Methodology

Aid drop

Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid file, 2022-23 (U.S. Department of Education, public domain).

Freshman average = total grant aid to first-time, full-time undergraduates ÷ number of them receiving grants (AGRNT_T ÷ AGRNT_N).

Continuing average = (grant aid to all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates − freshman grant aid) ÷ (degree-seeking recipients − freshman recipients), using UDGAGRNTT and UDGAGRNTN.

Using the degree-seeking totals removes non-degree-seeking students, who can't receive federal aid and would otherwise distort the comparison (see the NCES tip sheet at nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data/how-percentage-finanical-aid-calculated-enrollment-sfa).

Traditional 4-year filter

The ranking defaults to traditional 4-year colleges: no more than 25% of undergraduates enrolled part-time (EFUGPT ÷ EFUG) and no more than 25% enrolled exclusively in distance education (PCUDEEXC), from the IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment file (DRVEF2023). Colleges with large part-time, online or adult-learner populations are still shown under "All colleges" and on their own pages with a note, because their continuing students often get smaller grants for reasons unrelated to freshman aid. The thresholds are a judgment call, not an official definition.

Scope

Four-year public and private nonprofit colleges offering undergraduate degrees, with at least 50 grant recipients in each group: 1,732 colleges.

Caveats

These are averages per recipient, not one student's path. Continuing students include transfers, part-time and adult learners, who often get smaller grants, so colleges with large adult or online programs can show bigger gaps. IPEDS data runs about two years behind. A gap is not proof that any college cuts an individual student's aid.

Net price and cost

Net price by income comes from the same IPEDS SFA file. Published tuition, fees and room and board come from IPEDS Institutional Characteristics. State-report figures are cited on the costs page.