Technical Notes: Definitions of Analysis Variables
- Institutional control and level: public 2-year, private nonprofit
2-year, private for-profit 2-year, public 4- year, private nonprofit 4-year, private
for-profit 4-year. This analysis variable was created from a combination of level
(2-year, 4-year) and control (public, private nonprofit, private for-profit). Two-year
institutions are defined as institutions at which the program is at least 2 but
less than 4 years (below the baccalaureate degree); 4-year institutions are those
at which the program is 4 or more years (baccalaureate or higher degree).13 Data
for private nonprofit 2-year and private for-profit 2-year institutions are included
in the totals and in analyses by size of institution but are not shown separately
in the tables.
- Institution size: less than 3,000 students (small); 3,000 to 9,999
students (medium); and 10,000 or more students (large). The institution size categories
reflect the enrollment categories used to determine an approximately optimum allocation
of the sample and provide roughly equal numbers of sample institutions for each
of the three broad size categories for robust statistical reporting.
13 Definitions for level are from the data file documentation for the
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Institutional Characteristics
file, U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.