The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is a system of survey components that collects data from about 6,400 institutions that provide postsecondary education across the United States.
These data are used at the federal and state level for policy analysis and development; at the institutional level for benchmarking and peer analysis; and by students and parents, through the College Navigator (https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/), an online tool to aid in the college search process. Additional information about IPEDS can be found on the website at https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds.
What Is the Purpose of This Report?
The Data Feedback Report is intended to provide institutions a context for examining the data they submitted to IPEDS. The purpose of this report is to provide institutional executives a useful resource and to help improve the quality and comparability of IPEDS data.
What Is in This Report?
The figures in this report provide a selection of indicators for your institution to compare with a group of similar institutions. The figures draw from the data collected during the 2018-19 IPEDS collection cycle and are the most recent data available. The inside cover of this report lists the pre-selected comparison group of institutions and the criteria used for their selection. The Methodological Notes at the end of the report describe additional information about these indicators and the pre-selected comparison group.
Where Can I Do More with IPEDS Data?
Each institution can access previously released Data Feedback Reports from 2005 and customize this 2019 report by using a different comparison group and IPEDS variables of its choosing. To learn how to customize the 2019 report, visit this resource page https://nces.ed.gov/Ipeds/Help/View/2. To download archived reports or customize the current Data Feedback Report, visit the ‘Use the Data’ portal on the IPEDS website https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds and click on Data Feedback Report.
Rock Valley College Rockford, IL
COMPARISON GROUP
Comparison group data are included to provide a context for interpreting your institution’s statistics. If your institution did not define a custom comparison group for this report by July 13, 2019 NCES selected a comparison group for you. (In this case, the characteristics used to define the comparison group appears below.) The Customize Data Feedback Report functionality on the IPEDS Data Center at this provided link (https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/) can be used to reproduce the figures in this report using different peer groups.
The custom comparison group chosen by Rock Valley College includes the following 21 institutions:
The figures in this report have been organized and ordered into the following topic areas:
1) Admissions (only for non-open-admissions schools)
[No charts applicable]
2) Student Enrollment
Fig. 2 and 1
Pg. 3
3) Awards
Fig. 3
Pg. 3
4) Charges and Net Price
Fig. 4 and 5
Pg. 4
5) Student Financial Aid
Fig. 6 and 7
Pg. 4
6) Military Benefits*
[No charts applicable]
7) Retention and Graduation Rates
Fig. 9, 10, 12, 8, 11, 13, 14, 15 and 16
Pg. 5, 6, 7 and 8
8) Finance
Fig. 17 and 18
Pg. 9
9) Staff
Fig. 19 and 20
Pg. 9
10) Libraries*
Fig. 21 and 22
Pg. 10
*These figures only appear in customized Data Feedback Reports (DFR), which are available through Use the Data portal on the IPEDS website.
Pell Non-Pell
(N=21) (N=21)
Pell Non-Pell
(N=21) (N=21)
Pell Non-Pell
(N=21) (N=21)
Pell Non-Pell
(N=21) (N=21)
METHODOLOGICAL NOTES
Overview
This report is based on data supplied by institutions to IPEDS during 2018-19 data collection year. Response rates exceeded 99% for most surveys. IPEDS First Look reports at https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/getpubcats.asp?sid=010 provide some information on aggregate institutional responses. Furthermore, data used in this report are provisional level and may be revised for a limited time through the IPEDS Prior Year Revision system.
Use of Median Values for Comparison Group
This report compares your institution’s data to the median value for the comparison group for each statistic shown in the figure. If more than one statistic is present in a figure, the median values are determined separately for each indicator or statistic. Medians are not displayed for comparison groups with fewer than three values. Where percentage distributions are presented, median values may not add to 100%. To access all the data used to create the figures included in this report, go to ‘Use the Data’ portal on the IPEDS website at this provided link (https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
Missing Statistics
If a statistic is not reported for your institution, the omission indicates that the statistic is not relevant to your institution and the data were not collected. Not all notes may be applicable to your report.
Use of Imputed Data
All IPEDS data are subject to imputation for total (institutional) and partial (item) nonresponse. If necessary, imputed values were used to prepare your report.
Data Confidentiality
IPEDS data are not collected under a pledge of confidentiality.
Disaggregation of Data by Race/Ethnicity
When applicable, some statistics are disaggregated by race/ethnicity. Data disaggregated by race/ethnicity have been reported using the 1997 Office of Management and Budget categories. Detailed information about the race/ethnicity categories can be found at https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/Section/Resources.
Cohort Determination for Reporting Student Financial Aid, Graduation Rates, and Outcome Measures
Student cohorts for reporting Student Financial Aid and Graduation Rates data are based on the reporting type of the institution. For institutions that report based on an academic year (those operating on standard academic terms), student counts and cohorts are based on fall term data. Student counts and cohorts for program reporters (those that do not operate on standard academic terms) are based on unduplicated counts of students enrolled during a full 12-month period.
Student cohorts for reporting Outcome Measures are based on a full-year cohort from July 1-June 30 for all degree-granting institutions.
DESCRIPTION OF STATISTICS USED IN THE FIGURES
Admissions (only for non-open-admissions schools)
Admissions and Test Score Data
Admissions and test score data are presented only for institutions that do not have an open admission policy, and apply to first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students only. Applicants include only those students who fulfilled all requirements for consideration for admission and who were notified of one of the following actions: admission, non-admission, placement on a wait list, or application withdrawn (by applicant or institution). Admitted applicants (admissions) include wait-listed students who were subsequently offered admission. Early decision, early action, and students who began studies during the summer prior to the fall reporting period are included. For customized Data Feedback Reports, test scores are presented only if scores are required for admission.
Student Enrollment
Enrollment Counts
12-month Enrollment captures a cumulative unduplicated headcount of enrollment over the full 12-month period beginning July 1 and ending June 30. In contrast, Fall Enrollment captures number of students enrolled on a particular date in the fall. Fall enrollment is often referred to as a "snapshot" of an institution"s enrollment at a specific time.
FTE Enrollment
The full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment used in this report is the sum of the institution’s FTE undergraduate enrollment and FTE graduate enrollment (as calculated from or reported on the 12-month Enrollment component). Undergraduate and graduate FTE are estimated using 12-month instructional activity (credit and/or contact hours). See “Calculation of FTE Students (using instructional activity)” in the IPEDS Glossary at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/VisGlossaryAll.aspx.
Total Entering Undergraduate Students
Total entering students are students at the undergraduate level, both full- and part-time, new to the institution in the fall term (or the prior summer term who returned in the fall). This includes all first-time undergraduate students, students transferring into the institution at the undergraduate level, and non-degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates entering in the fall. Only degree-granting, academic year reporting institutions provide total entering student data.
Completions
Completions and Completers
Completions collects data on undergraduate and graduate completions and completers in a 12-month period. Completions are the counts of postsecondary awards granted where
