Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is a system of interrelated surveys conducted annually by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a part of the Institute for Education Sciences within the United States Department of Education. IPEDS consists of twelve interrelated survey components that are collected over three collection periods (Fall, Winter, and Spring) each year as described in the Data Collection and Dissemination Cycle. The completion of all IPEDS surveys is mandatory for all institutions that participate in, or are applicants for participation in, any federal financial assistance program authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.Statutory Requirements For Reporting IPEDS Data

The IPEDS program department of NCES was created in 1992 and began collecting data in 1993.

The Use the Data Page, formerly called the IPEDS Data Center, allows users to retrieve IPEDS data, including the ability to view trends on most frequently asked subject areas, retrieve data on a single institution, download or customize an institution's Data Feedback Report, compare institutions on a single variable, calculate descriptive statistics of an institution with or without a comparison institution, generate standard reports for an institution, download data files, and access other resources for data users.

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

IPEDS collects data on postsecondary education in the United States in the following areas: institutional characteristics, institutional prices, admissions, enrollment, student financial aid, degrees and certificates conferred, student persistence and success (retention rates, graduation rates, and outcome measures), institutional human resources, fiscal resources, and academic libraries.

Institutional characteristics data are the foundation of the entire IPEDS system. These include basic institutional contact information, tuition and fees, room and board charges, control or affiliation, type of calendar system, levels of awards offered, types of programs, and admissions requirements.

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