Research brief & institution hub

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

WIMedium public institution · Overall rank #453 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

A composite profile led by mobility.

Who it’s a good fit for

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is a public university in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where Business and Health Professions account for the largest shares of degrees. Mobility is well above average.

Graduates earn less than predicts for students like them. The model attributes an addition to the factors it measures and a subtraction to what it cannot explain.

Return is around the average, so the earnings picture is mixed: raw earnings sit above the median at comparable schools, but the adjusted result pulls the other way. Pell recipients finish within a few points of the overall rate, and affordability is above average.

The lowest income band pays well under the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it, so the aid structure works hardest for families who need it most. The admission rate is below the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study.

A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the highest-earning fields, like Computer and Information Sciences, award far fewer degrees.

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
82.3%
Six-year completion[2]
63.8%
Four-year earnings[3]
$60,838

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$12,766
Median student debt[4]
$20,909
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$12,452

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire enrolls 8,895 undergraduates as a public university in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the university lands near the middle of the field (69th percentile).

Admissions are open to 82.3% of those who apply, against a median of 85.9%. The peer median is the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).

81.8% of first-year full-time students come back for a second year, against a peer median of 73.7%. The six-year graduation rate stands at 63.8%, against a peer median of 49.1%.

Because an estimated 15.2% of students arrive as transfers or part-time students, that six-year figure captures only those who entered as full-time freshmen. The four are spread across a wide range.

Mobility is the strongest (82nd percentile), while access is the weakest (41st percentile). Affordability sits near mobility, and return sits near access.

Mobility is the clearest strength at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, with an 82nd percentile standing among nonprofit four-year institutions. Affordability sits in the 75th percentile, return in the 52nd percentile, and access in the 41st percentile.

Mobility is the strongest pillar and access the weakest, so the profile is stronger on mobility and affordability than on return and access.

19.6% of undergraduates at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire #861 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete at a rate of 62.4%, which is 1.4 percentage points below the overall six-year graduation rate (63.8%). Mobility is the strongest pillar for University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and Azimuth ranks it #262 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,338 less than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#453

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 82
Access & reach
National percentile: 41
Affordability
National percentile: 75
Return on investment
National percentile: 52

Top-ranked majors

  1. Health and Medical Administrative Services#8
  2. Management Information Systems and Services#29
  3. Geography and Cartography#39

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire briefing

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire cost & financial aid[6][7]

The average net price for aid recipients at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is $16,550, which is $2,482 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 24% of the published cost for the average aid recipient.

The published cost of attendance is $21,705. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $8,328 and required fees of $1,879 for the 2025-26 academic year, with on-campus food and housing adding $8,968.

Out-of-state students faced tuition of $18,393. Azimuth ranks the university #357 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The published cost of attendance at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is $21,705. After grants and scholarships, the average net price—what aid recipients pay—is $10,270 for families earning under $30,000, $12,766 for those in the $48,001 to $75,000 band, and $20,778 for families earning over $110,000.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,508. Azimuth ranks the university #357 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 24% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, leaving an overall of $16,550. That figure is $2,482 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

The average net price for families in the $30,001 to $48,000 band is $10,968, and for the $75,001 to $110,000 band it is $18,278. Borrowers who complete a degree leave with a median of $20,909 in federal student loans, which is $320 below the $21,229 peer median.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $238 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow through the Parent PLUS program hold a separate median of $12,452.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$12,766

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Federal borrowing is widespread at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire: 90.8% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among borrowers who complete, median federal student loan debt at completion is $20,909.

The peer median federal debt at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $21,229; the university's median is below that figure by $320. For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $12,452.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 58% of graduates borrowed from any source, with average cumulative borrowing of $26,464 per borrower. This included 57% of graduates with federal loans averaging $19,149. It also included 13% of graduates with private loans averaging $26,268.

At University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the return picture is mixed: federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn median earnings of $60,838 four years after completion. Azimuth places that earnings figure in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $5,338 less than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, in the 36th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios based on the program mix put earnings at $47,639 in a downside scenario, $60,838 in the typical scenario, and $84,199 in an upside scenario. Median federal debt is $20,909, below the $21,229 peer median; that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $238 a month if repaid over ten years.

The debt comparison is favorable, but earnings sit below the model’s expectation.

