Graduation Rates (GR)
OMB No. 1850-0582 v. 33
Submitted by:
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
Institute of Education Sciences
U.S. Department of Education
February 2024
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2024-25 through 2026-27 1
Graduation Rates Package 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections 1
Questions with varied applicability 3
Years that change across the 3 years of clearance 3
Graduation Rates Screens 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections 3
Graduation Rates Screens for 4-year Institutions 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections 4
Graduation Rates Screens for 2-year Institutions 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections 14
Graduation Rates Instructions for 4-year Institutions 2023-24 through 2024-25Data Collections 21
Graduation Rates Instructions for 2-year Institutions 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections 29
Graduation Rates FAQs 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections 38
General |
|
|
Removed the Gender Unknown or Another Gender than Provided Categories question due to concerns with the privacy and ability of institutions to change data submitted numerous years prior. |
Throughout these forms, the type of data reported or provided in each field is indicated with an abbreviation. The table below provides information about these abbreviations.
CF |
Carried forward. Values are carried forward from other parts of the survey form. |
CV |
Calculated value. IPEDS calculates the information based on the data provided. |
PL |
Preloaded value. IPEDS preloads the information for the institution (when available). |
RV |
Reported value. All reported values in IPEDS are numerical. |
Some questions are not applicable to all institutions. Please see the table below for information. In the materials below, variability is indicated with [purple].
Academic Year Reporters |
|
Cohort year reported |
Academic year reporters use a Fall cohort.
|
Program Reporters |
|
Cohort year reported |
Program reporters use a full-year cohort.
|
Dates change for some elements depending on the collection year. Please see the table below for information. Dates currently included throughout the materials are for the 2023-24 data collection and are highlighted in [green].
Academic Year Reporters |
|
Cohort year reported |
4-year institutions 2024-25 collection: Fall 2018 2026-26 collection: Fall 2019 2027-27 collection: Fall 2020 2 and less-than 2-year institutions 2024-25 collection: Fall 2021 2025-26 collection: Fall 2022 2026-27 collection: Fall 2023 |
Program Reporters |
|
Cohort year reported |
4-year institutions 2024-25 collection: September 1, 2018 - August 31, 2019 2025-26 collection: September 1, 2019 - August 31, 2020 2026-27 collection: September 1, 2020 - August 31, 2021 2 and less-than 2-year institutions 2024-25 collection: September 1, 2021 - August 31, 2022 2025-26 collection: September 1, 2022 - August 31, 2023 2026-27 collection: September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024 |
Overview [This section of the screens is the same for 4-, 2-, and less-than 2-year institutions]
Graduation Rates Overview
Welcome to the IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) survey component. The GR component collects data on the cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students and tracks their completion status at 150% of the normal time to complete all requirements of their program of study. This information is collected to assist institutions in complying with the requirements of the Student Right-to-Know Act.
Data Reporting Reminders
Report data to accurately reflect the time period corresponding with the IPEDS survey component, even if such reporting is seemingly inconsistent with prior-year reporting.
Once a student is in the cohort, they remain in the cohort, even if their status changes to part-time or they drop out or transfer out of the institution. However, adjustments can be made to the cohort for allowable exclusions, which include the death of a student, total and permanent disability, military deployment, or service on an official church mission or with a foreign aid service of the Federal government.
When reporting award levels for sub-baccalaureate certificates, determine program length by the number of credit or clock hours, NOT the academic year length in parentheses. The academic year length is meant only to provide context.
Changes to reporting for 2024-25:
The following changes were implemented for the 2024-25 data collection period:
Removed the Gender Unknown or Another Gender than Provided Categories question.
If you have questions about completing this survey, please contact the IPEDS Help Desk at 1-877-225-2568.
Section I - Establishing cohorts
Based on your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (Part B, Question 4) on the Institutional Characteristics survey component from the IPEDS Fall 2024 data collection, |
|
Your institution reported to the GR survey component as having the following number of students who did not complete, but were still enrolled at your institution: |
Cohort to be used is preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and operating on a continuous basis. |
Reporting Reminder:
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
NOTE: Reporting using the new race/ethnicity categories is now mandatory. On this screen you will need to revise your preloaded 2017 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students to the new race/ethnicity categories (if applicable). For information and assistance with this, please visit the IPEDS Race/Ethnicity Information Center.
Men
Screen 1 of 2 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|
|
Initial cohort |
Revised cohort |
|
(Column 01) |
|
U.S. Nonresident |
PL, EF |
RV |
Hispanic/Latino |
PL, EF |
RV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
PL, EF |
RV |
Asian |
PL, EF |
RV |
Black or African American |
PL, EF |
RV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
PL, EF |
RV |
White |
PL, EF |
RV |
Two or More Races |
PL, EF |
RV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
PL, EF |
RV |
Total men |
PL, EF |
CV |
Women
Screen 1 of 2 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|
|
Initial cohort |
Revised cohort |
|
(Column 01) |
|
U.S. Nonresident |
PL, EF |
RV |
Hispanic/Latino |
PL, EF |
RV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
PL, EF |
RV |
Asian |
PL, EF |
RV |
Black or African American |
PL, EF |
RV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
PL, EF |
RV |
White |
PL, EF |
RV |
Two or More Races |
PL, EF |
RV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
PL, EF |
CV |
Total women |
|
|
Total men + women |
PL, EF |
CV |
Section I - Establishing cohorts
Incoming students seeking a bachelor's degree should be reported in Column 02. Column 03 will then be generated for you. Column 03 is meant to include any full-time, first-time entering students who were seeking a degree or certificate other than a bachelor's degree, such as an associate's degree or undergraduate certificate.
If you have no changes to the preloaded data on this screen, click the "Save and Next" button to generate additional screens for reporting completers and transfers/exclusions.
Establishing cohorts
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Men
Screen 2 of 2 |
|
||
|
Cohort |
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort |
Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Cohort minus Bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort) |
Enrolled for credit |
(Column 01) |
(Column 02) |
(Column 03) |
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
RV |
CV |
White |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Total men |
CF |
CV |
CV |
Women
Screen 2 of 2 |
|
||
|
Cohort |
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort |
Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Cohort minus Bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort) |
Enrolled for credit |
(Column 01) |
(Column 02) |
(Column 03) |
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
RV |
CV |
White |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
RV |
CV |
Total women |
CF |
CV |
CV |
Total men + women |
CF |
CV |
CV |
Section II - Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort - Completers within 150%
In the columns below, report the status of the bachelor's degree-seeking subcohort of students listed in Column 10.
Of the students in Column 10, those who attained a degree or certificate OTHER THAN A BACHELOR'S DEGREE within 150% of the normal time to complete the program as of August 31, 2024 should be reported in either Column 11 or 12, depending on the length of the program completed.
Of the students in Column 10, those who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time should be reported in Column 18.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Men
Screen 1 of 4 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
||||
|
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort |
Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion |
Total completers within 150% |
||
Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) |
Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) |
Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees |
|||
(Column 10) |
(Column 11) |
(Column 12) |
(Column 18) |
(Column 29) |
|
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total men |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Women
Screen 1 of 4 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
||||
|
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort |
Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion |
Total completers within 150% |
||
Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) |
Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) |
Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees |
|||
(Column 10) |
(Column 11) |
(Column 12) |
(Column 18) |
(Column 29) |
|
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total women |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Total women + men |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Section II - Bachelor's completers by length of time to degree
Those students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time to completion, as reported on the previous screen, are listed in Column 18. In Column 19, report the number of these students who earned a bachelor's degree in 4 years. In Column 20, report the number of these students who earned a bachelor's degree in 5 years. Column 21 will be calculated for you.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Men
Screen 2 of 4 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
||||
|
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort |
Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% |
Subcohort students who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent |
||
|
Completed the program in 4 years or less |
Completed the program in 5 years |
Completed the program in 6 years |
||
|
(Column 10) |
(Column 18) |
(Column 19) |
(Column 20) |
(Column 21) |
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total men |
CF |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Women
Screen 2 of 4 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
||||
|
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort |
Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% |
Subcohort students who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent |
||
|
Completed the program in 4 years or less |
Completed the program in 5 years |
Completed the program in 6 years |
||
|
(Column 10) |
(Column 18) |
(Column 19) |
(Column 20) |
(Column 21) |
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total women |
CF |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Total women + men |
CF |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Section II - Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort - Transfers/exclusions
In the columns below, report the status of those students in the BACHELOR'S OR EQUIVALENT DEGREE-SEEKING SUBCOHORT listed in Column 10 who did not complete a program within 150% of normal time to completion.
Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Column 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed a program, you must report transfer-out data in Column 30. A school is required to report only on those students that the school knows have transferred to another eligible institution. A school must document that the student actually transferred. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you wish.
Report eligible exclusions from the subcohort in Column 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
Students who died or became totally and permanently disabled
Students who left school to serve in the armed forces (or have been called up to active duty)
Students who left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government
Students who left school to serve on an official church mission
Column 52 [No longer enrolled] will be calculated for you. This includes students who have dropped out as well as those who completed in greater than 150% of normal time.
If you do not have any values to report in either Column 30, 45, or 51, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this screen to continue.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Men
Screen 3 of 4 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|||||
|
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort |
Total completers within 150% |
Total transfer-out students |
Total exclusions |
Still enrolled |
No longer enrolled |
|
(Column 10) |
(Column 29) |
(Column 30) |
(Column 45) |
(Column 51) |
(Column 52) |
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total men |
CF |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Women
Screen 3 of 4 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|||||
|
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort |
Total completers within 150% |
Total transfer-out students |
Total exclusions |
Still enrolled |
No longer enrolled |
|
(Column 10) |
(Column 29) |
(Column 30) |
(Column 45) |
(Column 51) |
(Column 52) |
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total women |
CF |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Total men + women |
CF |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Section II - Bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking cohort - Pell recipients and a recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant
For each subcohort, report the number of students in the cohort, total exclusions for the cohort, the number of students that completed a bachelor’s or equivalent degree within 150% of normal time to completion, and the total completers within 150%.
Recipients of a Pell Grant and Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant are mutually exclusive, that is, if a student is in one cohort, they cannot be in the other cohort.
- The total of these 2 subcohorts must be less than the Bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking cohort
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Screen 4 of 4 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|||
|
Number of students in cohort |
Total exclusions |
Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% |
Total completers within 150% |
(Column 11) |
(Column 45) |
(Column 18) |
(Column 29) |
|
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking cohort |
|
|
|
|
Recipients of a Pell Grant (within entering year) |
RV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) that did not receive a Pell Grant |
RV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
Did not receive either a Pell Grant or Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Section III - Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort - Completers within 150%
In the columns below, report the status of the subcohort of students seeking other than a bachelor's or equivalent degree listed in Column 10.
Of the students in Column 10, those who attained a degree or certificate other than a bachelor's degree within 150% of the normal time to complete the program as of August 31, 2024 should be reported in either Column 11 or 12, depending on the length of the program completed.
Of the students in Column 10, those who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time should be reported in Column 18.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Men
Screen 1 of 3 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
||||
|
Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort |
Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion |
Total completers within 150% |
||
Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) |
Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) |
Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees |
|||
(Column 10) |
(Column 11) |
(Column 12) |
(Column 18) |
(Column 29) |
|
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
|
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
|
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
|
Asian |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
|
Black or African American |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
|
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
|
White |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
|
Two or More Races |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
|
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
|
Total men |
CF |
|
|
|
|
Women
Screen 1 of 3 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
||||
|
Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort |
Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion |
Total completers within 150% |
||
Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) |
Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) |
Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees |
|||
(Column 10) |
(Column 11) |
(Column 12) |
(Column 18) |
(Column 29) |
|
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total women |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Total men + women |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Section III - Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort - Transfers/exclusions
In the columns below, report the status of those students in the OTHER DEGREE/CERTIFICATE-SEEKING SUBCOHORT listed in Column 10 who did not complete a program within 150% of normal time to completion.
Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Column 30. A school is required to report only on those students that the school knows have transferred to another eligible institution. A school must document that the student actually transferred. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you wish.
Report eligible exclusions from the subcohort in Column 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
Students who died or became totally and permanently disabled
Students who left school to serve in the armed forces (or have been called up to active duty)
Students who left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government
Students who left school to serve on an official church mission
Column 52 [No longer enrolled] will be calculated for you. This includes students who dropped out as well as those who completed in greater than 150% of normal time.
If you do not have any values to report in either Column 30, 45, or 51, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this screen to continue.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Men
Screen 2 of 3 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|||||
|
Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort |
Total completers within 150% |
Total transfer-out students |
Total exclusions |
Still enrolled |
No longer enrolled |
|
(Column 10) |
(Column 29) |
(Column 30) |
(Column 45) |
(Column 51) |
(Column 52) |
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total men |
CF |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Women
Screen 2 of 3 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|||||
|
Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort |
Total completers within 150% |
Total transfer-out students |
Total exclusions |
Still enrolled |
No longer enrolled |
|
(Column 10) |
(Column 29) |
(Column 30) |
(Column 45) |
(Column 51) |
(Column 52) |
U.S. Nonresident |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
CF |
CF |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total women |
CF |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Total men + women |
CF |
CF |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Section III - Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort - Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant
For each subcohort, report the number of students in the cohort, total exclusions for the cohort, the number of students that completed other than a bachelor’s or equivalent degree within 150% of normal time to completion, and the total completers within 150%.
Recipients of a Pell Grant and Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant are mutually exclusive, that is, if a student is in one cohort, they cannot be in the other cohort.
- The total of these 2 subcohorts must be less than the other degree-seeking cohort
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree
Screen 3 of 3 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|||
|
Number of students in cohort |
Total exclusions |
Completed other than a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% |
Total completers within 150% |
(Column 11) |
(Column 45) |
(Column 18) |
(Column 29) |
|
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking cohort |
|
|
|
|
Recipients of a Pell Grant (within entering year) |
RV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) that did not receive a Pell Grant |
RV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
Did not receive either a Pell Grant or Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Establishing cohorts
Based on your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (Part B, Question 4) on the Institutional Characteristics survey component from the IPEDS Fall 2024 data collection, |
|
Your institution reported to the GR survey component as having the following number of students who did not complete, but were still enrolled at your institution: |
Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and operating on a continuous basis. |
Reporting Reminder:
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
Please review the data in the initial cohort column and re-enter the cohort data making any necessary corrections for omissions, erroneous reporting, or where better information regarding race/ethnicity or gender is available. Institutions must continue to report using the new race/ethnicity categories. For information and assistance with this, please visit the IPEDS Race/Ethnicity Information Center.
Men
Screen 1 of 5 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|
|
Initial cohort |
Revised cohort |
|
(Column 01) |
|
U.S. Nonresident |
PL |
RV |
Hispanic/Latino |
PL |
RV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
PL |
RV |
Asian |
PL |
RV |
Black or African American |
PL |
RV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
PL |
RV |
White |
PL |
RV |
Two or More Races |
PL |
RV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
PL |
RV |
Total men |
PL |
CV |
Women
Screen 1 of 5 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|
|
Initial cohort |
Revised cohort |
|
(Column 01) |
|
U.S. Nonresident |
PL |
RV |
Hispanic/Latino |
PL |
RV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
PL |
RV |
Asian |
PL |
RV |
Black or African American |
PL |
RV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
PL |
RV |
White |
PL |
RV |
Two or More Races |
PL |
RV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
PL |
RV |
Total women |
PL |
CV |
Total men + women |
PL |
CV |
Completers within 150%
Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
In the columns below, report the status of the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students listed in Column 10. Those who completed their program within 150% of normal time as of August 31, 2024 should be reported in either Column 11 or 12, depending on the length of the program completed.
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Men
Screen 2 of 5 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|||
|
Cohort |
Cohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion |
Total completers within 150% |
|
Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) |
Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) |
|||
(Column 10) |
(Column 11) |
(Column 12) |
(Column 29) |
|
U.S. Nonresident |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total men |
PL |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Women
Screen 2 of 5 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|||
|
Cohort |
Cohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion |
Total completers within 150% |
|
Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) |
Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) |
|||
(Column 10) |
(Column 11) |
(Column 12) |
(Column 29) |
|
U.S. Nonresident |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total women |
PL |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Total men + women |
PL |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Transfers/exclusions
In the columns below, report the status of those students in the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students listed in Column 10 who did not complete a program as of August 31, 2025.
Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Column 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed a program, you must report transfer-out data in Column 30. A school is required to report only on those students that the school knows have transferred to another eligible institution. A school must document that the student actually transferred. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you wish.
Report eligible exclusions from the subcohort in Column 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
Students who died or became totally and permanently disabled
Students who left school to serve in the armed forces (or have been called up to active duty)
Students who left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government
Students who left school to serve on an official church mission
Column 52 [No longer enrolled] will be calculated for you. This includes students who dropped out as well as those who completed in greater than 150% of normal time.
If you do not have any values to report in either Column 30, 45, or 51, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this screen to continue.
Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Men
Screen 3 of 5 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|||||
|
Cohort |
Total completers within 150% |
Total transfer-out students |
Total exclusions |
Still enrolled |
No longer enrolled |
|
(Column 10) |
(Column 29) |
(Column 30) |
(Column 45) |
(Column 51) |
(Column 52) |
U.S. Nonresident |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total men |
PL |
PL |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Women
Screen 3 of 5 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|||||
|
Cohort |
Total completers within 150% |
Total transfer-out students |
Total exclusions |
Still enrolled |
No longer enrolled |
|
(Column 10) |
(Column 29) |
(Column 30) |
(Column 45) |
(Column 51) |
(Column 52) |
U.S. Nonresident |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Hispanic/Latino |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
American Indian or Alaska Native |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Asian |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Black or African American |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
White |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Two or More Races |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total women |
PL |
PL |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Total men + women |
PL |
PL |
CV |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Completers within 100%
In the columns below, report the status of those students in the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who completed their program within 100% of normal time to completion.
Those who completed their program within 100% of normal time should be reported in either Column 55 or 56, depending on the length of the program completed.
Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
Screen 4 of 5 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
||||
|
Revised cohort |
Exclusions |
Cohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion |
Total completers within 100% (Column 55 + 56) |
|
Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) |
Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) |
||||
|
|
(Column 55) |
(Column 56) |
(Column 57) |
|
Total men + women |
PL |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant
For each subcohort, report the number of students in the cohort, total exclusions for the cohort, and the number of students that completed a certificate or degree within 150% of normal time to completion.
Recipients of a Pell Grant and Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant are mutually exclusive, that is, if a student is in one cohort, they cannot be in the other cohort.
- The total of these 2 subcohorts must be less than the full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking cohort
Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
Screen 5 of 5 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
||
|
Number of students in cohort |
Total exclusions |
Number of students that completed within 150% of normal time to completion |
(Column 11) |
(Column 45) |
(Column 29) |
|
Full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking cohort |
PL |
PL |
PL |
Recipients of a Pell Grant (within entering year) |
RV |
RV |
RV |
Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) that did not receive a Pell Grant |
RV |
RV |
RV |
Did not receive either a Pell Grant or Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Establishing cohorts
Based on your institution’s response to the predominant calendar system question (Part B, Question 4) on the Institutional Characteristics survey component from the IPEDS Fall 2024 data collection, |
|
Your institution reported to the GR survey component as having the following number of students who did not complete, but were still enrolled at your institution: |
Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and operating on a continuous basis. |
Reporting Reminder:
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
In the columns below, indicate the status of the 2020 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students reported in Column 10.
The cumulative number of these students who completed their program within 150% of normal time as of August 31, 2024 should be reported in Column 11.
Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Column 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed a program, you must report transfer-out data in Column 30. A school is required to report only on those students that the school knows have transferred to another eligible institution. A school must document that the student actually transferred. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you wish.
Report eligible exclusions from the cohort in Column 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
students who died or became totally and permanently disabled
students who left school to serve in the armed forces (or have been called up to active duty)
students who left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government
students who left school to serve on an official church mission
Column 52 [No longer enrolled] will be calculated for you. This includes students who dropped out as well as those who completed in greater than 150% of normal time.
Column 55 [Completers within 100%] is a subset of Column 11 [Completers within 150%]. These data are being requested so they can be preloaded into next year’s Graduation Rates 200% survey component.
Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
Screen 1 of 2 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
|
|
|
|||||
|
Initial Cohort |
Revised Cohort |
Total exclusions |
Adjusted cohort (Column 10 – Column 45) |
Completed within 150% of normal time to completion |
Of those in Column 11, those who completed within 100% of normal time to completion |
Total transfer-out students |
Still enrolled |
No longer enrolled |
|
|
(Column 10) |
(Column 45) |
(Column 50) |
(Column 11) |
(Column 55) |
(Column 30) |
(Column 51) |
(Column 52) |
Total men + women |
PL |
RV |
RV |
CV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
RV |
CV |
Total men + women prior year |
PL |
PL |
PL |
PL |
PL |
PL |
PL |
PL |
PL |
Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant
For each subcohort, report the number of students in the cohort, total exclusions for the cohort, and the number of students that completed a certificate or degree within 150% of normal time to completion.
Recipients of a Pell Grant and Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant are mutually exclusive, that is, if a student is in one cohort, they cannot be in the other cohort.
- The total of these 2 subcohorts must be less than the full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking cohort
Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
Screen 2 of 2 |
Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type |
||
|
Number of students in cohort |
Total exclusions |
Number of students that completed within 150% of normal time to completion |
(Column 11) |
(Column 45) |
(Column 29) |
|
Full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking cohort |
PL |
PL |
PL |
Recipients of a Pell Grant (within entering year) |
RV |
RV |
RV |
Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) that did not receive a Pell Grant |
RV |
RV |
RV |
Did not receive either a Pell Grant or Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) |
CV |
CV |
CV |
Purpose of the Survey
Changes in Reporting
General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
Context Boxes
Coverage
Who to Include
Who to Exclude
Where to Get Help for Reporting
Where the Reported Data Will Appear
Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System
Reporting Directions
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Categories
Section I: Establishing and Revising Cohorts
Section II: Bachelor’s Degree Subcohort
Section III: Other Degree/Certificate-Seeking Subcohorts
Worksheets
Purpose of the Survey
The purpose of the IPEDS Graduation Rates survey component is to track given cohorts of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students – as well as their completion status at 150% of the normal time to complete all requirements of their program of study – at postsecondary institutions. These data are collected to assist institutions in complying with the requirements of the Student Right-to-Know Act.
Changes to reporting for 2024-25:
The following changes were implemented for the 2024-25 data collection period:
Removed the Gender Unknown or Another Gender than Provided Categories question.
General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
This survey component collects data on the cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2019 (or the institution’s official fall reporting date) for institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (e.g., semesters, trimesters, quarters, or 4-1-4 plan); or (2) during the period between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017 for institutions that do not offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2024.
Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator website, which is the college search tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness before posting them on the College Navigator website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of their entries.
Coverage
Who to Include in the Cohort
Include all full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering the institution either during the fall term or during the 12-month period as described above. Include students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer session and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduating from high school).
For institutions that will report using a full-year cohort, count as entering students all students who entered the institution between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020, and who were enrolled for at least 15 days in a program of up to and including one year in length; or 30 days in a program of greater than one year in length.
Include all students enrolled for credit toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential. Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.
Be sure to include full-time students taking developmental courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for the purpose of student financial aid determination. This includes students who:
Received any type of federal financial aid, regardless of what courses they took at any time
Received any state or locally based financial aid with an eligibility requirement that the student be enrolled in a degree, certificate, or transfer-seeking program
Obtained a student visa to enroll at a U.S. postsecondary institution
A student who is designated as a member of the cohort remains in the cohort, even if the student:
Becomes a part-time student
Transfers to another institution
Drops out of the institution
Stops out of the institution
Has not fulfilled the institution’s requirements to receive a degree or certificate
Went on a study abroad program the first year upon entering the institution
Who to Exclude from the Cohort
Do NOT include students in the cohort who are:
Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a recognized postsecondary credential or the completion of a vocational program (i.e., non-degree/certificate-seeking students)
Exclusively taking CEUs
Exclusively auditing classes
Enrolled part-time
Transfers into the institution
Foreign students who are only taking coursework at a host institution (e.g., an American institution overseas), if these students are not enrolled at a U.S. institution.
