Timing Of IPEDS Data Collection, Coverage, And Release Cycle
- Overview of IPEDS Data collection and Release Date
- Guidance for Data Reporters
- Guidance for Data Users
Overview of IPEDS Data Collection and Release Cycle
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) consists of 12 interrelated survey components administered annually to all postsecondary institutions that participate in Title IV federal student aid programs.1 Each collection year is divided into three collection periods: Fall, Winter, and Spring. The table below shows the groupings of survey components for each of the three collection periods.
IPEDS Survey Components by Collection Period2
| Registration3 |
Fall (August–October) |
Winter (December–February) |
Spring (December–April) |
|---|---|---|---|
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After the data collected undergo quality review and validation processes, they are released to the public in a variety of data products (e.g., web tools or data files). Survey components within the same data collection period (i.e., Fall, Winter, Spring) follow a similar release cycle. Provisional data are first released based on the collection period of the survey components, typically 9 months after each data collection period closes. The timing of the IPEDS data collection and release cycles is important for understanding when institutions report their data and when those data typically become available to the public.
This resource page provides detailed information on important timing considerations, including data collection and release cycles for each of the 12 IPEDS survey components. Additional guidance is provided for data reporters and data users to help ensure accurate data reporting (e.g., the timing of student cohorts) and interpretation of IPEDS products.
An important aspect to understand when reporting or using IPEDS data is the distinction between “collection year” (i.e., the period between August and April, when IPEDS data are collected) and “data year” (i.e., the time period that the reported data reflect). To ensure institutions have enough time to prepare the most current and complete data prior to the IPEDS data collection, some survey components have a “time lag” between the “collection year” and “data year” (e.g., institutions report prior-year data during the current collection year for some survey components).
Key Terms
- Refers to the time period during which IPEDS survey data are collected. For example, the 2021–22 data collection year spans August 2021 to April 2022.
- IPEDS data releases are typically referred to by their collection year and period. For example, “spring 2021–22 data” refers to the EF, F, HR, and AL survey data collected in spring 2022.
- Refers to the time period that the IPEDS survey data reflect.
- Depending on the IPEDS survey component and institutional reporter type (i.e., academic, program, or hybrid), the “data year” may vary in the timeframe reflected. For example, IPEDS survey components may reflect a fall term , cohort year, fiscal year, or academic year timeframe.
- For many IPEDS survey components, the “data year” reflects a time period before the “collection year,” which creates a time lag between the data and collection periods.
- Provisional data are released approximately 9 months after the data collection period closes.
- These data reflect full quality control procedures, which may include follow-up with institutions, missing data imputation, and data validation.
- In the following data collection year, institutions have the opportunity to revise their data if they believe they were inaccurately reported in the prior year using the IPEDS Prior Year Revision (PYR) system.4
- Revised/Final data are released approximately 9 months after the PYR system closes.
- Provisional data and revised/final data are released at the same time but reflect two different data collection years (i.e., “Fall 2021” provisional data are released at the same time as “Fall 2020” revised/final data are released).
The interactive table below provides detailed information on the timing of each IPEDS survey component, including collection year, data year, time lag (between “collection year” and “data year”), and data release schedule.
