The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is a comprehensive data collection program managed by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). It gathers information from all providers of postsecondary education in the United States that participate in federal student aid programs under Title IV.
The data collected through IPEDS is a valuable resource for:
- Policy Making: It informs federal and state education policies.
- Institutional Improvement: Helps institutions benchmark and improve their performance.
- Public Information: Provides valuable information to students, parents, and researchers about postsecondary education options and trends.
- Accountability: Ensures transparency and accountability in higher education.
IPEDS collects data annually across twelve interrelated survey components, including:
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Academic Libraries
- Institutional Characteristics
- Graduation Rates
- Admissions
- Student Financial Aid
- Enrollment
- Completions: Degrees and certificates awarded
IPEDS data is publicly accessible through various tools provided by NCES:
- College Navigator: A consumer tool designed to help students and parents find information about colleges and universities.
- Trend Generator: Creates charts and graphs over time for subject areas of keen interest.
- Summary Tables: Users can build summary tables for chosen subgroups of institutions on popular topics.
- Data Explorer: Allows users to search for tables, charts, and publications related to postsecondary education.
- Data Feedback Report: Search for an institution to view or customize a report that graphically summarizes a selected institution’s data and compares it against peer institutions.
- Look Up an Institution: Provides an interface to search for information for a single institution or a list of institutions.
These tools and more are accessible from the NCES webpage Use The Data which includes a New to IPEDS button that links to a comprehensive introduction to IPEDS data and an IPEDS Data Tools User Manual designed to help users navigate the various functions, processes, and extensive features of the IPEDS Data Tools.