Where to Get Help with Reporting
IPEDS Help Desk
Phone: (877) 225-2568
E-mail: ipedshelp@rti.org
Web Tutorials
You can consult the IPEDS website’s Trainings & Outreach page which contains several tutorials on IPEDS data collection, a self-paced overview of IPEDS tools, and other valuable resources.
IPEDS Resource Page
The IPEDS website’s Reporting Tools page contains frequently asked questions, a link to data tip sheets, tutorials, taxonomies, information centers (e.g., academic libraries, average net price, human resources, race/ethnicity, etc.), and other valuable information.
Where the Reported Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution and aggregate levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
College Navigator website
IPEDS Use the Data portal
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
College Affordability and Transparency Center website
At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
IPEDS Data Explorer
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education
Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System
The File Import/Upload option is found under the Tools menu. In order to perform the upload you’ll need to have a file formatted to specifications. Upload specifications are included with the survey materials found under the Help menu. There are three upload formats available for the Graduation Rates survey component:
Fixed width file
Key value file
Reporting Instructions
Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category (1997 OMB)
This information is being collected in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Sec. 421(a)(1) of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. These instructions correspond with the Final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data to the U.S. Department of Education, published in the Federal Register on October 19, 2007.
Method of collection – Institutions must collect race and ethnicity information using a 2-question format. The first question is whether the respondent is Hispanic/Latino. The second question is whether the respondent is from one or more races from the following list: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White. Institutions should allow students and staff to self-identify their race and ethnicity. For further details on the guidance for collecting these data, please see the full Federal Register notice.
Method of reporting aggregate data – Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of Education using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States citizens, residents, and other eligible non-citizens. Eligible noncitizens includes all students who completed high school or a GED equivalency within the United States (including DACA and undocumented students) and who were not on an F-1 non-immigrant student visa at the time of high school graduation. More information about other eligible (for financial aid purposes) non-citizens is available at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/requirements/non-us-citizens.
Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race
For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
In addition, the following categories may be used:
U.S. Nonresident
Race and ethnicity unknown
Racial/ethnic descriptions – Racial/ethnic designations as used in this survey do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The categories are:
Hispanic or Latino- A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
American Indian or Alaska Native- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment.
Asian- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Black or African American- A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
White – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
Other descriptive categories
U.S. Nonresident – A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. Do not include DACA, undocumented, or other eligible noncitizens in this category. NOTE – U.S. Nonresidents are to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of the seven racial/ethnic categories.
Race and ethnicity unknown – This category is used only if the person did not select EITHER a racial or ethnic designation.
Section I – Establishing Cohorts
Cohort Type
The method used to report graduation rates data on this survey is predetermined by your institution’s response to the predominant calendar system question (Part B, Question 4) on the IC survey component of the IPEDS Fall 2025 data collection, according to the following rules:
Institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (semesters, trimesters, quarters, or 4-1-4 plan) will report using a fall cohort of students. Institutions may use October 15, 2019 or the institution's official fall reporting date to determine the cohort. This should be the same reporting date used for the IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey.
Institutions that do not offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (as defined above) will report using a full-year cohort. These institutions must count as entering students all those students who entered the institution between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021, and who were enrolled for at least 15 days in a program of up to and including one year in length; or 30 days in a program of greater than one year in length.
Establishing your Cohorts
Report each student only once.
Please complete all of Section I. Screens for Sections II and III will be generated based on the data reported in Section I.
Initial cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information reported on full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate student enrollment at your institution on the 2018 IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey will be preloaded in this column. If you did not respond to that survey, or if you are reporting on a full-year cohort, the column will be blank.
Revised cohort (Column 01) - Institutions have the option of revising their preloaded cohort if:
there are eligible students who were omitted in the past
students were reported who did not belong in the cohort (e.g., they were not actually first-time, or full-time)
better information regarding race/ethnicity or gender is available for eligible students
Please review the data in the Initial cohort column (if applicable) and re-enter the cohort data in the Revised cohort column according to the 1997 racial/ethnic categories, making any necessary corrections for omissions, erroneous reporting, or where better information regarding race/ethnicity or gender is available. If your data do not appear in the Initial cohort column, please provide the enrollment data as requested in the Revised cohort column.
Establishing Subcohorts
For 4-year institutions, the cohort is divided into two subcohorts: (1) those students who upon entry are seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree, and (2) those students who upon entry are seeking an undergraduate award other than a bachelor's degree. Institutions that do not determine degree intent upon entry should report all students as if they are bachelor's degree-seeking.
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (Column 02) –Of the revised cohort of students listed in Column 1, indicate the number of these students who declared intent to seek a bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry. As indicated above, this should also include any students whose intent was not known. These data will be carried forward to Section II.
Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Column 03) –This column represents the difference between the Revised cohort (Column 1) and the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (Column 2). The values in this column are calculated for you, and represent the number of students who declared intent to seek an undergraduate award other than a bachelor's level degree (e.g., an associate's degree or other recognized postsecondary credential) upon entry. These data will be carried forward to Section III.
Section II – Completers within 150% - Bachelor’s or Equivalent Degree-Seeking Subcohort
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2019 subcohort of bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking students as of 150% of normal time to completion or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers by type of program completed. Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking a bachelor’s or equivalent degree upon entry. Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution, or students who changed their program of study to a bachelor's level degree after their first semester.
Count completers only once and indicate the highest award level attained.
SPECIAL NOTE: In order to resolve a potential conflict between transfers-out and the mission of particular programs to prepare students for transfer to other institutions, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed a transfer-preparatory program.
Transfer-preparatory program is defined in 34 CFR Student Assistance General Provisions, Section 668.8(b)(1)(ii) as "the successful completion of at least a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree and qualifies a student for admission into the third year of a bachelor’s degree program." The Secretary considers this the equivalent of an associate’s degree, thus completers of transfer-preparatory programs (although they do not receive a "recognized postsecondary credential") should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
Similarly, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed the first three years of a 3-2 program and are eligible to enter another institution to complete the program (provided the program is acceptable for full credit towards a five-year bachelor's degree, and qualifies a student for admission into the fourth year of a five-year bachelor's degree program). As with a transfer-preparatory program, these students should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
In order to calculate a graduation rate that complies with Student Right-to-Know regulations, institutions may count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of the normal time for program completion (normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a program according to the institution's catalog). Do not count as completers students who receive their degree from another institution.
Note that completers should be reported in terms of the type of program completed, as defined by award level. For programs that are defined in terms of clock or credit hours, the program type may not be indicative of the actual calendar time a program takes to complete. For more information on program types, please consult the IPEDS Glossary.
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (Column 10) - The data in this column are carried forward from Section I for your reference.
Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 11) - Enter the number of students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who completed programs of less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of less than one academic year and of at least one but less than two academic years; or designed for completion in less than 60 semester or trimester credit hours, less than 90 quarter credit hours, or less than 1,800 clock hours.
Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 12) - Enter the number of students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who completed programs of at least 2 but less than 4 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of at least two but less than four academic years - or designed for completion in at least 60 but less than 120 semester or trimester credit hours, at least 90 but less than 180 quarter credit hours, or at least 1,800 but less than 3,600 clock hours - and associate's degrees.
Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees (Column 18) - Enter the number of students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent program within 150% of normal time to completion. Note: Completers of 3-year bachelor’s degree programs should only be included if they completed the program within 4-1/2 years.
Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - This column is the sum of the previous three columns, and is calculated for you by the data collection system.
Section II – Bachelor’s Completers by Length of Time to Degree
Report each student only once.
Of those students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent program within 150% of normal time to completion you must provide additional information on the length of time it took them to complete their program. Include all baccalaureate level degrees, including 5-year bachelor's/cooperative programs and those bachelor's degrees in which the normal 4 years of work are completed in 3 years. Of the total number of completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees within 150% of normal time listed in Column 18, provide the following breakout:
Completed the program in 4 yrs or less (Column 19) - Enter the number of students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent in 4 years or less. This should include all students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent by August 31, 2024.
Completed the program in 5 yrs (Column 20) - Enter the number of students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent in 5 years. This should include all students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent in the period from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024. Do NOT include students who completed their program in 4 years or less in this column.
