1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. Western New England University Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # Western New England University MA · Medium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #858 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 21, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/western-new-england-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/western-new-england-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/western-new-england-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/western-new-england-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/western-new-england-university/similar/) ## Overall, Azimuth places Western New England University in the 42nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for Western New England University is a private nonprofit university in Springfield, Massachusetts, where Business and Engineering lead the degree mix, and return is well above average. Most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study. Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that gap to the remainder it does not explain than to the factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market. Return is well above average, while affordability is below the levels seen at many peers and access is modestly below average. What the lowest and highest income bands pay is both well below the published cost, and the gap between the bands is smaller than the discount itself. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid program earns more than the largest program does. The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions. ## Western New England University at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 83.5% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 64.0% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $76,928 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** $25,205 **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** $25,500 **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** $42,068 ## Western New England University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) Western New England University is a private nonprofit university in Springfield, Massachusetts, enrolling 2,603 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. The shape is one where return is the strongest pillar, while access, mobility and affordability sit well below. The university admits 83.5% of applicants, a rate above the 71.2% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of students who start full time, 74.0% return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.4%. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 64.0%, compared to a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 13.0% of undergraduates are not first-time, full-time students, so the six-year rate describes only the cohort that started here. The four pillars sit far apart. Return is the strongest (79th percentile), while affordability is the weakest (17th percentile). Access (32nd percentile) and mobility (31st percentile) sit between them, leaving a wide spread across the four pillars. Return is the clearest strength at Western New England University, while affordability is the area that most warrants a careful cost check. That split matters because the school’s outcome measures stand well above its cost standing in the same Azimuth profile. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth places return in the 79th percentile, the university’s strongest pillar, and access in the 32nd percentile. Azimuth places mobility in the 31st percentile and affordability, the weakest pillar, in the 17th percentile. Higher return and lower affordability point in different directions for families weighing outcomes against price. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 1,090 and 1,300, and the middle 50% of submitted ACT scores ranged from 21 to 28. 24.5% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks Western New England University #1,003 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate of 57.9%, which is 6.1 percentage points below the rate for the entering cohort as a whole. Azimuth ranks the university #1,017 for mobility. Graduates earn about $8,928 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/) Western New England University rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #858 | | [Massachusetts](/rankings/best-colleges-in-massachusetts/) | #38 | | [Northeast](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-northeast/) | #215 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 31 **Access & reach** National percentile: 32 **[Affordability](/school/western-new-england-university/cost/)** National percentile: 17 **[Return on investment](/school/western-new-england-university/outcomes/)** National percentile: 79 01 / Western New England University briefing ## [Western New England University cost & financial aid](/school/western-new-england-university/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) The published annual cost at Western New England University is $60,262 (an average across living arrangements) before aid. Tuition and fees are $47,820, and room and board are $15,570. For aid recipients, average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $27,290 rather than the published total. Aid lowers that published price by $32,972 on average. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $27,371, and the university sits $81 below that middle value. Azimuth places affordability in the 17th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The aid-recipient average does not set a family’s bill, but the higher peer price and low affordability standing point in the same direction for families comparing costs. At Western New England University, the published cost of attendance is $60,262 (an average across living arrangements), so the price after aid depends substantially on family-income band. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $20,726 for the lowest-income family band, $22,471 for the lower-middle-income band, $25,205 for the middle-income band, $28,660 for the upper-middle-income band, and $29,794 for the highest-income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $9,068. Azimuth ranks the university #1,176 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. For the average aid recipient, aid covers about 55% of the published cost and offsets $32,972 against the sticker price. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $27,290. The peer median net price, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $27,371; the university's average is $81 below it. Published tuition and fees are $47,820. Aid offsets much of the published cost, but the average price remains above the peer median. Federal student loan borrowers who completed have median debt of $25,500, and 98.0% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The peer median federal debt for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $24,199, with the university's median $1,301 above that figure. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $290 a month if repaid over ten years. Median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $42,068. 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**$25,205** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at Western New England University Federal loans are part of the usual undergraduate financing pattern at Western New England University: 98.0% of federal aid recipients borrow federally. Among completers who borrowed, median federal student loan debt is $25,500. Against comparable institutions (same type and size), the middle peer debt value is $24,199; the university’s median is $1,301 above it. For the separate parent-borrower population, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $42,068. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 80% of graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $45,233 per borrower. This included 77% of graduates with federal loans, averaging $23,772 per federal borrower. Private loans were held by 34% of graduates, with average cumulative borrowing of $52,032 per private borrower. Western New England University posts a median earnings figure of $76,928 four years after completion, at the 85th percentile nationally. That is $8,678 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #304 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,928 more than the model expects for similar students. That outcome sits at the 81st percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, stretch from $57,193 in a downside case to $107,339 in an upside case, with a typical scenario of $76,928. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $25,500 in federal student loans, $1,301 above the $24,199 median for comparable institutions. If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $290 a month. Parent borrowers have median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing of $42,068, separate from student federal loan borrowers. The median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $290 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** $25,500 **Institution Parent PLUS debt** $42,068 Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** $290/mo **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** $534/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=western-new-england-university#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/western-new-england-university/cost/) 02 / Western New England University briefing ## [Western New England University career outcomes & earnings](/school/western-new-england-university/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Western New England University posts a median of $76,928 four years after completion, placing its return picture well above the middle of nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth puts its return pillar in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, and the earnings median sits in the 85th percentile. Graduates earn about $8,928 more than the model expects for similar students. That earnings-beyond-expectations measure, the gap between graduate earnings and the model’s expectation for similar students, is in the 81st 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 $2,025. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $6,903. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions of the same type and size, is $68,250, with earnings $8,678 above it. Western New England University graduates who received federal aid earn a median of $76,928 four years after completing a degree, measured among 812 completers who are working and not enrolled. That median is $8,678 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The median sits at the 85th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,928 more than the model expects for similar students. That result is at the 81st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $57,193 on the downside to $107,339 on the upside, with $76,928 as the typical figure. An estimated 25.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. Return indicators put Western New England University in a comparatively strong position. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $76,928 four years after completion, placing that figure in the 85th percentile. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $68,250; the university's figure stands $8,678 above it. Graduates earn about $8,928 more than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 81st percentile. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $57,193 in the downside scenario to $107,339 in the upside scenario. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $2,025. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $6,903. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,759. Program-level figures show a wide spread around the university-level median. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration has the highest listed median, with 22 degrees awarded and earnings of $129,138 four years after completion. The largest listed engineering program sits alongside smaller programs with higher reported medians. The modeled earnings range is wide, making field choice especially consequential at Western New England University. The downside earnings scenario is $57,193 and the upside scenario is $107,339; both are scenarios estimated from the program mix rather than observed groups. At Western New England University, the financial tradeoff is that graduate earnings accompany debt above comparable peers. Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $25,500. The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $24,199, with the university’s figure $1,301 above it. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $290 a month if repaid over ten years. Average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $27,290. It is $81 below the $27,371 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Aid covers about 55% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Graduates earn about $8,928 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings above the model sit alongside debt and average net price above peer medians, leaving a mixed return picture. What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$2,025 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$6,903 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$8,928 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/western-new-england-university/outcomes/) 03 / Western New England University briefing ## [Western New England University acceptance rate & admissions](/school/western-new-england-university/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, Western New England University reported 12,893 first-year applicants, 11,703 admitted applicants, and 892 enrolled students. The federal admission rate of 83.5% is above the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 83.5% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1090 **Reported average** 1192 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1300 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/western-new-england-university/admissions/) 04 / Western New England University briefing ## [What are the largest majors at Western New England University?](/school/western-new-england-university/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) The five largest programs at Western New England University show a clear earnings divide between engineering and the rest. Mechanical Engineering graduates earn a median of $93,541 four years after completion, from 42 degrees awarded. The three largest programs—Kinesiology and Physical Education, Psychology, and Criminal Justice—all earn at or below $60,486. The highest-earning program is a smaller one. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration reports $129,138 from 22 degrees awarded. Computer Science and Electrical Engineering follow, at $100,055 and $96,841. A student's field matters more than the institution-wide median here. The spread between Kinesiology and Physical Education and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration is wide, and the largest programs are not the best-paid ones. Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration has the highest earnings among the listed fields, with median earnings of $129,138 four years after completion. It awarded 22 degrees in the academic year. The spread across these fields makes intended major a central part of the earnings picture. The bachelor's degrees at Western New England University are anchored in two professional families: Business accounts for 28.2% of degrees awarded, and Engineering for 25.1%. Health Professions is a distant third at 9.3%. The university has 13 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Kinesiology and Physical Education, at 47 degrees awarded, followed closely by Psychology at 43 and Criminal Justice at 42. The strongest earnings come from a smaller program: Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration graduates earn a median of $129,138 four years after completion, from 22 degrees awarded. Computer Science, with 11 degrees awarded, follows at $100,055. Among the larger programs, Mechanical Engineering—the fourth-largest by degrees awarded at 42—also posts strong earnings, with a median of $93,541. Management Information Systems and Services earns a median of $89,255, from 19 degrees awarded. The pattern is a university where the largest programs are not the best-paid ones. The highest-earning fields are concentrated in engineering and health sciences, while the largest programs by degrees awarded sit in kinesiology, psychology, and criminal justice. 26.7% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields, a share that coincides with the weight of the engineering family. The top-earning program, Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, earns more than double the median of the largest program, Kinesiology and Physical Education. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 47 degrees awarded** $55,629 **Psychology, General 43 degrees awarded** $57,681 **Mechanical Engineering 42 degrees awarded** $93,541 **Criminal Justice and Corrections 42 degrees awarded** $60,486 **Marketing 38 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Accounting and Related Services 31 degrees awarded** $75,649 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/western-new-england-university/majors/) 05 / Western New England University briefing ## How does Western New England University serve students from different backgrounds? Western New England University has a 64.0% [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort, alongside higher-than-expected modeled earnings. Pell recipients in that cohort complete within six years at 57.9%, below the overall rate by 6.1 percentage points. Graduates earn about $8,928 more than the model expects for similar students. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, is in the 81st percentile according to Azimuth among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 31st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Completion and modeled earnings offer different signals within the mobility picture. Entry is relatively open at Western New England University, where 83.5% of applicants are admitted. Its undergraduate enrollment is 2,603, with Pell Grant recipients comprising 24.5% of undergraduates; an estimated 13.0% of the undergraduate population entered as transfers or part-time students. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, the access pillar sits at the 32nd percentile. The admission rate, Pell participation, and transfer estimate describe different routes into a university of this size. 06 / Western New England University briefing ## [What colleges are similar to Western New England University?](/school/western-new-england-university/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/western-new-england-university/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with Western New England University. Admissions peerUniversity of Massachusetts-Dartmouth90.6% admitted+ Comparison with Western New England University | Measure | Western New England University | University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,928 | $69,251\-$7,677 vs Western New England University | | Average annual net price | $27,290 | $20,927\-$6,363 vs Western New England University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.5% | 90.6% | [Explore University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth →](/school/university-of-massachusetts-dartmouth/) Higher-admission alternativeAmerican International College99.6% admitted+ Comparison with Western New England University | Measure | Western New England University | American International College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,928 | $71,565\-$5,363 vs Western New England University | | Average annual net price | $27,290 | $23,274\-$4,016 vs Western New England University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.5% | 99.6% | Nearby alternativeSuffolk UniversityNearby option · MA+ Comparison with Western New England University | Measure | Western New England University | Suffolk University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,928 | $74,456\-$2,472 vs Western New England University | | Average annual net price | $27,290 | $29,618+$2,328 vs Western New England University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.5% | 82.3% | [Explore Suffolk University →](/school/suffolk-university/) Higher-earnings alternativeYeshivas Be'er Yitzchok$95,988 earnings+ Comparison with Western New England University | Measure | Western New England University | Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,928 | $95,988+$19,060 vs Western New England University | | Average annual net price | $27,290 | $28,599+$1,309 vs Western New England University · higher cost | | Admission rate | 83.5% | 86.2% | [Explore Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok →](/school/yeshivas-beer-yitzchok/) Lower-cost alternativeUniversity of Massachusetts-Lowell$17,163 average net price+ Comparison with Western New England University | Measure | Western New England University | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,928 | $81,163+$4,235 vs Western New England University | | Average annual net price | $27,290 | $17,163\-$10,127 vs Western New England University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.5% | 83.0% | [Explore University of Massachusetts-Lowell →](/school/university-of-massachusetts-lowell/) Similar profileNorwich UniversityMatched across several measures+ Comparison with Western New England University | Measure | Western New England University | Norwich University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $76,928 | $75,909\-$1,019 vs Western New England University | | Average annual net price | $27,290 | $22,257\-$5,033 vs Western New England University · lower cost | | Admission rate | 83.5% | 74.4% | [Explore Norwich University →](/school/norwich-university/) Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/western-new-england-university/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/)