1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. University of the Incarnate Word Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # University of the Incarnate Word TX · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #573 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/similar/) ## University of the Incarnate Word sits in Azimuth’s 61st percentile overall. ### Who it’s a good fit for The University of the Incarnate Word is a private nonprofit university in San Antonio whose degree mix is led by Business and Health Professions. Return is above average, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than on to further study. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that gain to a remainder it does not explain than to the factors it measures. The advantage is not simply a matter of field of study or the local labor market. Pell recipients complete at a rate slightly above the entering cohort as a whole, and access is above average. The average net price for the lowest income band sits well below the published cost, though affordability overall is modestly below average. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions, and the largest programs are not the best-paid ones. A student drawn to Business or Psychology should go in knowing that Nursing graduates earn more. ## University of the Incarnate Word at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 98.1% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 51.0% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $63,004 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $21,950 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $27,000 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $25,775 ## University of the Incarnate Word rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) University of the Incarnate Word enrolls 4,440 undergraduates as a private nonprofit university in San Antonio, Texas. Its overall position among nonprofit four-year institutions is near the middle of the field (61st percentile). Admissions are open at University of the Incarnate Word: 98.1% of applicants are admitted, against a peer median of 71.2% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 71.3% return for a second year, below the 83.4% median for comparable institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 51.0%, short of the 68.8% peer median. An estimated 26.6% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year rate describes only the cohort that began here full time. The four pillars sit far apart. Return is the strongest, at the 73rd percentile, while affordability is the weakest, at the 30th percentile. Access and mobility sit between them, with access at the 69th percentile and mobility near the midpoint at the 49th percentile. Return is the clearest strength at University of the Incarnate Word, while affordability is the area that most complicates the overall picture. Azimuth places return in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, ahead of access in the 69th percentile and mobility in the 49th percentile. Azimuth places affordability in the 30th percentile, the university’s weakest pillar. The return and access results point higher than affordability, so the school’s stronger outcome measures sit alongside a less favorable cost picture. 44.6% of undergraduates at University of the Incarnate Word receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks University of the Incarnate Word #452 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell recipients complete at a rate of 51.9%, which is 0.9 percentage points above the overall [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the entering cohort. Azimuth ranks the university #749 for mobility. Graduates earn about $14,355 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 the Incarnate Word rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #573 | | [Texas](/rankings/best-colleges-in-texas/) | #44 | | [South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/) | #197 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 49 **Access & reach** National percentile: 69 **[Affordability](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/cost/)** National percentile: 30 **[Return on investment](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/outcomes/)** National percentile: 73 01 / University of the Incarnate Word briefing ## [University of the Incarnate Word cost & financial aid](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) University of the Incarnate Word publishes a cost of attendance of $48,681, an average across living arrangements. Its tuition and fees are $37,090 and room and board $14,296. For aid recipients, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—what students pay after grants and scholarships—is $22,775. That is $4,596 below the $27,371 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #988 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 53% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, reducing the sticker price by $25,906 on average. The affordability pillar sits at the 30th percentile. The published cost of attendance at University of the Incarnate Word is $48,681 (an average across living arrangements). Across the family-income bands, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $19,260 for families in the lowest band, $19,487 for the next-lowest band, $21,950 for the middle band, $25,084 for the next-highest band, and $31,539 for families in the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,279. Azimuth ranks University of the Incarnate Word #988 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 53% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $22,775 after average financial aid savings of $25,906 against the sticker price. That average is $4,596 below the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $27,371. Published tuition and fees are $37,090, and room and board are listed at $14,296. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $27,000, and 81.9% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That median is $2,801 above the $24,199 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size). For [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers, median borrowing is $25,775. The median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 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**$21,950** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at University of the Incarnate Word Federal debt is a major part of the cost picture for borrowers who complete at University of the Incarnate Word. Median federal student loan debt is $27,000, compared with $24,199 at comparable institutions (same type and size), or $2,801 above. [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowers are a separate population, with median borrowing of $25,775. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 63% of graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $31,302 per borrower. Including 62% of graduates with federal loans, average federal debt was $25,430. Private loans were held by 8% of graduates, averaging $33,552. The return picture is mixed: graduates show [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), but borrower debt is above the peer median. Four years after completion, University of the Incarnate Word graduates have median earnings of $63,004, in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $14,355 more than the model expects for similar students. This is earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students. It is in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios from the program mix put typical earnings at $63,004, with a downside scenario of $46,635 and an upside scenario of $77,342. Median federal student debt at completion is $27,000, above the $24,199 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years. Earnings beyond expectations and debt above peers point in opposite directions. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $25,775. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 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** $27,000 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $25,775 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $307/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $327/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-the-incarnate-word#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/cost/) 02 / University of the Incarnate Word briefing ## [University of the Incarnate Word career outcomes & earnings](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/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 $63,004, in the 60th percentile. That is $5,246 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $14,355 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 91st percentile. Azimuth places the university's return pillar in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures adds $4,773. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $9,582. At University of the Incarnate Word, the median earnings for federally aided graduates four years after completion is $63,004. This figure is $5,246 below the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), placing it in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort includes 1,750 completers. Graduates earn about $14,355 more than the model expects for similar students. This gap between actual earnings and what the model expects for similar students lands in the 91st percentile. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a typical figure of $63,004, with a downside scenario of $46,635 and an upside scenario of $77,342. Based on the program mix, an estimated 28.5% of graduates continue to graduate study. The return record at University of the Incarnate Word includes median earnings of $63,004 four years after completion, in the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250, with the university $5,246 below it. Graduates earn about $14,355 more than the model expects for similar students. This earnings-beyond-expectations measure, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 91st percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,773. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $9,582. Within the measured factors, the STEM component subtracts $29. Downside and upside earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix are $46,635 and $77,342. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) University of the Incarnate Word #394 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Nursing is the highest-earning named program, with 118 degrees awarded and median earnings of $84,286 four years after completion. That figure equals 0.95x of the national median for its field. Human Resources Management and Services awarded 52 degrees and had median earnings of $72,061 four years after completion, or 1.06x of its field’s national median. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, awarded 152 degrees and posted $64,692 in median earnings four years after completion. Program choice corresponds with a wide range of modeled earnings at University of the Incarnate Word. The downside earnings scenario is $46,635 and the upside scenario is $77,342, rather than observed groups of graduates. Among programs with published earnings, Nursing completers have median earnings of $84,286 four years after completion; Human Resources Management and Services reaches $72,061, and Computer and Information Sciences reaches $65,405. These program figures show why the modeled range is broader than a schoolwide median can convey. At University of the Incarnate Word, the financial picture is mixed: Graduates earn about $14,355 more than the model expects for similar students. Borrowers who complete, however, carry debt above the comparable-institution benchmark. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $27,000. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $24,199, making the university’s figure $2,801 above that benchmark. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $307 a month if repaid over ten years. Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate population, have median borrowing of $25,775. For aid recipients, average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $22,775. It is below the peer median of $27,371 by $4,596. A lower average price sits alongside higher borrower debt than peers, even as graduate earnings exceed the model’s expectations. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$4,773 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$9,582 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$14,355 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-the-incarnate-word/outcomes/) 03 / University of the Incarnate Word briefing ## [University of the Incarnate Word acceptance rate & admissions](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) University of the Incarnate Word admitted 98.1% of applicants, a rate above the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). This describes the outcome for the reported applicant pool and indicates that admission was common in that cycle. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 11,305 first-year applicants and 11,096 admitted applicants. Admissions **Admission rate** 98.1% [Read the full admissions brief](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/admissions/) 04 / University of the Incarnate Word briefing ## [What are the largest majors at University of the Incarnate Word?](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) At University of the Incarnate Word, the program picture ranges from a higher-earning health field to larger fields with more moderate earnings. The program medians are measured four years after completion. Nursing reports median earnings of $84,286 and 118 degrees awarded, while Human Resources Management and Services reaches $72,061 with 52 degrees awarded. Among larger programs, Business Administration and Management records $64,692 in median earnings and 152 degrees awarded. Psychology is more moderate at $51,470, alongside 104 degrees awarded. The contrast shows that the school’s more numerous awards do not all sit in its highest-earning fields. Program-level earnings place health and business-related fields at the front of the picture. The range across these fields makes the intended field an important part of the earnings picture. The bachelor's degrees at University of the Incarnate Word are concentrated in professional fields. Business accounts for 31.2% of degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 21.2% and Psychology at 10.3%. The university has published four-year earnings data for 18 programs. The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, with 152 degrees awarded, followed by Nursing at 118 and Psychology at 104. The highest-earning program is also one of the largest: Nursing graduates earn a median of $84,286 four years after completion. Human Resources Management and Services is the second-highest-earning, at $72,061, with 52 degrees awarded. A much smaller program, Computer and Information Sciences, reports median earnings of $65,405 from just 14 degrees awarded. The earnings pattern is not uniform across the largest programs. Business Administration and Management and Nursing both sit near the national median for their fields, while Biology falls below it. Psychology, the third-largest program, sits slightly above the national median for its field. The highest pay is in health and business-related fields, and the programs that award the most degrees are not always the ones with the strongest earnings. Across all fields, 9.8% of degrees awarded are in STEM. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business Administration, Management and Operations 152 degrees awarded** $64,692 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 118 degrees awarded** $84,286 **Psychology, General 104 degrees awarded** $51,470 **Biology, General 71 degrees awarded** $50,389 **Human Resources Management and Services 52 degrees awarded** $72,061 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 41 degrees awarded** $54,097 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-the-incarnate-word/majors/) 05 / University of the Incarnate Word briefing ## How does University of the Incarnate Word serve students from different backgrounds? At University of the Incarnate Word, Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort complete within six years at 51.9%, above the overall 51.0% [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) by 0.9 percentage points. Graduates earn about $14,355 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 91st percentile. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 49th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Higher Pell completion and high modeled earnings sit alongside a middle-range mobility pillar. A 98.1% admission rate makes entry relatively open at University of the Incarnate Word, whose undergraduate enrollment is 4,440 undergraduates. Pell Grant recipients account for 44.6% of undergraduates, and the estimated share of entrants outside the first-time, full-time group is 26.6%, indicating that transfer entry is part of the enrollment picture. Azimuth puts the access pillar in the 69th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Broad admission, Pell participation, and an estimated transfer presence point to several routes into the university. 06 / University of the Incarnate Word briefing ## [What colleges are similar to University of the Incarnate Word?](/school/university-of-the-incarnate-word/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-the-incarnate-word/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with University of the Incarnate Word. Admissions peerTexas A&M University-San Antonio92.8% admitted+ Comparison with University of the Incarnate Word | Measure | University of the Incarnate Word | Texas A&M University-San Antonio | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $63,004 | $55,112\-$7,892 vs University of the Incarnate Word | | Average annual net price | $22,775 | $11,196\-$11,579 vs University of the Incarnate Word · lower cost | | Admission rate | 98.1% | 92.8% | [Explore Texas A&M University-San Antonio →](/school/texas-am-university-san-antonio/) Nearby alternativeSaint Edward's UniversityNearby option · TX+ Comparison with University of the Incarnate Word | Measure | University of the Incarnate Word | Saint Edward's University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $63,004 | $59,999\-$3,005 vs University of the Incarnate Word | | Average annual net price | $22,775 | $25,578+$2,803 vs University of the Incarnate Word · higher cost | | Admission rate | 98.1% | 81.4% | [Explore Saint Edward's University →](/school/saint-edwards-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeCal Poly Maritime Academy$108,757 earnings+ Comparison with University of the Incarnate Word | Measure | University of the Incarnate Word | Cal Poly Maritime Academy | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $63,004 | $108,757+$45,753 vs University of the Incarnate Word | | Average annual net price | $22,775 | $20,555\-$2,220 vs University of the Incarnate Word · lower cost | | Admission rate | 98.1% | 95.0% | [Explore Cal Poly Maritime Academy →](/school/cal-poly-maritime-academy/) Lower-cost alternativeThe University of Texas at San Antonio$10,836 average net price+ Comparison with University of the Incarnate Word | Measure | University of the Incarnate Word | The University of Texas at San Antonio | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $63,004 | $60,333\-$2,671 vs University of the Incarnate Word | | Average annual net price | $22,775 | $10,836\-$11,939 vs University of the Incarnate Word · lower cost | | Admission rate | 98.1% | 86.8% | [Explore The University of Texas at San Antonio →](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/) Similar profileHouston Christian UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with University of the Incarnate Word | Measure | University of the Incarnate Word | Houston Christian University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $63,004 | $62,310\-$694 vs University of the Incarnate Word | | Average annual net price | $22,775 | $20,629\-$2,146 vs University of the Incarnate Word · lower cost | | Admission rate | 98.1% | 84.4% | 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-the-incarnate-word/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/)