Completed the program in 6 yrs (Column 21) - This column represents the difference between the number of completers of bachelor's degrees or equivalent within 150% of normal time (Column 18) and the sum of those who completed their program in 4 years or less (Column 19) and those who completed their program in 5 years (Column 20). This should include all students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent in the period from September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2025. This column is calculated for you by the data collection system.
Section II – Non-completers - Bachelor’s or Equivalent Degree-Seeking Subcohort
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the non-completers from the 2019 subcohort of bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking students as of 150% of the normal time to completion for their program or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier). Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry. Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution, or students who changed their program of study to a bachelor's level degree after their first semester.
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (Column 10) – The data in this column are carried forward from Section I for your reference.
Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - The data in this column are carried forward from page 1 of Section II for your reference.
Total transfer-out students (Column 30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution without having completed a program, you must report the total number of students who transferred out of your institution (without earning a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students who transferred out of your institution and subsequently re-enrolled at another eligible institution. If it is not part of your mission, you may still report transfer-out data if you wish.
Total exclusions (Column 45)- Indicate the total number of students who left your institution within 150% of normal time to completion for their program (and have neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) due to one of the following documented reasons:
The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called up to active duty. (Do NOT include students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the Peace Corps.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.
NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the reasons noted above, but return prior to the status date of August 31, 2025, may still be subtracted/excluded from the cohort during the calculation of graduation rates.
Still enrolled (Column 51) - Enter the number of students who were still enrolled at your institution as of 150% of normal time to completion for their program (or August 31, 2024 if 150% of normal time to completion had not elapsed by that time).
No longer enrolled (Column 52) - This column represents the difference between the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (Column 10) and the sum of Columns 29, 30, 45, and 51. This column should include students who graduated from their program after 150% of normal time to completion elapsed.
Section II – Bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking cohort - Graduation Rate for Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2016 subcohort of bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking students as of 150% of normal time to completion or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers.
Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking a bachelor’s or equivalent degree upon entry. Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution, or students who changed their program of study to a bachelor's level degree after their first semester.
SPECIAL NOTE: In order to resolve a potential conflict between transfers-out and the mission of particular programs to prepare students for transfer to other institutions, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed a transfer-preparatory program.
Transfer-preparatory program is defined in 34 CFR Student Assistance General Provisions, Section 668.8(b)(1)(ii) as "the successful completion of at least a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree and qualifies a student for admission into the third year of a bachelor’s degree program." The Secretary considers this the equivalent of an associate’s degree, thus completers of transfer-preparatory programs (although they do not receive a "recognized postsecondary credential") should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
Similarly, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed the first three years of a 3-2 program and are eligible to enter another institution to complete the program (provided the program is acceptable for full credit towards a five-year bachelor's degree, and qualifies a student for admission into the fourth year of a five-year bachelor's degree program). As with a transfer-preparatory program, these students should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
In order to calculate a graduation rate that complies with Student Right-to-Know regulations, institutions may count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of the normal time for program completion (normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a program according to the institution's catalog). Do not count as completers students who receive their degree from another institution.
For each of two different subcohorts - Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking students and Other degree/certificate-seeking students, data will be collected on those students who were recipients of a Pell Grant and those students who were recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant.
Recipients are defined as those students receiving and using their Pell Grant or Subsidized Direct loan. These students must receive and use the award within their first year at the institution. If the student is a recipient of an award at a later point, they would not be included in one of the subcohorts.
Number of students in the cohort - The number of students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort will be preloaded from Section 1 of the GR form. Of those students, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories() will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Total exclusions - The number of exclusions in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort will be preloaded from Section II of the GR form. Of those students reported as exclusions, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% - The number of students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent program within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from Section II of the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. This must be less than or equal to the Completers within 150% of normal time. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Total completers within 150% of normal time - The total number of students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from Section II of the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Section III – Completers within 150% - Other Degree/Certificate-Seeking Subcohort
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2016 subcohort of students seeking other than a bachelor's degree as of 150% of normal time to completion or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers by type of program completed. Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking undergraduate degrees or certificates other than a bachelor’s degree upon entry (within entering year). Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution, or students who changed their program of study from a bachelor's level degree after the first semester.
Count completers only once and indicate the highest award level attained.
SPECIAL NOTE: In order to resolve a potential conflict between transfers-out and the mission of particular programs to prepare students for transfer to other institutions, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed a transfer-preparatory program.
Transfer-preparatory program is defined in 34 CFR Student Assistance General Provisions, Section 668.8(b)(1)(ii) as "the successful completion of at least a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree and qualifies a student for admission into the third year of a bachelor’s degree program." The Secretary considers this the equivalent of an associate’s degree, thus completers of transfer-preparatory programs (although they do not receive a "recognized postsecondary credential") should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
Similarly, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed the first three years of a 3-2 program and are eligible to enter another institution to complete the program (provided the program is acceptable for full credit towards a five-year bachelor's degree, and qualifies a student for admission into the fourth year of a five-year bachelor's degree program). As with a transfer-preparatory program, these students should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
In order to calculate a graduation rate that complies with Student Right-to-Know regulations, institutions may count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of the normal time for program completion (normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a program according to the institution's catalog). Do not count as completers students who receive their degree from another institution.
Note that completers should be reported in terms of the type of program completed, as defined by award level. For programs that are defined in terms of clock or credit hours, the program type may not be indicative of the actual calendar time a program takes to complete. For more information on program types, please consult the IPEDS Glossary.
Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Column 10) - The data in this column are carried forward from Section I for your reference.
Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 11) - Enter the number of students in the other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort who completed programs of less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of less than one academic year and of at least one but less than two academic years; or designed for completion in less than 60 semester or trimester credit hours, less than 90 quarter credit hours, or less than 1,800 clock hours.
Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 12) - Enter the number of students in the other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort who completed programs of at least 2 but less than 4 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of at least two but less than four academic years - or designed for completion in at least 60 but less than 120 semester or trimester credit hours, at least 90 but less than 180 quarter credit hours, or at least 1,800 but less than 3,600 clock hours - and associate's degrees.
Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees (Column 18) - Enter the number of students in the other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort who completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent program within 150% of normal time to completion. Note: Completers of 3-year bachelor’s degree programs should only be included if they completed the program within 4-1/2 years.
Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - This column is the sum of the previous three columns, and is calculated for you by the data collection system.
Section III – Non-completers - Other Degree/Certificate-Seeking Subcohort
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the non-completers from the 2016 subcohort of students seeking other than a bachelor's or equivalent degree as of 150% of the normal time to completion for their program or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier). Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking an undergraduate award other than a bachelor's level degree upon entry. Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution, or students who changed their program of study from a bachelor's level degree after their first semester.
Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Column 10) – The data in this column are carried forward from Section I for your reference.
Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - The data in this column are carried forward from page 1 of Section III for your reference.
Total transfer-out students (Column 30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution without having completed a program, you must report the total number of students who transferred out of your institution (without earning a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students who transferred out of your institution and subsequently re-enrolled at another eligible institution. If it is not part of your mission, you may still report transfer-out data if you wish.
Total exclusions (Column 45) – Indicate the total number of students who left your institution within 150% of normal time to completion for their program (and have neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) due to one of the following documented reasons:
The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called up to active duty. (DO NOT include students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the Peace Corps.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.
NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the reasons noted above, but return prior to the status date of August 31, 2025, may still be subtracted/excluded from the cohort during the calculation of graduation rates.
Still enrolled (Column 51) - Enter the number of students who were still enrolled at your institution as of 150% of normal time to completion for their program (or August 31, 2024 if 150% of normal time to completion had not elapsed by that time).
No longer enrolled (Column 52) - This column represents the difference between the other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Column 10) and the sum of Columns 29, 30, 45, and 51. This column should include students who graduated from their program after 150% of normal time to completion elapsed.
Section III – Other Degree/Certificate-Seeking Subcohort - Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2016 subcohort of Other degree/certificate-seeking students as of 150% of normal time to completion or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers.
Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking Other degree/certificate. Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution.
SPECIAL NOTE: In order to resolve a potential conflict between transfers-out and the mission of particular programs to prepare students for transfer to other institutions, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed a transfer-preparatory program.