Separate from student borrowers, the parent-borrower population has median federal borrowing of $12,452. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $238 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$20,909
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$12,452

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$238/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$158/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
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire briefing

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

At University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, mobility is stronger, but return is mixed. Azimuth puts its return pillar in the 52nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $5,338 less than the model expects for similar students, putting earnings beyond expectations—the gap between graduate earnings and model expectations for similar students—in the 36th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $9,683.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $15,021. The median four years after completion is $60,838, in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $57,301; this figure is $3,537 above it. Earnings sit above the peer median but below model expectations.

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire reports a median of $60,838 four years after completion for federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled, drawn from a cohort of 2,499 completers. Azimuth places that median at the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The median is $3,537 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size), which is $57,301. Graduates earn about $5,338 less than the model expects for similar students.

Azimuth places that result at the 36th percentile. That creates a mixed picture: earnings are above the median for comparable institutions but below what the model expects for similar students.

Earnings scenarios drawn from the program mix span from $47,639 on the downside to $84,199 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $60,838. An estimated 30.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire posts median earnings of $60,838 four years after completion, placing the school-level figure in the 54th percentile. That is $3,537 above the peer median of $57,301, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Graduates earn about $5,338 less than the model expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, falls in the 36th percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $9,683. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $15,021.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $572. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $47,639 in the downside scenario to $84,199 in the upside scenario.

Azimuth places the return pillar in the 52nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer comparison and the model comparison point in different directions.

The highest-earning program is Computer and Information Sciences, with 83 degrees awarded and median earnings of $106,724 four years after completion. Its program median stands at 1.16x of the national median for its field.

Among larger programs, Business Administration and Management awarded 175 degrees and has median earnings of $66,606; Psychology awarded 162 degrees with $58,458 in median earnings. Nursing awarded 138 degrees and shows median earnings of $78,912, so program-level figures vary across fields.

Program choice makes the modeled earnings range broad at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The downside scenario is $47,639, while the upside scenario is $84,199 four years after completion; these are earnings scenarios, not observed groups.

Management Information Systems and Services reaches $90,193, and Physics reaches $87,033. Those field results show why the modeled range is wider than a single schoolwide figure.

At University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, borrower debt is below the comparable peer median, but modeled earnings provide a caution alongside that cost picture. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $20,909, below the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $238 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $5,338 less than the model expects for similar students.

Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate population, have median borrowing of $12,452. The lower borrowing figure and estimated payment sit alongside a less favorable modeled earnings result, leaving a mixed financial picture.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$9,683
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$15,021
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
-$5,338

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire briefing

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Admission at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire was 82.3%, meaning the university admitted that share of applicants to the reported entering class. The rate was below the median of 85.9% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Admissions
Admission rate
82.3%
Read the full admissions brief

04 / University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire briefing

What are the largest majors at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire?[12]

The highest-earning programs at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire are concentrated in technical and quantitative fields, while the largest programs by degrees awarded span business and the social sciences. Computer and Information Sciences leads with median earnings of $106,724 four years after completion, from 83 degrees awarded.

Azimuth ranks it #54 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Business Administration and Management is the largest program, awarding 175 degrees a year with median earnings of $66,606.

Azimuth ranks it #183 nationally. Psychology follows with 162 degrees awarded and earnings of $58,458, ranking #65 nationally.

The contrast between scale and earnings is clear: the three largest programs all sit below the highest-earning fields in median pay. Management Information Systems and Services and Mathematics each award fewer than fifty degrees but post earnings of $90,193 and $83,027, respectively, well ahead of the larger business and psychology cohorts.

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has 29 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, and the strongest of them is not the largest. Health and Medical Administrative Services ranks #8 in its field, with 42 degrees awarded and median earnings of $80,564 four years after completion.

The largest program is Business Administration and Management, at 175 degrees a year. Its completers earn a median of $66,606, and Azimuth ranks it #183 nationally.

Psychology is close behind in size, with 162 degrees awarded, a stronger national rank of #65, and median earnings of $58,458. The highest earnings come from Computer and Information Sciences, where graduates earn $106,724, with 83 degrees awarded and a national rank of #54.

Management Information Systems and Services follows at $90,193, with 44 degrees awarded and a national rank of #29.

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire awards the largest share of its bachelor's degrees in Business, at 26.0% of the total. Health Professions is the next largest family at 14.8%, followed by Education at 8.2%.

