Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2013-2016

200% Graduation Rates

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

This IPEDS 200% Graduation Rates data collection instrument was used
during the 2012-13 data collection and will be used again during the
2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16 data collections.

2012-13 Survey Materials > Form

date: 12/4/2012

200% Graduation Rates for 4-year institutions
200% completers (4 year institution)
For 4-year institutions, report on your 2004 cohort of bachelor’s degree-seeking, full-time, first-time
undergraduate students.
Data for this cohort were originally reported by your institution in the 2010-11 data collection.

1
2
3
4

Revised cohort
Exclusions within 150%
Adjusted cohort 150%
Number of students in the cohort who completed a bachelor’s degree within 100%
of normal time
5 Number of students in the cohort who completed a bachelor’s degree within 150%
of normal time
6 Additional exclusions (between 151% and 200% of normal time)

Graduation rates

7 Adjusted cohort 200%
8 Number of students in the cohort who completed a bachelor's degree between
151% and 200% of normal time to completion.
9 Still enrolled as of 200% of normal time to completion.

10 Total completers within 200% of normal time
Image
description.
These
context
notes
will
be on
posted
the College
Navigator.
End of image
description.

You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above. These context notes

will be posted on the College Navigator website, and should be written to be understood by students and
parents.

Prepared by

This survey component was prepared by:

Keyholder
SFA Contact
HR Contact
Finance Contact
Other  

  Name:

Email:

How long did it take to prepare this survey component?
hours
minutes  

The name of the preparer is being collected so that we can follow up with the appropriate person in the event that there
are questions concerning the data. The Keyholder will be copied on all email correspondence to other preparers.
The time it took to prepare this component is being collected so that we can continue to improve our estimate of the
reporting burden associated with IPEDS. Please include in your estimate the time it took for you to review instructions,
query and search data sources, complete and review the component, and submit the data through the Data Collection
System.
Thank you for your assistance.

2012-13 Survey Materials > Instructions

date: 12/4/2012

200% Graduation Rates Full Instructions - 4-year institutions

Purpose of Survey
Changes in Reporting
Period of Report
Context boxes
Coverage
Where to get help
Where data appears
Data Reporting Instructions

Purpose of Survey
The primary purpose of the IPEDS GR200 component is to collect more extensive data on graduation rates as
required by HEOA. Data will be collected to calculate graduation rates at 200% of normal time for bachelor
degree-seeking students at 4-year institutions and for all students at less than 4-year institutions.
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General Instructions
Reporting period covered
The GR200 covers full-time, first-time, bachelor degree-seeking undergraduates who entered in Fall 2004 (for
institutions reporting on a fall cohort) or between September 1, 2004 and August 31, 2005 (for institutions
reporting on a full-year cohort) and includes information on their status through August 31, 2012.
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Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component
items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search
tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness
before posting them on the College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of
their entries.
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Coverage
The students already reported on the 2010 IPEDS Graduation Rates component are preloaded into the 2012
GR200 report. Below are the parameters for the coverage of the original cohort.

A. Who to include

Include all full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering the institution
either during the fall term or during the 12-month period as described above. Include students enrolled in the
fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term.
Students must be enrolled in courses creditable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those
enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.
Be sure to include full-time students taking remedial courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for
the purpose of student financial aid determination.
A student who is designated as a member of the 2004 cohort remains in the 2004 cohort, even if the student:
•
Becomes a part-time student.
•
Transfers to another institution.
•
Drops out of the institution.
•
Stops out of the institution.
•
Has not fulfilled the institution's requirements to receive a degree or certificate.

B. Who NOT to include
DO NOT include students in the cohort who are:
•
Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a formal award or the completion of a vocational
program (i.e., non-degree/non-certificate seeking).
•
Taking CEUs unless they are also enrolled full time in courses creditable toward a degree or other
formal award.
•
Exclusively auditing classes.
•
Studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at this institution is only an
administrative record and the fee is only nominal.
•
In any branch campus located in a foreign country.
•
Part time when they enter your institution.
•
Transfers into the institution.
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Where to Get Help
IPEDS Data Collection Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-225-2568
Email: [email protected]

AIR Website
You can also consult the AIR website that contains several tutorials on IPEDS data collection, a self-paced
overview of IPEDS tools and other valuable resources.

