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Appendix A.2. Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study

The Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B) is based on the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) and provides information concerning education and work experience after completing a bachelor's degree. A special emphasis of B&B is on those entering teaching. B&B provides cross-sectional information 1 year after bachelor's degree completion (comparable to the information that was provided in the Recent College Graduates study), while at the same time providing longitudinal data concerning entry into and progress through graduate-level education and the workforce, income, and debt repayment. This information has not been available through follow-ups involving high school cohorts or even college-entry cohorts, because these cohorts have limited numbers who actually complete a bachelor's degree and continue their graduate education. Also, these cohorts are not representative of all bachelor's degree recipients.

B&B followed NPSAS baccalaureate degree completers for a 10-year period after completion, beginning with NPSAS:93. About 11,000 students who completed their degrees in the 1992–93 academic year were included in the first B&B cohort (B&B:93). The first follow-up of this cohort (B&B:93/94) occurred 1 year later. In addition to collecting student data, B&B:93/94 collected postsecondary transcripts covering the undergraduate period, which provided complete information on progress and persistence at the undergraduate level. The second follow-up of this cohort (B&B:93/97) took place in spring 1997 and gathered information on employment history, family formation, and enrollment in graduate programs. The third follow-up (B&B:93/03) occurred in 2003 and provided information concerning graduate study and long-term employment experiences after degree completion.

The second B&B cohort (B&B:2000), which was associated with NPSAS:2000, included 11,700 students who completed their degrees in the 1999–2000 academic year. The first and only follow-up survey of this cohort was conducted in 2001 (B&B:2000/01) and focused on time to degree completion, participation in postbaccalaureate education and employment, and the activities of newly qualified teachers.

The third B&B cohort (B&B:08), which is associated with NPSAS:08, included 18,000 students who completed their degrees in the 2007–08 academic year. The first follow-up took place in 2009 (B&B:08/09), and the second follow-up took place in 2012 (B&B:08/12). The report Baccalaureate and Beyond: A First Look at the Employment Experiences and Lives of College Graduates, 4 Years On (B&B:08/12) (NCES 2014-141) presents findings based on data from the second follow-up. It examines bachelor's degree recipients' labor market experiences and enrollment in additional postsecondary degree programs through the 4th year after graduation. In addition, 2008/12 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B:08/12) Data File Documentation (NCES 2015-141) describes the universe, methods, and data collection procedures used in the second follow-up. A third and final follow-up (B&B:08/18) to the third B&B cohort is planned for 2018.

Further information on B&B may be obtained from

Aurora D'Amico
Ted Socha
Longitudinal Surveys Branch
Sample Surveys Division
National Center for Education Statistics
550 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20202
aurora.damico@ed.gov
ted.socha@ed.gov
http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/b&b

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