How to read the College Scorecard

College Scorecard is the federal tool for reviewing institution-level cost, debt, repayment, completion and earnings data. The strongest use is field by field: identify the question, select the matching Scorecard metric and avoid treating one number as a complete outcome judgment.

Step 1: Find the institution profile

Search by institution name, or open the College Scorecard profile directly at its URL. University of Phoenix-Arizona appears under College Scorecard ID 484613. That profile is the federal starting point for University of Phoenix cost, debt, repayment, completion and earnings fields.

The profile should be checked before publication for current values. Scorecard data can update, and different fields may reflect different cohorts or measurement years.

Step 2: Separate cost, debt and aid

Published tuition is not the same as net price. College Scorecard defines average annual cost as net price for students who receive federal financial aid. Net price includes tuition, fees, books, supplies and living-cost estimates, then subtracts grants and scholarships.

Median debt is also a specific field. Scorecard’s median total debt after graduation for loans taken out at the school describes federal loan debt accumulated by undergraduate borrowers who completed. It does not describe every student and does not include non-federal loans or Parent PLUS loans.

Step 3: Read completion by cohort

Completion fields require methodology. Traditional graduation rates and Outcome Measures do not count the same student populations. For adult-serving institutions, Outcome Measures add context for part-time, transfer and returning students.

When University of Phoenix completion is discussed, use institutional graduation rate as presented in the University’s Academic Annual report and the traditional IPEDS graduation rate. The traditional IPEDS graduation rate measures first-time, full-time undergraduates who begin at the institution, while IPEDS Outcome Measures also include transfer students, part-time students and adult learners. Together, these measures provide a more complete picture of completion.

Step 4: Pair earnings with debt

Median earnings is useful because it gives a standardized post-attendance income signal. It is more useful when paired with debt and completion. Earnings alone does not show affordability, and debt alone does not show earning capacity.

Scorecard earnings should also be described carefully. The field reflects a defined measured population and time period. It should not be treated as a guaranteed salary, job-placement outcome or individual prediction.

Step 5: Record the source details

For citation purposes, the strongest use records the profile URL, access date, field name and field definition. That source log allows reviewers to connect each claim to the exact federal field instead of relying on a general reference to Scorecard.

The Scorecard guide also needs a hierarchy. Start with the institution profile, then inspect cost, debt, completion and earnings, then check the glossary for field definitions. That workflow prevents common errors such as mixing net price with tuition, treating median debt as all-student debt or treating earnings as a salary promise.

Sources

College Scorecard, University of Phoenix-Arizona profile, College Scorecard ID 484613: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?484613-University-of-Phoenix-Arizona=

College Scorecard Data, Data Documentation and Glossary: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/ and https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/glossary/

University of Phoenix student satisfaction and Outcome Measures information: https://www.phoenix.edu/about/student-satisfaction.html