Data Dictionary

Plain-language definitions for every field on a CampusPin profile

What each metric means, where it comes from, and how to read it without overinterpreting. Pair with the Data Sources & Methodology page for full sourcing.

Defined terms

Last reviewed

2026-04-28

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Definitions are deliberately conservative

The terms below describe what each field on a CampusPin school profile means and where it comes from. They are written conservatively — we describe what the data does and does not measure rather than overselling any single number. For sourcing detail visit Data Sources & Methodology and for common questions about the data visit FAQ.

CampusPin shows "Data not available" rather than guessing when a public source does not report a value. Always confirm tuition, admissions, financial aid, deadlines, and program details with the institution before applying or making a decision.

Defined terms

Acceptance rate: The percentage of applicants admitted in the most recent reported admissions cycle. It signals selectivity but does not predict an individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value and rounds to whole percentages.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard
In-state tuition: Published annual tuition charged to legal residents of the institution's state. Excludes fees, room and board, books, and other costs of attendance. Public institutions typically charge in-state tuition to state residents only.
Source: IPEDS / Institution
Out-of-state tuition: Published annual tuition charged to students who are not legal residents of the institution's state. Often substantially higher than in-state at public universities. Private institutions usually charge a single tuition figure for all students.
Source: IPEDS / Institution
Net price: The average price paid by full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving financial aid, after grants and scholarships are subtracted from total cost of attendance. Loans are NOT subtracted. Net price is typically the more useful affordability number than published tuition.
Source: College Scorecard
Net price by income band: The average net price broken out by family income range ($0–30k, $30–48k, $48–75k, $75–110k, $110k+). Surfaced when available; many institutions report only the overall figure.
Source: College Scorecard
Graduation rate: The percentage of full-time, first-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking undergraduates who complete their program within 150% of normal time (typically six years for a four-year degree). Two-year graduation rate is reported separately for community colleges.
Source: IPEDS
Retention rate: The percentage of full-time, first-time undergraduates who return to the same institution the following fall. A common signal of student support, satisfaction, and academic fit, though not a complete measure on its own.
Source: IPEDS
Student-to-faculty ratio: The number of full-time-equivalent students per full-time-equivalent instructional faculty member. Lower ratios suggest more faculty access on average; the metric does not measure class size directly.
Source: IPEDS
Enrollment: Total students enrolled at the institution, typically the most recent fall headcount. CampusPin surfaces total enrollment (undergraduate + graduate) under "Students" rather than the undergraduate-only figure, to match the size signal users actually want.
Source: IPEDS
SAT range: The 25th-to-75th-percentile SAT total score range of admitted students in the most recent reporting cycle. The middle 50% of scores. About 25% of admitted students score below the bottom value and 25% score above the top value.
Source: IPEDS / Institution
ACT range: The 25th-to-75th-percentile ACT composite score range of admitted students in the most recent reporting cycle. Same percentile interpretation as the SAT range.
Source: IPEDS / Institution
Campus setting: A categorical description of the geographic environment around the campus: rural, small town, midsize city, or large city. Useful for matching daily-life fit, commute realities, and access to off-campus services.
Source: IPEDS / CampusPin editorial
Institution type: Whether the institution is classified as a four-year university or a two-year community college. CampusPin treats this as a primary filter because the workflows for each pathway differ significantly.
Source: IPEDS
Control (public / private): Whether the institution is operated by a state or municipal government (public) or by a private nonprofit or for-profit entity (private). Affects funding model, tuition structure, and admissions context.
Source: IPEDS
Program format: Whether instruction is delivered onsite, online, hybrid, or across multiple formats. Important for working students, transfer students, and anyone considering distance learning.
Source: IPEDS / Institution
Areas of study: Broad academic categories the institution offers (e.g. nursing, computer science, business). CampusPin's area-of-study filter narrows results to schools with at least one program in the selected category.
Source: IPEDS / Institution
Programs: Specific degree or certificate programs the institution offers within an area of study. Use the program filter when a student's direction is narrower than a broad area-of-study category.
Source: IPEDS / Institution
Community college: A two-year institution that primarily awards associate's degrees and certificates. Often serves as a transfer pathway to four-year universities. Generally lower tuition and more open admissions.
Source: IPEDS
Test policy: How the institution treats SAT and ACT scores in admissions: required, test-optional, or test-free. Test policy can change year to year — verify with the institution before applying.
Source: Institution
Campus safety / Clery context: Annual Security and Fire Safety report data published under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure Act. Includes counts of reported incidents on or adjacent to campus, with year of report and source URL. Always read alongside the institution's full security report.
Source: Clery Act / U.S. Department of Education
Area crime context: Local-area crime context derived from FBI Uniform Crime Report data for the surrounding agency, city, or ZIP code. Provided as a directional signal alongside campus-side Clery data, never standalone.
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Report
Financial aid: Grants, scholarships, work-study, and loan amounts available to undergraduates. CampusPin surfaces aggregate Pell-grant participation, federal-loan participation, and median debt at graduation. Final aid offers come only from the institution.
Source: College Scorecard / Institution
Living cost: On-campus and off-campus living-cost estimates published by the institution. Highly variable by region, housing choice, and meal plan. Treat as a planning estimate, not a quote.
Source: IPEDS / Institution
Median earnings (10-year): Median earnings of former students 10 years after entering the institution, sourced from federal earnings data. Useful as a directional signal across program mix; not a guarantee for any individual graduate.
Source: College Scorecard
Data source: Each profile field on CampusPin is paired with a named source: IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery, FBI UCR, the institution itself, or CampusPin editorial review. See the Data Sources & Methodology page for the full sourcing model.
Source: CampusPin editorial
Data last reviewed: The visible "Profile last updated" date near the school name reflects the most recent verification or refresh of institutional data on that profile. CampusPin does not show fake build-time dates — when no verified date exists, the page shows a public-source attribution note instead.
Source: CampusPin editorial
Missing data: When a federal source does not report a value for an institution, CampusPin shows "Data not available" rather than a guess. A missing value is more honest than a fabricated one. Always verify with the institution before relying on a figure.
Source: CampusPin editorial
Verification state: Each profile carries an internal verification status — verified, unverified, or stale — that drives editorial review priority. Verified profiles have been reviewed against an authoritative source within the recent review window.
Source: CampusPin editorial
IPEDS UNITID: The 6-digit federal identifier assigned by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. CampusPin uses UNITID to link a profile to the canonical NCES College Navigator and College Scorecard pages for that institution.
Source: IPEDS

Use these definitions in context

CampusPin is a discovery layer. The institutions themselves remain the authoritative source for any final decision a student or family makes. Pair this dictionary with school profiles, the comparison tool, and the editorial library — but always verify final numbers with the school.

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