Transfer-preparatory program is defined in 34 CFR Student Assistance General Provisions, Section 668.8(b)(1)(ii) as "the successful completion of at least a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree and qualifies a student for admission into the third year of a bachelor’s degree program." The Secretary considers this the equivalent of an associate’s degree, thus completers of transfer-preparatory programs (although they do not receive a "recognized postsecondary credential") should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
Similarly, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed the first three years of a 3-2 program and are eligible to enter another institution to complete the program (provided the program is acceptable for full credit towards a five-year bachelor's degree, and qualifies a student for admission into the fourth year of a five-year bachelor's degree program). As with a transfer-preparatory program, these students should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
In order to calculate a graduation rate that complies with Student Right-to-Know regulations, institutions may count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of the normal time for program completion (normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a program according to the institution's catalog). Do not count as completers students who receive their degree from another institution.
For each of two different subcohorts - Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking students and Other degree/certificate-seeking students, data will be collected on those students who were recipients of a Pell Grant and those students who were recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant.
Recipients are defined as those students receiving and using their Pell Grant or Subsidized Direct loan. These students must receive and use the award within their first year at the institution. If the student is a recipient of an award at a later point, they would not be included in one of the subcohorts.
Number of students in the cohort - The number of students in the Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort will be preloaded from Section 1 of the GR form. Of those students, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Total exclusions - The number of exclusions in the Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort will be preloaded from Section III of the GR form. Of those students reported as exclusions, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% - The number of students in the Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort who completed a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from Section III of the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. This must be less than or equal to the Total completers within 150%. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Total completers within 150% - The total number of students in the Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort who completed their degree/certificate program within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from Section III of the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates
Worksheets
Worksheets calculating the Student Right-To-Know and overall four-year average completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students for the 2016 student cohort are provided as a convenience to the institution. In addition, the 4-year, 5-year, and 6-year graduation rates for the 2016 bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort are provided for those institutions that are able to report bachelor's or equivalent completers by length of time to degree. Data previously reported by the institution are preloaded for use in these calculations.
Note that certain information from these worksheets will be displayed on College Navigator, as noted. Additional information relevant to the calculated rates may be entered in the context box provided, and will also be displayed on College Navigator.
Privacy Issues With Disclosure
Before using the worksheets for disclosure, please consider the following:
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended (1998) (FERPA) requires that institutions not disclose information where students could be identified.
Purpose of the Survey
Changes in Reporting
General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
Context Boxes
Coverage
Who to Include
Who to Exclude
Where to Get Help for Reporting
Where the Reported Data Will Appear
Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System
Reporting Directions
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Categories
Establishing Cohorts
Completers within 150% of Normal Time to Completion
Non-completers
Completers within 100% of Normal Time to Completion
Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant
Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates
Purpose of the Survey
The purpose of the IPEDS Graduation Rates survey component is to track given cohorts of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students - as well as their completion status at 150% of the normal time to complete all requirements of their program of study - at postsecondary institutions. These data are collected to assist institutions in complying with the requirements of the Student Right-to-Know Act.
Changes to reporting for 2024-25:
The following changes were implemented for the 2024-25 data collection period:
Removed the Gender Unknown or Another Gender than Provided Categories question.
General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
This survey component collects data on the cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2019 (or the institution's official fall reporting date) for institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (e.g., semesters, trimesters, quarters, or 4-1-4 plan); or (2) during the period between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020 for institutions that do not offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2025.
Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator website, which is the college search tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness before posting them on the College Navigator website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of their entries.
Coverage
Who to Include in the Cohort
Include all full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering the institution either during the fall term or during the 12-month period as described above. Include students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer session and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduating from high school).
For institutions that will report using a full-year cohort, count as entering students all students who entered the institution between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020, and who were enrolled for at least 15 days in a program of up to and including one year in length; or 30 days in a program of greater than one year in length.
Include all students enrolled for credit toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential. Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.
Be sure to include full-time students taking developmental courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for the purpose of student financial aid determination. This includes students who:
Received any type of federal financial aid, regardless of what courses they took at any time
Received any state or locally based financial aid with an eligibility requirement that the student be enrolled in a degree, certificate, or transfer-seeking program
Obtained a student visa to enroll at a U.S. postsecondary institution
A student who is designated as a member of the cohort remains in the cohort, even if the student:
Becomes a part-time student
Transfers to another institution
Drops out of the institution
Stops out of the institution
Has not fulfilled the institution's requirements to receive a degree or certificate
Went on a study abroad program the first year upon entering the institution
Who to Exclude from the Cohort
Do NOT include students in the cohort who are:
Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a recognized postsecondary credential or the completion of a vocational program (i.e., non-degree/certificate-seeking students)
Exclusively taking CEUs
Exclusively auditing classes
Enrolled part-time
Transfers into the institution
Foreign students who are only taking coursework at a host institution (e.g., an American institution overseas), if these students are not enrolled at a U.S. institution.
Where to Get Help with Reporting
IPEDS Help Desk
Phone: (877) 225-2568
E-mail: ipedshelp@rti.org
Web Tutorials
You can consult the IPEDS website's Trainings & Outreach page which contains several tutorials on IPEDS data collection, a self-paced overview of IPEDS tools, and other valuable resources.
IPEDS Resource Page
The IPEDS website's Reporting Tools page contains frequently asked questions, a link to data tip sheets, tutorials, taxonomies, information centers (e.g., academic libraries, average net price, human resources, race/ethnicity, etc.), and other valuable information.
Where the Reported Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution and aggregate levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
College Navigator website
IPEDS Use the Data portal
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
College Affordability and Transparency Center website
At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
IPEDS Data Explorer
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education
Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System
The File Import/Upload option is found under the Tools menu. In order to perform the upload you’ll need to have a file formatted to specifications. Upload specifications are included with the survey materials found under the Help menu. There are three upload formats available for the Graduation Rates survey component:
Fixed width file
Key value file
Reporting Instructions
Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category (1997 OMB)
This information is being collected in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Sec. 421(a)(1) of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. These instructions correspond with the Final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data to the U.S. Department of Education, published in the Federal Register on October 19, 2007.
Method of collection - Institutions must collect race and ethnicity information using a 2-question format. The first question is whether the respondent is Hispanic/Latino. The second question is whether the respondent is from one or more races from the following list: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White. Institutions should allow students and staff to self-identify their race and ethnicity. For further details on the guidance for collecting these data, please see the full Federal Register notice.
Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of Education using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States citizens, residents, and other eligible non-citizens. Eligible noncitizens includes all students who completed high school or a GED equivalency within the United States (including DACA and undocumented students) and who were not on an F-1 non-immigrant student visa at the time of high school graduation. More information about other eligible (for financial aid purposes) non-citizens is available at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/requirements/non-us-citizens.
Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race
For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
In addition, the following categories may be used:
U.S. Nonresident
Race and ethnicity unknown
Racial/ethnic descriptions - Racial/ethnic designations as used in this survey do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The categories are:
Hispanic or Latino- A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
American Indian or Alaska Native- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment.
Asian- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Black or African American- A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.
Other descriptive categories
U.S. Nonresident - A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. Do not include DACA, undocumented, or other eligible noncitizens in this category. NOTE - U.S. Nonresidents are to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of the seven racial/ethnic categories.
Race and ethnicity unknown - This category is used only if the person did not select EITHER a racial or ethnic designation.
Establishing Cohorts
The method used to report graduation rates data on this survey is predetermined by your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (Part B, Question 4) on the IC component of the IPEDS Fall 2025 data collection, according to the following rules:
Institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (semesters, trimesters, quarters, or 4-1-4 plan) will report using a fall cohort of students. Institutions may use October 15, 2019 or the institution's official fall reporting date to determine the cohort. This should be the same reporting date used for the IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey.
Institutions that do not offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (as defined above) will report using a full-year cohort. These institutions must count as entering students all those students who entered the institution between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020, and who were enrolled for at least 15 days in a program of up to and including one year in length; or 30 days in a program of greater than one year in length.
Report each student only once.
Initial cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information reported on full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate student enrollment at your institution on the 2019 IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey will be preloaded in this column. If you did not respond to that survey, or if you are reporting on a full-year cohort, the column will be blank.