IPEDS Resources Page
In addition, the IPEDS Resources Page contains frequently asked questions, a link to the glossary, data tip
sheets, an archive of survey instruments, information on the new race/ethnicity categories and other relevant
information.
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Where the Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
•
College Navigator Website
•
IPEDS Data Center
•
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
•
IPEDS First Looks
•
IPEDS Table Library
•
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
•
The Digest of Education Statistics
•
The Condition of Education
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Data Reporting Instructions

This report requests data on the cohort of full-time, first-time bachelor's degree-seeking undergraduate
students in your institution's 2004 Graduation Rates cohort, as first reported in your 2010-11 GR reporting.
Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2012 so that a 200% graduation rate
can be calculated. One hundred percent and 150% graduation rates were calculated in the 2010-11 data
collection.
Graduation rate data reported on GR200 are NOT reported by race and ethnicity.
A number of data elements are preloaded in this survey. Data elements 1-5 are preloaded based on
responses to the 2010-11 GR data collection. These fields will not be able to be updated: Revised 2004
cohort, exclusions within 150%, adjusted cohort 150% (calculated as the difference between revised cohort
and exclusions), and the number of students who completed a bachelor's or equivalent degree in 100% of
normal time, and 150% of normal time. One hundred percent and 150% graduation rates reported in 201011 will also be preloaded on this screen, and will not be able to be adjusted.
In line 6, please indicate any additional exclusions to the cohort. This will include any additional students who
left your institution within 200% of the normal time to program completion (and have neither graduated nor
transferred to another institution) because of one of the following documented reasons:
1.
The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
2.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called to active duty. (DO NOT include
students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
3.
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the
Peace Corps.
4.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.
NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the reasons noted in b, c, or d above, but return prior to
the status date of August 31, 2012, may still be reported as exclusions.
Line 7, 200% adjusted cohort, is a calculated value, and is the difference between the 150% adjusted cohort
(line 3) and the exclusions reported in line 6.
In line 8, report the number of students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent within the period
from September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2012. Once you save the page, the total completers within
200% and the 200% graduation rate value will be calculated in the appropriate boxes on line 10.
In line 9, report the number of students who are still enrolled at your institution as of 200% of normal time to
completion.

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Glossary

date: 12/4/2012

Term

Definition

Adjusted cohort

The result of removing any allowable exclusions from a cohort (or subcohort). For the Graduation
Rates component, this is the cohort from which graduation and transfer-out rates are calculated; for
the Fall Enrollment component, it is the cohort for calculating retention rate.

Associate's degree

An award that normally requires at least 2 but less than 4 years of full-time equivalent college work.

Bachelor's degree

An award (baccalaureate or equivalent degree, as determined by the Secretary, U.S. Department of
Education) that normally requires at least 4 but not more than 5 years of full-time equivalent college
-level work. This includes all bachelor's degrees conferred in a 5-year cooperative (work-study)
program. A cooperative plan provides for alternate class attendance and employment in business,
industry, or government; thus, it allows students to combine actual work experience with their
college studies. Also includes bachelor's degrees in which the normal 4 years of work are completed
in 3 years.

Bachelor's or equivalent
degree-seeking subcohort

In the GR component of IPEDS, a cohort of students who were seeking a bachelor's or equivalent
degree upon entry.

Exclusions

Those students who may be removed (deleted) from a cohort (or subcohort). For the Graduation
Rates and Fall Enrollment retention rate reporting, students may be removed from a cohort if they
left the institution for one of the following reasons: death or total and permanent disability; service in
the armed forces (including those called to active duty); service with a foreign aid service of the
federal government, such as the Peace Corps; or service on official church missions.

First-time student
(undergraduate)

A student who has no prior postsecondary experience (except as noted below) attending any
institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. This includes students enrolled in academic
or occupational programs. It also includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for
the first time in the prior summer term, and students who entered with advanced standing (college
credits earned before graduation from high school).