IPEDS Data Collection, Coverage, and Release Cycle by Survey Component (2021–22 Data Collection Year)
Registrations
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institution | Fall 2021 (August–October) | 2021–22 Academic year | No lag–Current year | June/July 2022 | June/July 2023 |
Fall
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institution | Fall 2021 (August–October) | 2021–22 Academic year | No lag—Current year5 | June/July 2022 | June/July 2023 |
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institution/Student | Fall 2021 (August–October) | July 1, 2020–June 30, 2021 | Prior year | June/July 2022 | June/July 2023 |
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student | Fall 2021 (August–October) | July 1, 2020–June 30, 2021 | Prior year | June/July 2022 | June/July 2023 |
Winter
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institution/Student | Winter 2021/22 (December–February) |
Academic reporter: Institution’s official fall reporting date (e.g., “census”) or October 15, 20206 |
Prior Year | September/October 2022 | September/October 2023 |
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Program reporter: July 1, 2020–June 30, 20217 |
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Hybrid reporter: August 1, 2020–October 31, 20208 |
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Post-9/11 GI Bill: July 1, 2020–June 30, 20219 |
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Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Programs: October 1, 2020–September 30, 202110 |
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student | Winter 2021/22 (December–February) |
4-year academic reporter: October 15, 2015, or the institution’s official fall reporting date (Status as of 150% of normal time to completion for program or August 31, 2021, whichever is earlier) |
Cohort year: 6 years prior (fall term) | September/October 2022 | September/October 2023 |
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4-year program reporter: September 1, 2015–August 31, 201612 (Status as of 150% of normal time to completion for program or August 31, 2021, whichever is earlier) |
Cohort year: 6 years prior (full year) | ||||
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2-year and less-than-2-year academic reporter: October 15, 2018, or the institution’s official fall reporting date (Status as of 100% of normal time to completion for program or August 31, 2021, whichever is earlier) (Status as of 150% of normal time to completion for program or August 31, 2021, whichever is earlier) |
Cohort year: 3 years prior (fall term) | ||||
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2-year and less-than-2-year program reporter: September 1, 2018–August 31, 2019 (Status as of 100% of normal time to completion for program or August 31, 2021, whichever is earlier) (Status as of 150% of normal time to completion for program or August 31, 2021, whichever is earlier) |
Cohort year: 3 years prior (full year) |
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student | Winter 2021/22 (December–February) |
4-year academic reporter: October 15, 2013, or the institution’s official fall reporting date Status as of 200% of normal time to completion for program or August 31, 2021, whichever is earlier) |
Cohort Year: 8 years prior (fall term) | September/October 2022 | September/October 2023 |
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4-year program reporter: September 1, 2013–August 31, 2014 (Status as of 200% of normal time to completion for program or August 31, 2021, whichever is earlier) |
Cohort Year: 8 years prior (full year) | ||||
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2-year and less-than-2-year academic reporter: October 15, 2017, or the institution’s official fall reporting date (Status as of 200% of normal time to completion for program or August 31, 2021, whichever is earlier) |
Cohort Year: 4 years prior (fall term) | ||||
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2-year and less-than-2-year program reporter: September 1, 2017–August 31, 2018 (Status as of 200% of normal time to completion for program or August 31, 2021, whichever is earlier) |
Cohort Year: 4 years prior (full year) |
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institution/Student15 | Winter 2021/22 (December–February) |
Academic reporter: Institution’s official fall reporting date (e.g., “census”) or October 15, 2021 |
Most recent fall term | September/October 2021 | September/October 2022 |
|
Program reporter: August 1, 2021–October 31, 2021 |
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student | Winter 2021/22 (December–February) | July 1, 2013–June 30, 2014 (Status as of August 31, 2021) | Cohort Year: 8 years prior (full year17) | September/October 2022 | September/October 2023 |
| July 1, 2013–June 30, 2014 (Status as of August 31, 2019) | |||||
| July 1, 2013–June 30, 2014 (Status as of August 31, 2017) |
Spring
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student | Spring 2022 (December–April) |
Academic reporter: Institution’s official fall reporting date (e.g., “census”) or October 15, 2021 |
Most recent fall term | November/December 2022 | November/December 2023 |
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Program reporter: August 1, 2021 – October 31, 2021 |
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institution | Spring 2022 (December–April) | Fiscal year 202118 | Prior year | November/December 2022 | November/December 2023 |
| Information type | Collection year | Data year | Time lag between collection year and data year | Provisional data release | Revised/Final data release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Institution/ Staff | Spring 2022 (December–April) | As of November 1, 2021 | No lag–Current year | November/December 2022 | November/December 2023 |
Guidance for Data Reporters
This section provides guidance for data reporters about issues related to the timing of IPEDS survey components when reporting fall or 12-month student enrollment or when establishing student cohorts for future outcomes reporting.
