Appendix B: Glossary

For a complete set of survey definitions and instructions, please refer to the instructions following the questionnaire in Appendix C

Associate's colleges: These institutions offer associate's degree and certificate programs but, with few exceptions, award no baccalaureate degrees. This group includes institutions where, during the period studied, bachelor's degrees represented less than 10 percent of all undergraduate awards.

Baccalaureate/associate's colleges: These institutions are undergraduate colleges where the majority of conferrals are below the baccalaureate level (associate's degrees and certificates). During the period studied, bachelor's degrees accounted for at least 10 percent of undergraduate awards.

Baccalaureate colleges—general: These institutions are primarily undergraduate colleges with major emphasis on baccalaureate programs. During the period studied, they awarded less than half of their baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts fields.

Baccalaureate colleges—liberal arts: These institutions are primarily undergraduate colleges with major emphasis on baccalaureate programs. During the period studied, they awarded at least half of their baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts fields.

Bibliographic utilities, networks and consortia: Services provided by national, regional, and local bibliographic utilities networks, and consortia.

Carnegie classification: A grouping of degree-granting postsecondary institutions into categories developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The categorization is based on a combination of levels of degrees awarded and research funding levels. The Carnegie classification categories used are as follows: Doctoral/Research; Master's I and II; Baccalaureate; Baccalaureate/Associates; Associates; and Specialized. For table presentation, "level I" and "level II" of the Carnegie classifications were combined. Institutions that do not have a Carnegie classification are assigned to a "not classified" category.

Control categories: Institutional control categories are public, private not-for-profit, and private for profit.

Control (of institution): A specification of whether an institution (postsecondary) is operated by publicly elected or appointed officials (public control) or by privately elected or appointed officials and derives its major source of funds from private sources (private control) or public sources (public control).

Degree-granting status: Degree-granting institutions offer an associate's, bachelor's, master's, doctor's, or a first-professional degree. Non-degree-granting institutions offer certificates or other formal awards.

Doctoral/research universities—extensive: These institutions typically offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and they are committed to graduate education through the doctorate level. During the period studied, they awarded 50 or more doctoral degrees per year across at least 15 disciplines.

Doctoral/research universities—intensive: These institutions typically offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and they are committed to graduate education through the doctorate level. During the period studied, they awarded at least ten doctoral degrees per year across three or more disciplines, or at least 20 doctoral degrees per year overall.

IPEDS: The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System: IPEDS is the core postsecondary education data collection program for the National Center for Education Statistics. This data collection program is designed to collect information about all postsecondary institutions and organizations in the 50 States, District of Columbia, and the respective outlying areas.

Level categories: Levels range from 4-year and higher (4 year), 2-but-less-than 4-year (2 year), and less than 2-year.

Level (of institution): A specification of whether a postsecondary education institution's programs are 4-year or higher (4 year), 2-but-less-than 4-year (2 year), or less than 2-year.

Master's colleges and universities I: These institutions typically offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and they are committed to graduate education through the master's degree. During the period studied, they awarded 40 or more master's degrees per year across three or more disciplines.

Master's colleges and universities II: These institutions typically offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and they are committed to graduate education through the master's degree. During the period studied, they awarded 20 or more master's degrees per year.

Postsecondary Institution: Postsecondary education institution has as its sole purpose or one of its primary missions, the provision of formal instructional programs with a curriculum that is designed primarily for students who are beyond the compulsory age for high school. This includes academic, vocational, and continuing professional education programs, and excludes avocational and adult basic education programs.

Sector (of institution): One of nine categories into which postsecondary institutions may be divided based on their control and level.

Specialized Institutions: These institutions offer degrees, ranging from the bachelor's to the doctorate, and typically award a majority of degrees in a single field.

Title IV Institution: An institution that has a written agreement with the Secretary of Education that allows the institution to participate in any of the Title IV federal student financial assistance programs (other than the State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG) and the National Early Intervention Scholarship and Partnership (NEISP) programs).

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