The university has 29 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 35 with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, with 175 degrees awarded.

Azimuth ranks it #183 nationally and #6 in Wisconsin within its field. Psychology and Marketing follow, at 162 and 145 degrees awarded.

The highest-ranked program is Health and Medical Administrative Services, which Azimuth ranks #1 in Wisconsin within its field. It awards 42 degrees a year, and graduates earn a median of $80,564 four years after completion.

That program has a benchmark ratio of 1.37x against the national median for its field. The highest-earning program is Computer and Information Sciences, where graduates earn a median of $106,724.

Azimuth ranks it #54 nationally and #2 in Wisconsin within its field, from 83 degrees awarded. Management Information Systems and Services is another strong performer, with median earnings of $90,193 and a national rank of #29 from 44 degrees awarded.

The pattern is one of strength concentrated in a few programs rather than spread across the board. The highest-earning programs sit outside the largest degree families, and 13.5% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields.

Four-year earnings for fields where graduate study is common may understate later trajectories.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Business Administration, Management and Operations 175 degrees awarded
$66,606
Psychology, General 162 degrees awarded
$58,458
Marketing 145 degrees awarded
$70,891
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 138 degrees awarded
$78,912
Finance and Financial Management Services 137 degrees awarded
$75,724
Biology, General 120 degrees awarded
$59,937

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

05 / University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire briefing

How does University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire serve students from different backgrounds?

The mobility record pairs a 63.8% six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort with earnings below the model’s expectation. Pell recipients’ six-year completion rate is 62.4%, below the overall rate by 1.4 percentage points.

Azimuth places University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the 82nd percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, are less favorable: Graduates earn about $5,338 less than the model expects for similar students.

Azimuth puts that measure in the 36th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For prospective undergraduates, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire presents a relatively open entry point, admitting 82.3% of applicants. Its undergraduate enrollment is 8,895, with Pell Grant recipients comprising 19.6%; an estimated 15.2% enter as transfers or part-time students.

Azimuth places the access pillar in the 41st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The admission rate, transfer estimate, and Pell share describe different routes into this undergraduate body.

06 / University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire briefing

What colleges are similar to University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire?[15]

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.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Admissions peerUniversity of Wisconsin-La Crosse75.5% admitted
Comparison with University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
MeasureUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUniversity of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Peer earnings · 4 years$60,838$60,184-$654 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Average annual net price$16,550$16,210-$340 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · lower cost
Admission rate82.3%75.5%
Explore University of Wisconsin-La Crosse →
Higher-admission alternativeUniversity of Northwestern-St Paul93.5% admitted
Comparison with University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
MeasureUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUniversity of Northwestern-St Paul
Peer earnings · 4 years$60,838$57,471-$3,367 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Average annual net price$16,550$27,705+$11,155 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · higher cost
Admission rate82.3%93.5%
Explore University of Northwestern-St Paul →
Nearby alternativeUniversity of Wisconsin-La CrosseNearby option · WI
Comparison with University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
MeasureUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUniversity of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Peer earnings · 4 years$60,838$60,184-$654 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Average annual net price$16,550$16,210-$340 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · lower cost
Admission rate82.3%75.5%
Explore University of Wisconsin-La Crosse →
Higher-earnings alternativeUniversity of Minnesota-Twin Cities$71,941 earnings
Comparison with University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
MeasureUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUniversity of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Peer earnings · 4 years$60,838$71,941+$11,103 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Average annual net price$16,550$16,778+$228 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · higher cost
Admission rate82.3%79.8%
Explore University of Minnesota-Twin Cities →
Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Wisconsin-River Falls$14,054 average net price
Comparison with University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
MeasureUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUniversity of Wisconsin-River Falls
Peer earnings · 4 years$60,838$54,923-$5,915 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Average annual net price$16,550$14,054-$2,496 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · lower cost
Admission rate82.3%81.7%
Explore University of Wisconsin-River Falls →
Similar profileUniversity of Wisconsin-La CrosseMatched across several measures
Comparison with University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
MeasureUniversity of Wisconsin-Eau ClaireUniversity of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Peer earnings · 4 years$60,838$60,184-$654 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Average annual net price$16,550$16,210-$340 vs University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · lower cost
Admission rate82.3%75.5%
Explore University of Wisconsin-La Crosse →

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

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

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, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. 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; 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

  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

  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

  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

  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

  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

How to interpret program rankings