University of Phoenix Program-Level Earnings Data on College Scorecard

College Scorecard includes University of Phoenix-Arizona institution-level earnings information on the school profile, and College Scorecard also publishes field-of-study data that can include program-level earnings where federal reporting, cohort, and privacy rules support publication. [1][2] Program-level earnings are not the same as institution-level earnings: program-level data is organized by credential level and field of study, while institution-level earnings summarize a defined group of students associated with the institution as a whole. [2][3][4]

What “program-level earnings” means on College Scorecard

College Scorecard field-of-study data is organized around fields of study, credential levels, and institution identifiers rather than a single schoolwide earnings figure. [2] For University of Phoenix, that means a user looking beyond the school profile may need to review College Scorecard’s field-of-study information rather than relying only on the University of Phoenix-Arizona institution profile. [1][2]

A program-level earnings field does not mean every individual graduate in that program earned the displayed amount. [2] College Scorecard median earnings fields are federal outcome measures for defined cohorts, and the College Scorecard Data Dictionary describes the fields and variables used in the dataset. [2][3] The median is the midpoint of the measured group, not an average salary, a job-placement rate, or a guarantee of a future wage. [2][4]

Program-level earnings also depend on whether the relevant field has enough data to publish under College Scorecard methodology. [2] If a value is suppressed, unavailable, or missing in the federal data, it should not be filled in from another salary website or estimated from unrelated sources. [2]

How program-level earnings differ from institution-level earnings

Institution-level earnings data is tied to the school profile and institution-level College Scorecard fields. [1][3][4] On the University of Phoenix-Arizona profile, College Scorecard presents institution-level consumer information that may include earnings, cost, debt, repayment, completion, and related fields depending on the current display and data release. [1][3][4]

Program-level earnings data is narrower in structure. [2] Instead of summarizing the institution as a whole, field-of-study data is connected to a program category, a credential level, and a federal classification used by College Scorecard. [2] That structure matters because two programs at the same institution may have different student populations, credential levels, and earnings measurement availability under the federal dataset. [2]

The key difference is the unit of analysis:

• Institution-level earnings: tied to University of Phoenix-Arizona as an institution in College Scorecard. [1][3][4]
• Program-level earnings: tied to a field of study and credential level in College Scorecard’s field-of-study data. [2]
• Neither field type: a promise of a particular graduate’s salary, job title, promotion, or employment outcome. [2][4]

What the University of Phoenix-Arizona school profile shows

The United States Department of Education College Scorecard school profile for University of Phoenix-Arizona is the starting point for institution-level information. [1] The profile is tied to the federal school record for University of Phoenix-Arizona and displays College Scorecard fields using the Department of Education’s current consumer-facing format. [1]

The University of Phoenix-Arizona school profile is the federal source to use for institution-level College Scorecard earnings fields. [1] That field should be read with College Scorecard’s documentation and Data Dictionary because the label alone does not explain every cohort rule, measurement period, or variable definition. [3][4]

The school profile is not a substitute for field-of-study documentation when the question is about a specific program. [1][2] Program-level questions require the field-of-study data framework because the relevant unit is the program category and credential level rather than the schoolwide profile alone. [2]

What field-of-study data adds

College Scorecard Field of Study Data Documentation explains how program-level fields are structured and interpreted. [2] It is the correct source for understanding how program-level earnings fields differ from institution-level fields because it describes the field-of-study dataset rather than the school profile alone. [2]

Field-of-study data adds a more specific lens for program-level review. [2] It can help distinguish whether an earnings measure is associated with a particular field of study and credential level rather than the entire institution. [2] That additional detail is useful when a user is asking about earnings connected to a degree area, but it still has limits. [2]

Program-level data does not identify each student’s job, employer, or reason for enrolling. [2] It also does not establish that the program caused a particular earnings outcome. [2] The federal earnings field is an outcome measure for a defined group, not an employment-causation study. [2][4]

Why some program-level values may not appear

College Scorecard does not publish every possible field value in every circumstance. [2][4] Data fields may be unavailable, suppressed, or not displayed when the underlying data does not meet publication requirements or when the field is not applicable in the current release. [2][4]