How does summer enrollment affect the timing of student counts and cohort reporting in IPEDS?
As shown in the table above, IPEDS survey components collect student enrollment counts and establish student cohorts at different time periods that may or may not include the summer months. For IPEDS enrollment and cohort reporting purposes, a summer session is typically not considered a full term and is not treated equivalently to a fall or spring term when determining student statuses. Institutions may have two or more short sessions occurring in the summer months, and some institutions, such as vocational and beauty schools, offer year-round instruction with no separate summer session(s).
IPEDS survey components that collect student enrollment counts or establish student cohorts to track outcomes follow either a fall term reporting timeframe or a 12-month reporting timeframe.
The Admissions (ADM) and Fall Enrollment (EF) survey components capture a “snapshot” of enrollment in the fall term only. Newly admitted first-time students who enrolled in the summer preceding the fall term are to be reported in the ADM survey component only if they remained enrolled into the fall term. Similarly, the EF survey component captures prior summer-enrolled students only if they remained enrolled into the fall term. If students enroll in the summer immediately preceding the fall term, students’ enrollment status (i.e., part-time or full-time, first-time or non-first-time, degree/certificate-seeking or non-degree/non-certificate-seeking, undergraduate or graduate) should be determined by their fall enrollment (not their summer enrollment).
Based on this guidance, recent high school graduates and other students without prior postsecondary experience will still be considered “first-time students” for ADM and EF reporting purposes even if they enrolled in the summer prior to fall enrollment.
For academic reporters (i.e., institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on semester, trimester, quarter, or 4-1-4 academic terms), the Graduation Rates (GR) and Student Financial Aid (SFA) survey components also capture fall cohorts and student counts in the fall term. The GR survey component establishes enrollment cohorts using October 15 or the institution’s official fall reporting date. Similar to the EF and ADM survey components, student enrollment cohorts in GR include summer-enrolled students only if they remained enrolled into the subsequent fall term. However, students’ enrollment statuses are determined by their fall term enrollment and not the enrollment in the summer immediately preceding the fall term. The SFA survey component (academic reporters) captures full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students (i.e., group 2) enrolled in the fall term. The number of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students in the SFA survey component should align with the number of these students reported in the EF survey component. The EF guidance regarding summer enrollment also applies to the establishment of student groupings for SFA reporting.
Unlike the ADM, EF, and the academic reporters for GR and SFA survey components, which provide enrollment counts and cohorts using a fall timeframe, the 12-month Enrollment (E12), Outcome Measures (OM), and the program reporters for GR and SFA survey components provide student enrollment counts and certificate/degree-seeking cohorts for an entire 12-month timeframe. Note that program reporters are institutions where the predominant calendar system differs by program or institutions that enroll students continuously throughout the year.
For IPEDS reporting purposes, student enrollment counts for the E12, degree/certificate-seeking cohorts for the OM, and full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students for the SFA survey components reflect the July 1 to June 30 reporting period. The July 1 start date for IPEDS enrollment and cohort reporting purposes essentially divides the summer months into shorter summer periods preceding the fall term and following the spring term, respectively. For this reason, student enrollment status is typically determined in the fall term, or the spring term if a student is not enrolled in the fall, and only in the shorter summer period (i.e., July 1 or after) if a student was not enrolled in the subsequent fall or spring terms.
For example, if a student enrolls on June 1 as a first-time, part-time degree-seeking student and then continues into the fall term as a full-time student, this student would be included in the E12 and OM survey components as a first-time, full-time degree-seeking student as the first full term (i.e., the fall term) is used to determine the student’s status. For more detailed instructions on how to determine student status, refer to the IPEDS survey component data collection forms.