Graduation rate

The rate required for disclosure and/or reporting purposes under Student Right-to-Know Act. This
rate is calculated as the total number of completers within 150% of normal time divided by the
revised adjusted cohort.

Graduation Rates (GR)

This annual component of IPEDS was added in 1997 to help institutions satisfy the requirements of
the Student Right-to-Know legislation. Data are collected on the number of students entering the
institution as full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students in a particular
year (cohort), by race/ethnicity and gender; the number completing their program within 150
percent of normal time to completion; the number that transfer to other institutions if transfer is part
of the institution's mission. Prior to 2007, institutions who offered athletically-related student aid
were asked to report, by sport, the number of students receiving aid and whether they completed
within 150 percent of normal time to completion. Now, these institutions only need to report a URL
where the athletic data is located on their website, when available. GR automatically generates
worksheets that calculate rates, including average rates over 4 years.

Less than 2-year
institution

A postsecondary institution that offers programs of less than 2-years duration below the
baccalaureate level. Includes occupational and vocational schools with programs that do not exceed
1800 contact hours .

Normal time to
completion

The amount of time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate
according to the institution's catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12
quarters, excluding summer terms) for a bachelor's degree in a standard term-based institution; 2
years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters, excluding summer terms) for an associate's degree
in a standard term-based institution; and the various scheduled times for certificate programs.

Student Right-to-Know
Act

Also known as the "Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act" (P.L. 101-542), which was
passed by Congress November 9, 1990. Title I, Section 103, requires institutions eligible for Title IV
funding to calculate completion or graduation rates of certificate- or degree-seeking, full-time
students entering that institution, and to disclose these rates to all students and prospective
students. Further, Section 104 requires each institution that participates in any Title IV program and
is attended by students receiving athletically-related student aid to submit a report to the Secretary
of Education annually. This report is to contain, among other things, graduation/completion rates of
all students as well as students receiving athletically-related student aid by race/ethnicity and gender
and by sport, and the average completion or graduation rate for the four most recent years. These
data are also required to be disclosed to parents, coaches, and potential student athletes when the
institution offers athletically-related student aid. The Graduation Rates component of IPEDS was
developed specifically to help institutions respond to these requirements. See Graduation Rates for
the current description of data collected.

Subcohort

A predefined subset of the initial cohort or the revised cohort established for tracking purposes on
the Graduation Rates (GR) component of IPEDS. (e.g., bachelor's degree-seeking subcohort.)

Transfer-out rate

Total number of students who are known to have transferred out of the reporting institution within
150% of normal time to completion divided by the adjusted cohort.

Transfer-preparatory
program

A program designed specifically to provide a student with the basic knowledge needed to transfer
into a higher level program. For example, this may be the first 2 years of a baccalaureate level
program for which the institution does not offer an award, or 2 years of undergraduate study needed
for entrance into a first-professional program, or 1 or more years of undergraduate study needed for
entrance into health services fields.

2012-13 Survey Materials > Narrative Edits

date: 12/4/2012

200% Graduation Rates for 4-year institutions
Edit specifications for the 2012-13 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection
Graduation Rates 200 (GRS200) Component
Applicable to 4-year institutions
All screens must be completed in order to lock the survey.
200% Completers
In the GR200 component, report data on the cohort of full-time, first-time bachelor's degree-seeking undergraduate students
in your institution's 2004 graduation rates cohort, as first reported in the 2010-2011 Graduation Rates survey. You must report
the status of these students as of August 31, 2012 so that a 200% graduation rate may be calculated. In addition, the 100%
and 150% graduation rates that were calculated in the 2010-2011 data collection are displayed for your reference.
Several numbers on this screen are preloaded with your institution's responses from previous surveys. In addition to the
existing information, you must report any Additional exclusions (between 151% and 200% of normal time) (line 6) from the
cohort, the Number of students in the cohort who completed a bachelor's degree September 1, 2010 through August
31, 2012 (line 8), and the number of students Still enrolled as of August 31, 2012 (line 9). 
Based on the information provided, the system will calculate the following:
•
•
•

Adjusted cohort 200% (line 7)
Total completers within 200% of normal time (line 10)
Graduation rates (for line 10)