That matters for University of Phoenix program-level earnings searches because a missing program-level value is not evidence of a specific earnings outcome. [2] It means the user must stay within the published federal data rather than substituting an outside estimate. [2][4] If College Scorecard does not publish a program-level earnings value for a particular field of study, the accurate reading is that the value is not available from that College Scorecard field. [2]

Third-party salary websites are not replacements for College Scorecard program-level earnings data. [2][4] Outside salary websites should not be used as substitutes for College Scorecard field-of-study data when the question is about federal College Scorecard program-level earnings. [2][4]

How to read program-level earnings without overstating them

Program-level earnings are useful when read as one federal data point among several College Scorecard fields. [2][4] A program-level median earnings figure may provide a narrower view than institution-level earnings, but it still does not answer every outcome question a prospective student may have. [2][4]

A careful reading separates these questions:

What does the federal field measure?
The answer depends on the specific College Scorecard variable and field-of-study documentation. [2][4] The Data Dictionary supplies variable definitions, while the Field of Study Data Documentation explains the program-level data structure. [2][3]

Is the number institution-level or program-level?
The University of Phoenix-Arizona school profile supports institution-level reading. [1] College Scorecard field-of-study documentation supports program-level reading. [2]

Is the number a median or an average?
College Scorecard earnings fields are defined through federal variables, and median earnings should not be restated as average salary unless the field itself uses that concept. [2][4] A median is not the same calculation as an arithmetic average. [2][4]

Does the number prove job placement?
College Scorecard earnings data is not a job-placement rate. [2][4] It does not state whether a graduate got a job because of a degree, changed employers, received a promotion, or entered a specific occupation. [2][4]

Does the number guarantee future earnings?
College Scorecard earnings fields do not guarantee individual outcomes. [2][4] Individual outcomes vary and are not isolated by the College Scorecard field. [2][4]

Institution-level and program-level data answer different questions

The institution-level earnings field helps answer a broad school-profile question: what does College Scorecard report for University of Phoenix-Arizona at the institutional level? [1][3][4] The program-level field helps answer a narrower question: what does College Scorecard report for a specific field of study and credential level where data is available? [2]

Those two questions should not be merged into a single claim. [2][4] A program-level figure should not be used as the overall University of Phoenix earnings figure, and an institution-level figure should not be treated as the earnings outcome for every program. [1][2][4]

A clear source trail keeps the distinction intact. Use the College Scorecard school profile for University of Phoenix-Arizona when checking the schoolwide profile. [1] Use the College Scorecard Data Dictionary for field definitions. [3] Use the College Scorecard Field of Study Data Documentation when the question is about program-level earnings. [2]

FAQ

Does College Scorecard show University of Phoenix earnings by program?

College Scorecard publishes field-of-study data that can include program-level earnings where the Department of Education’s field-of-study methodology supports publication. [2] For University of Phoenix, the institution-level starting point is the College Scorecard school profile for University of Phoenix-Arizona, while program-level questions require the field-of-study data framework. [1][2]

Are program-level earnings the same as the schoolwide median earnings figure?

No. Institution-level earnings are tied to the school profile and institution-level variables, while program-level earnings are tied to field-of-study records and credential-level structure. [1][2][4] The two fields answer different questions and should not be substituted for each other. [2][4]

Why might a program-level earnings value be missing?

A program-level value may be suppressed, unavailable, or not displayed under College Scorecard data rules and field definitions. [2][4] A missing value should not be filled in with an estimate from a salary website or a number from another source. [2][4]

Do program-level earnings show whether a degree leads to a better job?

Program-level earnings do not measure job placement, promotion, employer decisions, or whether a degree caused a specific job outcome. [2][4] They are federal earnings fields for defined groups in College Scorecard data. [2][4]

Which source should be used for University of Phoenix program-level earnings?

Use the United States Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study Data Documentation for program-level methodology and the College Scorecard Data Dictionary for variable definitions. [2][3] Use the University of Phoenix-Arizona College Scorecard school profile for institution-level fields. [1]

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard institution profile for University of Phoenix-Arizona: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?484613-University-of-Phoenix-Arizona=

2. U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Field of Study Data Documentation: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf

3. U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Data Dictionary: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/CollegeScorecardDataDictionary.xlsx

4. U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard Institution-Level Data Documentation: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf