- Surveys & Programs
- Data & Tools
- Fast Facts
- News & Events
- Publications & Products
- About Us
Longitudinal Surveys Branch
NCES longitudinal studies have collected data since 1972. Each study presents their objectives, target populations, collection years, and data sources. We highlight the broad topics for which data are available for analysis for each study.
Education Levels
Presenting a picture of childhood development and educational experiences ranging from birth through children’s elementary school years and into the middle grades. These studies examine child development, school readiness, early educational experiences both in and outside of school, and cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth.
Early Childhood Longitudinal Study
Provides important information about children's knowledge, skills, and development from birth through elementary school.
Middle Grades Longitudinal Study of 2017–18
The first study to follow students as they entered and moved through the middle grades.
Contact with questions
Jill McCarroll
Study Director, ECLS
Jill.McCarroll@ed.gov, ECLS@ed.gov
Korrie Johnson
Associate Study Director, ECLS
MGLS: Carolyn Grim
Education Statistician, Sample Surveys Division: Longitudinal Surveys Branch
NCES
The high school longitudinal studies are designed to enable the study of the educational experiences, outcomes, and transitions of students into, throughout, and after high school, including their transitions into postsecondary education and the workforce. In addition to reinterviewing sample members over time, each study collects administrative data from their high school and postsecondary transcripts.
High School & Beyond
HS&B are comprised of two longitudinal studies: the most recent, follows a nationally representative cohort of 9th-graders in the Fall of 2022. A follow-up is currently planned for the 2025-26 school year when most of the cohort will be in 12th grade. The initial High School & Beyond study (HS&B:80) is nationally representative of 10th- and 12th- graders in 1980. This cohort was reinterviewed in 1982, 1984, 1986, 1992, 2014-15, and most recently in 2020-21.
High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09)
HSLS:09 follows a nationally representative cohort of Fall 2009 9th-graders as they progress through high school and transition into postsecondary education and/or the labor force. The study also contains a special emphasis on exploring the path that leads students to pursue and persist in courses and careers in STEM fields. This cohort was reinterviewed in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2016.
Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002)
ELS:2002 follows a nationally representative cohort of 10th-graders in 2002 and 12th-graders in 2004. This cohort was reinterviewed in 2004, 2012, 2006, and 2012.
National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88)
Nationally representative of 8th-graders and 8th-grade schools in 1988. This cohort was reinterviewed in 1989, 1991, 1994, and 2000.
National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS-72)
NCES's longitudinal research with high school students began with NLS-72, with a sample of over 21,000 high school seniors. This cohort was reinterviewed in 1973, 1974, 1976, and 1979.
Contact with questions
High School and Beyond, 1980 and 2022
High School Longitudinal Study of 2009
Education Longitudinal Study of 2002
National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988
Postsecondary sample studies collect information on undergraduate and graduate students in a given academic year, plus follow cohorts of undergraduate students over time.
National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS)
A study of financial aid that NCES has conducted since 1987. The study collects comprehensive data about how students and their families pay for postsecondary education and also serves as the foundation and base year cohort for the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS) and Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B).
Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS)
Tracks first-time students' pathways through postsecondary education over the course of six years, focusing on persistence and degree attainment, transition to employment, and school and work experiences.
Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B)
Follows bachelor's degree recipients over the course of 10 years, collecting data on workforce participation, income and debt repayment, and graduate school patterns.
Contact with questions
Tracy Hunt-White
Statistician, Sample Surveys Division: Longitudinal Surveys Branch
NCES
David Richards
Associate Education Research Analyst, Sample Surveys Division: Longitudinal Surveys Branch
NCES