The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•
•
•
•

•
•

The Additional exclusions (line 6) must be greater than or equal to 0. Please contact the Help Desk if you need
to revise your institution's preloaded cohort.
The Additional exclusions (line 6) cannot exceed 5% of the original Revised cohort (line 1). Make sure that
you are only reporting exclusions beyond those shown in Exclusions within 150% (line 2).
The Number of students in the cohort who completed a bachelor's degree between September 1, 2010
and August 31, 2012 (line 8) is expected to be greater than 0; otherwise an explanation is required.
If the Number of students in the cohort who completed a bachelor’s degree within 150% of normal
time (line 5) is greater than 0, then Number of students in the cohort who completed a bachelor's degree
September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2012 (line 8) should be less than that value.
The total of Still enrolled as of August 31, 2012 (line 9) and Total completers within 200% of normal
time (line 10) must be less than or equal to the Adjusted cohort 200% (line 7).
If the Adjusted cohort 150% (line 3) is greater than or equal to 50, then the Gratuation rate calculated for line
10 should be less than the Graduation Rate calculated for line 5 plus 25%.

2012-13 Survey Materials > Form

date: 12/4/2012

200% Graduation Rates for less than 4-year institutions reporting on a fall cohort
(academic reporters)
200% completers (<4 year institutions)
For less than 4-year institutions, report on your 2008 cohort of full-time, first-time undergraduate students.
Data for this cohort were originally reported by your institution in the 2011-12 data collection.

1
2
3
4

Revised cohort
Exclusions within 150%
Adjusted cohort 150%
Number of students in the cohort who completed a program within 100% of
normal time
5 Number of students in the cohort who completed a program within 150% of
normal time
6 Additional exclusions (between 151%-200% of normal time)

Graduation rates

7 Adjusted cohort 200%
8 Number of students in the cohort who completed a program between 151%200% of normal time
9 Still enrolled as of 200% of normal time

10 Total completers within 200% of normal time
Image
description.
These
context
notes
will be on
posted
the
College
Navigator.
End of image
description.

You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above. These context notes

will be posted on the College Navigator website, and should be written to be understood by students and
parents.

Prepared by

This survey component was prepared by:

Keyholder
SFA Contact
HR Contact
Finance Contact
Other  

  Name:

Email:

How long did it take to prepare this survey component?
hours
minutes  

The name of the preparer is being collected so that we can follow up with the appropriate person in the event that there
are questions concerning the data. The Keyholder will be copied on all email correspondence to other preparers.
The time it took to prepare this component is being collected so that we can continue to improve our estimate of the
reporting burden associated with IPEDS. Please include in your estimate the time it took for you to review instructions,
query and search data sources, complete and review the component, and submit the data through the Data Collection
System.
Thank you for your assistance.

2012-13 Survey Materials > Instructions

date: 12/4/2012

200% Graduation Rates Full Instructions - Less Than 4-Year Institutions

Purpose of Survey
Changes in Reporting
Period of Report
Context boxes
Coverage
Where to get help
Where data appears
Data Reporting Instructions

Purpose of Survey
The primary purpose of the IPEDS GR200 component is to collect more extensive data on graduation rates as
required by HEOA. Data will be collected to calculate graduation rates at 200% of normal time for bachelor
degree-seeking students at 4-year institutions and for all students at less than 4-year institutions.
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General Instructions
Reporting period covered
The GR200 covers full-time, first-time, degree or certificate-seeking undergraduates who entered either in
Fall 2008 or during period between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009 and includes information on their
status through August 31, 2012.
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Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component
items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search
tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness
before posting them on the College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of
their entries.
Image
description.
Top of Page
End
of image
description.

Coverage
The students already reported on the 2010 IPEDS Graduation Rates component are preloaded into the 2012
GR200 report. Below are the parameters for the coverage of the original cohort.

A. Who to include
Include all full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering the institution
either during the fall term or during the 12-month period as described above. Include students enrolled in the
fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term.

