IPEDS

Category: External Resources FAQs

What is IPEDS?

From the NCES website: IPEDS is the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. It is a system of multiple surveys conducted annually by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). IPEDS gathers information from every college, university, and technical and vocational institution that participates in the federal student financial aid programs. The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, requires that institutions that participate in federal student aid programs report data on enrollments, program completions, graduation rates, faculty and staff, finances, institutional prices, and student financial aid. These data are made available to students and parents through the College Navigator college search Web site and to researchers and others through the IPEDS Data Center.

The wealth of data available via IPEDS makes it a valuable resource for internal and external stakeholders interested in better understanding and benchmarking postsecondary education institutions.