The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System - Glossary

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U.S. Department of Education
Institute of Education Sciences

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

Glossary

The online version of the IPEDS Glossary provides definitions for almost 500 postsecondary-related terms used in the collection and dissemination of IPEDS data.

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Term	Definition	Related terms
Fall Enrollment (EF)	This annual component of IPEDS collects data on the number of students enrolled in the fall at postsecondary institutions. Students reported are those enrolled in courses creditable toward a degree or other formal award; students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, including those enrolled in off-campus centers; and high school students taking regular college courses for credit. Institutions report annually the number of full- and part-time students, by gender, race/ethnicity, and level (undergraduate, graduate, first-professional); the total number of undergraduate entering students (including first-time, transfers-in, part-time students, and non-degree students); and retention rates. In even-numbered years, data are collected for state of residence of first-time students and for the number of those students who graduated high school or received high school equivalent certificates in the past 12 months. Also in even-numbered years, 4-year institutions are also required to provide enrollment data by gender, race/ethnicity, and level for selected fields of study. In odd-numbered years, data are collected for enrollment by age category by student level and gender.