Students must be enrolled in courses creditable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those
enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.
Be sure to include full-time students taking remedial courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for
the purpose of student financial aid determination.
A student who is designated as a member of the 2008 cohort remains in the 2008 cohort, even if the student:
•
Becomes a part-time student.
•
Transfers to another institution.
•
Drops out of the institution.
•
Stops out of the institution.
•
Has not fulfilled the institution's requirements to receive a degree or certificate.

B. Who NOT to include
DO NOT include students in the cohort who are:
•
Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a formal award or the completion of a vocational
program (i.e., non-degree/non-certificate seeking).
•
Taking CEUs unless they are also enrolled full time in courses creditable toward a degree or other
formal award.
•
Exclusively auditing classes.
•
Studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at this institution is only an
administrative record and the fee is only nominal.
•
In any branch campus located in a foreign country.
•
Part time when they enter your institution.
•
Transfers into the institution.
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Where to Get Help
IPEDS Data Collection Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-225-2568
Email: [email protected]

AIR Website
You can also consult the AIR website that contains several tutorials on IPEDS data collection, a self-paced
overview of IPEDS tools and other valuable resources.

IPEDS Resources Page
In addition, the IPEDS Resources Page contains frequently asked questions, a link to the glossary, data tip
sheets, an archive of survey instruments, information on the new race/ethnicity categories and other relevant
information.
Image
description.
Top of Page
End
of image
description.

Where the Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
•
College Navigator Website
•
IPEDS Data Center
•
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
•
IPEDS First Looks
•
IPEDS Table Library
•
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
•
The Digest of Education Statistics
•
The Condition of Education
Image
description.
Top of Page
End
of image
description.

Data Reporting Instructions
This report requests data on the cohort of full-time, first-time undergraduate students in your institution's
Graduation Rates cohort as first reported in your 2011 GR reporting. Institutions are to report the status of
these students as of 100% and 200% of normal time, so that 100% and 200% graduation rates can be
calculated. 150% graduation rates were calculated in the 2011 data collection.
Graduation Rates data reported on GR200 are NOT reported by race and ethnicity.

A number of data elements are preloaded in this survey. Data elements 1-5 are preloaded based on
responses to the 2011 GR data collection. These fields will not be able to be updated: Revised cohort,
exclusions within 150%, adjusted cohort 150% (calculated as the difference between revised cohort and
exclusions), and the number of cohort students who completed within both 100% and 150% of normal time.
100% and 150% graduation rates reported in 2011 will also be preloaded on this screen, and will not be able
to be adjusted.
In line 6, please indicate any additional exclusions to the cohort. This will include any additional students who
left your institution between 150% and 200% of normal completion time(and have neither graduated nor
transferred to another institution) because of one of the following documented reasons:
1.
The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
2.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called to active duty. (DO NOT include
students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
3.
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the
Peace Corps.
4.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.
NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the reasons noted in b, c, or d above, but return prior to
the status date of August 31, 2012, may still be reported as exclusions.
Line 7, 200% adjusted cohort, is a calculated value, and is the difference between the 150% adjusted cohort
(line 3) and the exclusions reported in line 6.
In line 8, report the number of students who completed within the period of 150% to 200% of normal time.
Once you save the page, the total completers within 200% and the 200% graduation rate value will be
calculated in the appropriate boxes on line 10.
In line 9, report the number of students who are still enrolled at your institution as of 200% of normal time to
completion of their program.
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Glossary

date: 12/4/2012

Term

Definition

Adjusted cohort

The result of removing any allowable exclusions from a cohort (or subcohort). For the Graduation
Rates component, this is the cohort from which graduation and transfer-out rates are calculated; for
the Fall Enrollment component, it is the cohort for calculating retention rate.

Associate's degree

An award that normally requires at least 2 but less than 4 years of full-time equivalent college work.

Bachelor's degree

An award (baccalaureate or equivalent degree, as determined by the Secretary, U.S. Department of
Education) that normally requires at least 4 but not more than 5 years of full-time equivalent college
-level work. This includes all bachelor's degrees conferred in a 5-year cooperative (work-study)
program. A cooperative plan provides for alternate class attendance and employment in business,
industry, or government; thus, it allows students to combine actual work experience with their
college studies. Also includes bachelor's degrees in which the normal 4 years of work are completed
in 3 years.

