Federal Data

IPEDS

WPI must complete reports for the Federal Department of Education (DOE) three times each year. These are mandatory for all colleges and universities accepting federal financial aid money.  In October, February and April, we complete forms and submit them to the National Center for Education Statistics at the DOE. The system is the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). 

IPEDS began in 1986 and involves annual institution-level data collections. All postsecondary institutions that have a Program Participation Agreement with the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), U.S. Department of Education are required to report data using a web-based data collection system. IPEDS currently consists of the following components: Institutional Characteristics; Completions; Employees by Assigned Position; Fall Staff; Salaries; Enrollment; Graduation Rates; Finance; and Student Financial Aid.

IPEDS Reports - 2011-12 Collection Cycle

• Institutional Characteristics 2011-12 (247 KB, pdf)
• Fall Enrollment 2011 (117 KB, pdf)
• 12 Month Enrollment 2010-11 (118 KB, pdf)
• Completions 2010-11 (105 KB, pdf)
• Graduation Rates 2011-12 (197 KB, pdf)
• Graduation Rates 200 2011-12 (84 KB, pdf)
• Finance 2010-11 (149 KB, pdf)
• Human Resources 2011-12 (345 KB, pdf)
• Student Financial Aid 2010-11 (154 KB, pdf)

 

  Other IPEDS Information

• IPEDS also offers various databases to download and analyze data from the IPEDS system. These include numerous types of peer comparisons, longitudinal data and tools for parents and counselors to gather data on particular schools. Most do not require a password and are available at IPEDS.
• If you are interested in how IPEDS defines categories, measures things, suggests methods etc., here is the IPEDS Glossary (925 kb, pdf). 

NEW RACE/ETHNICITY DATA REPORTING

In October of 2007, the Department of Education published "Final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data" outlining new standards for collecting and reporting race and ethnicity data.  These new guidelines are required for reporting in the 2010-11 academic year. Under the UDC initiative, a subcommittee of the Data Stewards Working Group has been set up to guide WPI through the design and implementation of these new guidelines for the institution.

• U.S. Dept. of Education IPEDS Race/Ethnicity Info Center
• Association for Institutional Research Race/Ethnicity Information website
• New R/E Guidelines: FAQ (from Association for Institutional Research
• University of New Mexico R/E Presentation for Administrators "Federal Race and Ethnicity Report Regulations"
• AIR Symposium Presentation May 2008: "Implementing New Race/Ethnicity Standards in IPEDS"
• AIR Webinar Fall 2008: "Implementing New IPEDS Race/Ethnicity Standards in Postsecondary Institutions"
• Banner Summit 2008 NMSU Presentation "IPEDS R/E Data Collection and Reporting"
• Sample Race and Ethnicity Question Format from National Center for Educational Statistics