Revised cohort - Institutions have the option of revising their preloaded cohort if:
there are eligible students who were omitted in the past
students were reported who did not belong in the cohort (e.g., they were not actually first-time, or full-time)
better information regarding race/ethnicity or gender is available for eligible students
Please review the data in the Initial cohort column (if applicable) and re-enter the cohort data in the Revised cohort column according to the 1997 racial/ethnic categories, making any necessary corrections for omissions, erroneous reporting, or where better information regarding race/ethnicity or gender is available. If your data do not appear in the Initial cohort column, please provide the enrollment data as requested in the Revised cohort column.
Completers within 150% of Normal Time to Completion
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2019 cohort of degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students as of 150% of normal time to completion for their program or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers by type of program completed. Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students. Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.
Count completers only once and indicate the highest award level attained.
SPECIAL NOTE: In order to resolve a potential conflict between transfers-out and the mission of particular programs to prepare students for transfer to other institutions, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed a transfer-preparatory program.
Transfer-preparatory program is defined in 34 CFR Student Assistance General Provisions, Section 668.8(b)(1)(ii) as "the successful completion of at least a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree and qualifies a student for admission into the third year of a bachelor’s degree program." The Secretary considers this the equivalent of an associate’s degree, thus completers of transfer-preparatory programs (although they do not receive a "recognized postsecondary credential") should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
Similarly, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed the first three years of a 3-2 program and are eligible to enter another institution to complete the program (provided the program is acceptable for full credit towards a five-year bachelor's degree, and qualifies a student for admission into the fourth year of a five-year bachelor's degree program). As with a transfer-preparatory program, these students should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
In order to calculate a graduation rate that complies with Student Right-to-Know regulations, institutions may count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of the normal time for program completion (normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a program according to the institution's catalog). Do not count as completers students who receive their degree from another institution.
Note that completers should be reported in terms of the type of program completed, as defined by award level. For programs that are defined in terms of clock or credit hours, the program type may not be indicative of the actual calendar time a program takes to complete. For more information on program types, please consult the IPEDS Glossary.
Revised Cohort (Column 10) – The data in this column are carried forward from the "Establishing Cohort" screen for your reference.
Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 11) - Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of less than one academic year and of at least one but less than two academic years; or designed for completion in less than 60 semester or trimester credit hours, less than 90 quarter credit hours, or less than 1,800 clock hours.
Completers of programs of at least 2 years but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 12) - Enter the number of students who completed programs of at least 2 but less than 4 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of at least two but less than four academic years - or designed for completion in at least 60 but less than 120 semester or trimester credit hours, at least 90 but less than 180 quarter credit hours, or at least 1,800 but less than 3,600 clock hours - and associate's degrees.
Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - This column is the sum of the previous two columns, and is calculated for you by the data collection system.
Non-completers
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the non-completers from the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students as of 150% of the normal time to completion for their program or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier). Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students. Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.
Revised Cohort (Column 10) – The data in this column are carried forward from the "Establishing Cohort" screen for your reference.
Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - The data in this column are carried forward from the "Completers within 150%" screen for your reference.
Total transfer-out students (Column 30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution without having completed a program, you must report the total number of students who transferred out of your institution (without earning a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students who transferred out of your institution and subsequently re-enrolled at another eligible institution. If it is not part of your mission, you may still report transfer-out data if you wish.
Total exclusions (Column 45)- Indicate the total number of students who left your institution within 150% of normal time to completion for their program (and have neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) due to one of the following documented reasons:
The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called up to active duty. (Do NOT include students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the Peace Corps.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.
NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the above reasons, but return prior to the status date of August 31, 2025, may still be subtracted/excluded from the cohort during the calculation of graduation rates.
Still enrolled (Column 51) - Enter the number of students who were still enrolled at your institution as of 150% of normal time to completion for their program (or August 31, 2024 if 150% of normal time to completion had not elapsed by that time).
No longer enrolled (Column 52) - This column represents the difference between the revised cohort (Column 10) and the sum of Columns 29, 30, 45, and 51. This column should include students who graduated from their program after 150% of normal time to completion elapsed.
Completers within 100% of Normal Time to Completion
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who completed their program as of 100% of normal time to completion for their program or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers by type of program completed. Note that this should be a subset of the students reported as completers within 150% of normal time reported earlier in this survey.
Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students. Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.
Count completers only once and indicate the highest award level attained.
Revised Cohort (Column 10) – The data in this column are carried forward from the "Establishing Cohort" screen for your reference.
Exclusions - The data in this column are carried forward from Column 45 – Total Exclusions of the “Transfers/Exclusions” screen for your reference.
Cohort students who completed their program within 100% of normal time to completion (Columns 55 and 56)
Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 55) - Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years within 100% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of less than one academic year and of at least one but less than two academic years; or designed for completion in less than 60 semester or trimester credit hours, less than 90 quarter credit hours, or less than 1,800 clock hours.
Completed a program of at least 2 years, but less than 4 years within 100% (Column 56) - Enter the number of students who completed programs of at least 2 but less than 4 full-time equivalent academic years within 100% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of at least two but less than four academic years - or designed for completion in at least 60 but less than 120 semester or trimester credit hours, at least 90 but less than 180 quarter credit hours, or at least 1,800 but less than 3,600 clock hours - and associate's degrees.
Total completers within 100% (Column 57) – This column is the sum of the previous two columns and is calculated for you by the data collection system.
Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2019 cohort of first-time, full-time degree/certificate-seeking students as of 150% of normal time to completion or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers.
Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students.
Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.
Count completers only once and indicate the highest award level attained.
SPECIAL NOTE: In order to resolve a potential conflict between transfers-out and the mission of particular programs to prepare students for transfer to other institutions, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed a transfer-preparatory program.
Transfer-preparatory program is defined in 34 CFR Student Assistance General Provisions, Section 668.8(b)(1)(ii) as "the successful completion of at least a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree and qualifies a student for admission into the third year of a bachelor’s degree program." The Secretary considers this the equivalent of an associate’s degree, thus completers of transfer-preparatory programs (although they do not receive a "recognized postsecondary credential") should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
Similarly, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed the first three years of a 3-2 program and are eligible to enter another institution to complete the program (provided the program is acceptable for full credit towards a five-year bachelor's degree, and qualifies a student for admission into the fourth year of a five-year bachelor's degree program). As with a transfer-preparatory program, these students should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4-year program.
In order to calculate a graduation rate that complies with Student Right-to-Know regulations, institutions may count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of the normal time for program completion (normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a program according to the institution's catalog). Do not count as completers students who receive their degree from another institution.
For the first-time, full-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort, data will be collected on those students who were recipients of a Pell Grant and those students who were recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant.
Recipients are defined as those students receiving and using their Pell Grant or Subsidized Direct loan. These students must receive and use the award within their first year at the institution. If the student is a recipient of an award at a later point, they would not be included in one of the subcohorts.
Number of students in the cohort - The number of students in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort will be preloaded from the GR form. Of those students, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Total exclusions - The number of exclusions in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort will be preloaded from the GR form. Of those students reported as exclusions, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Number of students completing within 150% or normal time - The number of students in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort who completed within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates
Worksheets
Worksheets calculating the Student Right-To-Know and overall four-year average completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students for the 2019 student cohort are provided as a convenience to the institution. Data previously reported by the institution are preloaded for use in these calculations.
Note that certain information from these worksheets will be displayed on College Navigator, as noted. Additional information relevant to the calculated rates may be entered in the context box provided, and will also be displayed on College Navigator.
Privacy Issue With Disclosure
Before using the worksheets for disclosure, please consider the following:
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended (1998) (FERPA) requires that institutions not disclose information where students could be identified.
Purpose of the Survey
Changes in Reporting
General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
Context Boxes
Coverage
Who to Include
Who to Exclude
Where to Get Help for Reporting
Where the Reported Data Will Appear
Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System
Reporting Directions
Purpose of the Survey
The purpose of the IPEDS Graduation Rates survey component is to track given cohorts of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students - as well as their completion status at 150% of the normal time to complete all requirements of their program of study - at postsecondary institutions. These data are collected to assist institutions in complying with the requirements of the Student Right-to-Know Act.
