Variables

Names & Descriptions

This table provides brief descriptions of each variable used in the project. It is intended as a quick reference for understanding what each variable represents.

Variable	Description
opeid	Official ID number for the college or institution.
name	Name of the college or institution.
city	City in which the college or institution is located.
state	State in which the college or institution is located.
region	U.S. geographic region in which the college or institution is located.
median_debt	Median student loan amount at the time of entering repayment, in thousands of dollars.
default_rate	Percent of the institution’s borrowers in default on student loans (recent cohorts), including graduates, transfers, and dropouts.
highest_degree	Highest degree awarded by the institution (Certificate, Associates, Bachelors, Graduate).
ownership	Control of the institution (Public, Private nonprofit, Private for-profit).
locale	Locale surrounding the institution (Large City, Small City, Suburb, Town, Rural).
hbcu	Indicator for historically Black colleges and universities (No, Yes).
admit_rate	Percent of applicants who were offered admission.
sat_avg	Average equivalent SAT score of admitted students.
online_only	Indicator for whether the institution offers only distance (online) classes (No, Yes).
enrollment	Number of undergraduate or certificate-seeking students enrolled.
net_price	Average cost of attendance minus average financial aid, in thousands of dollars.
avg_cost	Average cost of attendance, including tuition, books, and living expenses, in thousands of dollars.
net_tuition	Net tuition revenue per student (tuition minus discounts and allowances), in thousands of dollars.
ed_spending_per_student	Instructional expenditures per student, in thousands of dollars.
avg_faculty_salary	Average faculty salary, in thousands of dollars.
pct_pell	Percent of undergraduates who received a Pell Grant.
pct_fed_loan	Percent of undergraduates who received a federal student loan.
grad_rate	Graduation rate within 150% of normal time (e.g., within 6 years for a 4-year degree).
pct_firstgen	Percent of students who are first-generation college students.
med_fam_income	Median family income of students, in thousands of dollars.
med_alum_earnings	Median earnings of former students 10 years after entry, in thousands of dollars.