For the GR survey component (program reporters), institutions report on a full-year cohort, counting full-time, first-time students who entered the institution between September 1 and August 31.21 The reporting period begins on September 1 and the cohorts, along with student statuses, are established upon entry.
Note that although a summer session is typically not considered a full term (e.g., fall or spring) for IPEDS enrollment and cohort reporting purposes, students who enroll only in the summer months should still be reported if their enrollment falls within the 12-month timeframes established by each survey component: the July 1 to June 30 reporting period for E12, SFA (program reporters), and OM; the September 1 to August 31 reporting period for GR (program reporters).
Guidance for Data Users
This section provides guidance for data users on how to differentiate between the time period during which IPEDS data are collected (i.e., “collection year”) and the time period that IPEDS data reflect (i.e., “data year”) when using ready-made IPEDS web tools for basic analyses and complete data files for more complex analyses.
IPEDS Web Tools
IPEDS web tools are designed to allow users to easily examine trends, compare institutions, and explore popular postsecondary education topics through customizable tables, charts, and other preprogrammed products. IPEDS web tools typically provide information on both the “data year” and the “collection year” for the data displayed, but the level of detail and location on the screen may vary by data product.
Below are screen captures of common NCES data tools found on the IPEDS Use the Data website, with the “data year” marked in a solid green line and the “collection year” marked in a dashed green line to illustrate how these concepts are presented in popular IPEDS products and publications.
IPEDS Downloadable Data Files
Beyond the ready-made IPEDS web tools, the IPEDS Use the Data page includes several options for users who want to download customized or complete data files. When utilizing these download functions, users should pay attention to the details about “collection year” and “data year” included in each tool.
Compare Institutions Tool and Custom Data Files Tool
The IPEDS Compare Institutions tool and Custom Data Files tool each allow users to access raw data for selected institutions and variables. While similar, these tools differ slightly in how data are selected and how “collection year” and “data year” information are displayed. For full guidance on using these tools, visit the help pages for Compare Institutions and Custom Data Files.
- Compare Institutions: Allows users to download IPEDS data files for more than 7,000 institutions and up to 250 variables. Users select variables and data years in the same step.
- Custom Data Files: Allows users to download IPEDS data files for more than 7,000 institutions and an unlimited number of variables. Users select variables by data year.
The screen captures below display where “data year” (solid green) and “collection year” (dashed green) information is shown in the “Select Variables” step for each tool. In general, users select “data years” before selecting variables, and “collection year” information is stored in the blue information pop-ups next to each variable:
Compare Institutions
Custom Data Files
Complete Data Files
Data users interested in more complex analyses often prefer to download complete data files to create their own analytic datasets. Common applications include combining multiple years of data to create a panel dataset, combining multiple IPEDS survey components within the same collection year, and merging other data sources with IPEDS data. Data users interested in such analyses should be mindful of the “data year” reflected in each survey component’s data file, which might vary across component, even though each shares the same “collection year” and is downloaded as such. Refer to the IPEDS Data Collection, Coverage, and Release Cycle by Survey Component table above for additional details on differences in “data year” and “collection year” by survey component.
For example, an analyst interested in understanding the predictors of 6-year graduation rates among bachelor’s degree-seeking students at 4-year colleges might need to download data files from two different “collection years” to conduct such an analysis. Aggregate institutional 6-year graduation rates reported in the 2019–20 “collection year” reflect the cohort of full-time, first-time students who began in fall 2014. Therefore, to align “data years,” the analyst would download and merge the 2019–20 Graduation Rates (GR) and the 2014–15 Institutional Characteristics (IC) complete data files to then examine the institutional characteristics (e.g., control, rurality) that predict students’ longer term outcomes. Also note that the universe of IPEDS institutions is dynamic, with the number of institutions varying year-to-year due to closures and mergers and in terms of potentially changing institutional characteristics, such as sector or Carnegie Classification.