Changes to reporting for 2024-25:
The following changes were implemented for the 2024-25 data collection period:
Removed the Gender Unknown or Another Gender than Provided Categories question.
General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
This survey component collects data on the cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2019 (or the institution's official fall reporting date) for institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (e.g., semesters, trimesters, quarters, or 4-1-4 plan); or (2) during the period between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020 for institutions that do not offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2024.
Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator website, which is the college search tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness before posting them on the College Navigator website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of their entries.
Coverage
Who to Include in the Cohort
Include all full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering the institution either during the fall term or during the 12-month period as described above. Include students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer session and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduating from high school).
For institutions that will report using a full-year cohort, count as entering students all students who entered the institution between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020, and who were enrolled for at least 15 days in a program of up to and including one year in length; or 30 days in a program of greater than one year in length.
Include all students enrolled for credit toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential. Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.
Be sure to include full-time students taking developmental courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for the purpose of student financial aid determination. This includes students who:
Received any type of federal financial aid, regardless of what courses they took at any time
Received any state or locally based financial aid with an eligibility requirement that the student be enrolled in a degree, certificate, or transfer-seeking program
Obtained a student visa to enroll at a U.S. postsecondary institution
A student who is designated as a member of the cohort remains in the cohort, even if the student:
Becomes a part-time student
Transfers to another institution
Drops out of the institution
Stops out of the institution
Has not fulfilled the institution's requirements to receive a degree or certificate
Went on a study abroad program the first year upon entering the institution
Who to Exclude from the Cohort
Do NOT include students in the cohort who are:
Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a recognized postsecondary credential or the completion of a vocational program (i.e., non-degree/certificate-seeking students)
Exclusively taking CEUs
Exclusively auditing classes
Enrolled part-time
Transfers into the institution
Foreign students who are only taking coursework at a host institution (e.g., an American institution overseas), if these students are not enrolled at a U.S. institution.
Where to Get Help with Reporting
IPEDS Help Desk
Phone: (877) 225-2568
E-mail: ipedshelp@rti.org
Web Tutorials
You can consult the IPEDS website's Trainings & Outreach page which contains several tutorials on IPEDS data collection, a self-paced overview of IPEDS tools, and other valuable resources.
IPEDS Resource Page
The IPEDS website's Reporting Tools page contains frequently asked questions, a link to data tip sheets, tutorials, taxonomies, information centers (e.g., academic libraries, average net price, human resources, race/ethnicity, etc.), and other valuable information.
Where the Reported Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution and aggregate levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
College Navigator website
IPEDS Use the Data portal
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
College Affordability and Transparency Center website
At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
IPEDS Data Explorer
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education
Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System
The File Import/Upload option is found under the Tools menu. In order to perform the upload you’ll need to have a file formatted to specifications. Upload specifications are included with the survey materials found under the Help menu. There are three upload formats available for the Graduation Rates survey component:
Fixed width file
Key value file
Reporting Instructions
Cohort Data
Report the status of the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students as of August 31, 2024 in terms of the number of completers within 150% of normal time to completion for their program, the number of transfer-out students, and the number of allowable exclusions to the cohort. Report the combined total of men and women.
Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students. Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.
Initial cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information reported on full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate student enrollment at your institution on the 2019 IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey will be preloaded in this column. If you did not respond to that survey, or if you are reporting on a full-year cohort, the column will be blank.
Revised cohort (Column 10) - Institutions have the option of revising their preloaded cohort if:
there are eligible students who were omitted in the past
students were reported who did not belong in the cohort (e.g., they were not actually first-time, or full-time)
Please review the data in the Initial cohort column (if applicable) and make any necessary corrections for omissions or erroneous reporting in the Revised cohort column. If your data do not appear in the Initial cohort column, please provide the enrollment data as requested in the Revised cohort column.
Total exclusions (Column 45) - Indicate the total number of students who left your institution within 150% of normal time to completion for their program (and have neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) due to one of the following documented reasons:
The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called up to active duty. (Do NOT include students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the Peace Corps.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.
NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the reasons noted above, but return prior to the status date of August 31, 2025, may still be subtracted/excluded from the cohort during the calculation of graduation rates.
Completed within 150% of normal time to completion (Column 11) - In order to calculate a graduation rate that complies with Student Right-to-Know regulations, institutions may count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate within 150% of the normal time for program completion (normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate according to the institution's catalog). Do not count as completers students who receive their degree/certificate from another institution.
Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of less than one academic year and of at least one but less than two academic years; or designed for completion in less than 60 semester or trimester credit hours, less than 90 quarter credit hours, or less than 1,800 clock hours. For example, a student who completed a 6-month (or equivalent) program in 9 months or less would be reported in Column 11; those taking longer would not be reported in this column.
Completed within 100% of normal time to completion (Column 55) - Of those students reported in Column 11 who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion, enter the number who completed their program within 100% of normal time. For example, a student who completed a 6-month (or equivalent) program in 6 months or less would be reported in column 55; those taking longer would not be reported in this column.
The number of students reported in Column 55 should be a subset of those reported in Column 11.
Total transfer-out students (Column 30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution without having completed a program, and your institution has information on students who transfer-out, report the total number of students who transferred out of your institution (without earning a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students who transferred out of your institution and subsequently re-enrolled in another eligible institution. If it is not part of your mission, you may still report transfer-out data if you wish.
Still enrolled (Column 51) - Enter the number of students who are still enrolled at your institution as of the fall census date for the fall term following 150% of normal time to completion of their program.
Report each student in only one outcome category (i.e., as completing a program, as a transfer-out, as an exclusion, or as still enrolled) with the exception of those students reported in Column 55, which are a subset of the students reported in Column 11.
No longer enrolled (Column 52) - This column represents the difference between the revised cohort (Column 10) and the sum of Columns 11, 30, 45, and 51.
Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates
Worksheets
A worksheet calculating the Student Right-To-Know and overall four-year average completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students for the 2019 student cohort is provided as a convenience to the institution. Data previously reported by the institution are preloaded for use in these calculations.
Note that certain information from these worksheets will be displayed on College Navigator, as noted. Additional information relevant to the calculated rates may be entered in the context box provided on the previous screen, and will also be displayed on College Navigator.
Privacy Issue With Disclosure
Before using the worksheets for disclosure, please consider the following:
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended (1998) (FERPA) requires that institutions not disclose information where students could be identified.
Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2019 cohort of first-time, full-time degree/certificate-seeking students as of 150% of normal time to completion or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers.
Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students. Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.
Count completers only once.
SPECIAL NOTE: In order to resolve a potential conflict between transfers-out and the mission of particular programs to prepare students for transfer to other institutions, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed a transfer-preparatory program.
Transfer-preparatory program is defined in 34 CFR Student Assistance General Provisions, Section 668.8(b)(1)(ii) as "the successful completion of at least a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree and qualifies a student for admission into the third year of a bachelor’s degree program." The Secretary considers this the equivalent of an associate’s degree, thus completers of transfer-preparatory programs (although they do not receive a "recognized postsecondary credential") should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
Similarly, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed the first three years of a 3-2 program and are eligible to enter another institution to complete the program (provided the program is acceptable for full credit towards a five-year bachelor's degree, and qualifies a student for admission into the fourth year of a five-year bachelor's degree program). As with a transfer-preparatory program, these students should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.
In order to calculate a graduation rate that complies with Student Right-to-Know regulations, institutions may count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of the normal time for program completion (normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a program according to the institution's catalog). Do not count as completers students who receive their degree from another institution.
For the first-time, full-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort, data will be collected on those students who were recipients of a Pell Grant and those students who were recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant.
Recipients are defined as those students receiving and using their Pell Grant or Subsidized Direct Loan. These students must receive the award upon entry into the institution. If the student is a recipient of an award at a later point after entry, they would not be included in one of the subcohorts.
Number of students in the cohort - The number of students in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort will be preloaded from column 10 of the GR form. Of those students, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Total exclusions - The number of exclusions in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort will be preloaded from column 45 of the GR form. Of those students reported as exclusions, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
Number of students completing within 150% or normal time - The number of students in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort who completed within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from column 11 of the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.
File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
Author | Aida Ali Akreyi |
File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
File Created | 2024-09-10 |