IPEDS Survey Components and Data Collection and Dissemination Cycle
IPEDS consists of eight interrelated survey components that are collected over three collection periods (Fall, Winter, and Spring) each year. Data for each data collection period are publicly released in the IPEDS Data Center within one year after the data collection closes.
| Collection Opens |
Early September |
Early December |
Early March |
| Collection Closes |
Mid October |
Mid January |
Mid April |
| Data Being Cleaned, Reviewed and Quality Checked |
October to January |
January to April |
April to July |
| Early Release Data Are Made Available to Institutions and displayed on College Navigator |
January |
April |
July |
| Data and First Look Publication Are Publicly Released |
Within one year after the data collection closes |
| Survey components |
Institutional Characteristics (includes pricing data) Completions12-Month Enrollment |
Human Resources |
Student Financial Aid Graduation Rates |
| Fall Enrollment (available in both Winter and Spring)Finance(available in both Winter and Spring) |
Ipeds Survey Components
Fall Collection
| Institutional Characteristics (IC) |
Annual |
Data collected in the institutional characteristics survey provide general information about the institution. Data collected include:
- Institution address, telephone number, and website;
- Educational offerings and mission statements;
- Control/affiliation, award levels, and calendar system;
- Admissions requirements; and
- Student charges, including tuition and required fees and room and board charges for institutions with first-time, full-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students.
These data elements are displayed on the College Navigator website. In 2005, the IC Survey also began collecting an early estimate of Fall Enrollment, however, this does not appear on College Navigator. |
| Completions (C) |
Annual |
Degree completions data are collected for award levels ranging from postsecondary certificates of less than 1 year to doctoral degrees. Data collected include:
- Degree completions by level and other formal awards by length of program, by race/ethnicity and gender of recipient, and by 6-digit CIP code.
In 2001, IPEDS began collecting information on the number of students receiving degrees with double majors by 6-digit CIP code (for the second major) and by race/ethnicity and gender of recipient. |
| 12-Month Enrollment (E12) |
Annual |
12-month enrollment data are collected for levels ranging from postsecondary certificates of less than 1 year to doctoral degrees. The 12-month reporting period selected by the institution is either July 1-June 30 or September 1-August 31. Data collected/calculated include:
- Unduplicated headcounts by level of student and by race/ethnicity and gender,
- Instructional activity (contact or credit hours); and
- Full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment (calculated based on instructional activity).
FTE is used in computing expenses by function per FTE and revenues per FTE, which are reported on the IPEDS Data Feedback Report. |
Winter Collection
| Human Resources (HR) |
Employees by Assigned Position (EAP) |
Annual |
Data are collected as of November 1 of the current academic year. Employee headcount data are collected by:
- Full- and part-time status;
- Function or primary occupational category; and
- Faculty status and tenure status (if applicable).
This component links directly to the Fall Staff and Salaries components. Institutions with medical schools (those that have M.D. programs) are required to report their medical school employees separately. |
| Salaries (SA) |
Annual |
Data are collected as of November 1 of the current academic year, on the number of full-time instructional faculty by:
- Rank, gender, and length of contract;
- Total salary outlay; and
- Fringe benefits received.
The survey became annual in 1990, but was not collected in 2000, due to budgetary constraints. As of the 2004 data collection, this component is required of degree-granting institutions only. |
| Fall Staff (S) |
Biennial (odd-numbered years) |
This component is required biennially (in odd-numbered years) from institutions with 15 or more full-time employees and are collected as of November 1 of the current academic year. Data collected include:
- Number of full-time faculty by race/ethnicity, gender, contract length/teaching period, and salary class intervals;
- Number of non-faculty employed full time by race/ethnicity, gender, primary occupational activity, and salary class intervals;
- Number of part-time employees by race/ethnicity, gender, and primary occupational activity;
- Tenure status of full-time faculty by academic rank, race/ethnicity and gender; and
- Number of new hires by primary occupational activity, race/ethnicity and gender.
|
Spring or Winter Collection
| Fall Enrollment (EF) |
Annual |
Fall enrollment data are collected for all students enrolled in credit-bearing courses/programs which could potentially lead to awards ranging from postsecondary certificates of less than 1 year to doctoral degrees. Data collected include:
- The number of full and part-time students enrolled in the fall by level, race/ethnicity, and gender;
- Students 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;
- Residence and high school graduation status of first time, first-year students (in even years);
- Age of students (in odd years); and
- Cohort numbers to compute retention rates.
In even-numbered years, four-year institutions are also required to provide enrollment data by level, race/ethnicity, and gender for 9 selected fields of study for the Office for Civil Rights. |
| Financial Statistics (F) |
Annual |
This component collects data related to the financial condition of the institution. Data collected include:
- Revenues by source (e.g., tuition and fees, government grants and contracts, private gifts);
- Expenses by function (e.g., instruction, research, academic support, institutional support);
- Physical plant assets and indebtedness; and
- Endowment investments.
Different formats are used based on the institution’s accounting standards (GASB or FASB).
|
Spring Collection
| Student Financial Aid (SFA) |
Annual |
Financial aid data are collected for full-time, first-time degree- and certificate seeking undergraduate students. Data are collected regarding federal grants, state and local government grants, institutional grants, and loans. Data collected include:
- Number of students receiving each type of financial assistance; and
- Average amount received by type of aid.
These are displayed on the College Navigator website. |
| Graduation Rate (GRS) |
Annual |
Graduation data are collected for award levels ranging from postsecondary certificates of less than 1 year to doctoral degrees. Data collected include:
- Number of students entering the institution as full-time, first-time degree or certificate-seeking students in a particular year (cohort), by race/ethnicity and gender;
- Number of students completing their program within a time period equal to one and a half times (150%) the normal period of time;
- Number of students who transferred to other institutions; and
- Number of students who received athletically related student aid in the cohort and the number of them completing within 150% of normal period of time.
This survey was developed to help institutions comply with requirements of Student Right-to-Know.
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