the program-level earnings picture is not uniform. Theology shapes the degree mix at University of Northwestern-St Paul, accounting for 33.3% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. Published earnings data cover 15 bachelor’s fields. Theology is the signature program family at University of Northwestern-St Paul, accounting for 33.3% of bachelor's degrees awarded. Health Professions is next at 14.3%, and Business follows at 12.2%. The university has 15 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Bible/Biblical Studies, at 192 degrees awarded. Nursing is the second-largest, with 84 degrees awarded, and Business Administration and Management is third at 34. Nursing is the highest-earning program, with a median of $78,661 four years after completion. Accounting follows at $77,128, from 21 degrees awarded. Criminal Justice, a smaller program at 11 degrees awarded, earns a median of $64,339, a benchmark ratio of 1.16x against the national median for its field. The largest programs and the highest-earning ones overlap only partially. Bible/Biblical Studies awards the most degrees but does not appear among the top earners, while Nursing is both the second-largest program and the best-paid. Across all fields, 10.6% of degrees are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Bible/Biblical Studies 192 degrees awarded** $51,761 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 84 degrees awarded** $78,661 **Business Administration, Management and Operations 34 degrees awarded** $68,086 **Psychology, General 32 degrees awarded** $46,555 **Engineering, General 26 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 22 degrees awarded** $46,885 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-northwestern-st-paul/majors/) 05 / University of Northwestern-St Paul briefing ## How does University of Northwestern-St Paul serve students from different backgrounds? Completion provides one part of the mobility picture: the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 68.1%. Pell recipients in that cohort complete within six years at 64.4%, below the overall rate by 3.7 percentage points. [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 another measure. Graduates earn about $2,957 less than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places earnings beyond expectations in the 43rd percentile and the mobility pillar in the 40th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Completion and the modeled earnings gap point in different directions. Entry is open by the reported admission rate: 93.5% of applicants were admitted to University of Northwestern-St Paul. Undergraduate enrollment is 1,442, with 15.7% receiving Pell Grants and an estimated 17.6% share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group. Azimuth places its access pillar in the 3rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. These measures describe access across admissions and enrollment. 06 / University of Northwestern-St Paul briefing ## [What colleges are similar to University of Northwestern-St Paul?](/school/university-of-northwestern-st-paul/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-northwestern-st-paul/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with University of Northwestern-St Paul. Admissions peerSaint Johns University90.6% admitted+ Comparison with University of Northwestern-St Paul | Measure | University of Northwestern-St Paul | Saint Johns University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,471 | $72,829+$15,358 vs University of Northwestern-St Paul | | Average annual net price | $27,705 | $25,672\-$2,033 vs University of Northwestern-St Paul · lower cost | | Admission rate | 93.5% | 90.6% | Nearby alternativeCrown CollegeNearby option · MN+ Comparison with University of Northwestern-St Paul | Measure | University of Northwestern-St Paul | Crown College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,471 | $50,863\-$6,608 vs University of Northwestern-St Paul | | Average annual net price | $27,705 | $26,672\-$1,033 vs University of Northwestern-St Paul · lower cost | | Admission rate | 93.5% | 22.8% | Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of St Thomas$82,136 earnings+ Comparison with University of Northwestern-St Paul | Measure | University of Northwestern-St Paul | University of St Thomas | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,471 | $82,136+$24,665 vs University of Northwestern-St Paul | | Average annual net price | $27,705 | $29,155+$1,450 vs University of Northwestern-St Paul · higher cost | | Admission rate | 93.5% | 85.4% | [Explore University of St Thomas →](/school/university-of-st-thomas-mn/) Lower-cost alternativeSaint Cloud State University$13,529 average net price+ Comparison with University of Northwestern-St Paul | Measure | University of Northwestern-St Paul | Saint Cloud State University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,471 | $59,194+$1,723 vs University of Northwestern-St Paul | | Average annual net price | $27,705 | $13,529\-$14,176 vs University of Northwestern-St Paul · lower cost | | Admission rate | 93.5% | 94.8% | [Explore Saint Cloud State University →](/school/saint-cloud-state-university/) Similar profileWartburg CollegeMatched across several measures+ Comparison with University of Northwestern-St Paul | Measure | University of Northwestern-St Paul | Wartburg College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $57,471 | $58,373+$902 vs University of Northwestern-St Paul | | Average annual net price | $27,705 | $32,908+$5,203 vs University of Northwestern-St Paul · higher cost | | Admission rate | 93.5% | 75.8% | 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-northwestern-st-paul/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 is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. 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/)