Bachelor's or equivalent
degree-seeking subcohort

In the GR component of IPEDS, a cohort of students who were seeking a bachelor's or equivalent
degree upon entry.

Exclusions

Those students who may be removed (deleted) from a cohort (or subcohort). For the Graduation
Rates and Fall Enrollment retention rate reporting, students may be removed from a cohort if they
left the institution for one of the following reasons: death or total and permanent disability; service in
the armed forces (including those called to active duty); service with a foreign aid service of the
federal government, such as the Peace Corps; or service on official church missions.

First-time student
(undergraduate)

A student who has no prior postsecondary experience (except as noted below) attending any
institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. This includes students enrolled in academic
or occupational programs. It also includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for
the first time in the prior summer term, and students who entered with advanced standing (college
credits earned before graduation from high school).

Graduation rate

The rate required for disclosure and/or reporting purposes under Student Right-to-Know Act. This
rate is calculated as the total number of completers within 150% of normal time divided by the
revised adjusted cohort.

Graduation Rates (GR)

This annual component of IPEDS was added in 1997 to help institutions satisfy the requirements of
the Student Right-to-Know legislation. Data are collected on the number of students entering the
institution as full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students in a particular
year (cohort), by race/ethnicity and gender; the number completing their program within 150
percent of normal time to completion; the number that transfer to other institutions if transfer is part
of the institution's mission. Prior to 2007, institutions who offered athletically-related student aid
were asked to report, by sport, the number of students receiving aid and whether they completed
within 150 percent of normal time to completion. Now, these institutions only need to report a URL
where the athletic data is located on their website, when available. GR automatically generates
worksheets that calculate rates, including average rates over 4 years.

Less than 2-year
institution

A postsecondary institution that offers programs of less than 2-years duration below the
baccalaureate level. Includes occupational and vocational schools with programs that do not exceed
1800 contact hours .

Normal time to
completion

The amount of time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate
according to the institution's catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12
quarters, excluding summer terms) for a bachelor's degree in a standard term-based institution; 2
years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters, excluding summer terms) for an associate's degree
in a standard term-based institution; and the various scheduled times for certificate programs.

Student Right-to-Know
Act

Also known as the "Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act" (P.L. 101-542), which was
passed by Congress November 9, 1990. Title I, Section 103, requires institutions eligible for Title IV
funding to calculate completion or graduation rates of certificate- or degree-seeking, full-time
students entering that institution, and to disclose these rates to all students and prospective
students. Further, Section 104 requires each institution that participates in any Title IV program and
is attended by students receiving athletically-related student aid to submit a report to the Secretary
of Education annually. This report is to contain, among other things, graduation/completion rates of
all students as well as students receiving athletically-related student aid by race/ethnicity and gender
and by sport, and the average completion or graduation rate for the four most recent years. These
data are also required to be disclosed to parents, coaches, and potential student athletes when the
institution offers athletically-related student aid. The Graduation Rates component of IPEDS was
developed specifically to help institutions respond to these requirements. See Graduation Rates for
the current description of data collected.

Subcohort

A predefined subset of the initial cohort or the revised cohort established for tracking purposes on
the Graduation Rates (GR) component of IPEDS. (e.g., bachelor's degree-seeking subcohort.)

Transfer-out rate

Total number of students who are known to have transferred out of the reporting institution within
150% of normal time to completion divided by the adjusted cohort.

Transfer-preparatory
program

A program designed specifically to provide a student with the basic knowledge needed to transfer
into a higher level program. For example, this may be the first 2 years of a baccalaureate level
program for which the institution does not offer an award, or 2 years of undergraduate study needed
for entrance into a first-professional program, or 1 or more years of undergraduate study needed for
entrance into health services fields.

2012-13 Survey Materials > Narrative Edits

date: 12/4/2012

200% Graduation Rates for less than 4-year institutions
Edit specifications for the 2012-13 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection
Graduation Rates 200 (GRS200) Component
Applicable to less-than-4 year institutions
All screens must be completed in order to lock the survey.
200% completers
In the GR200 component, report data on the cohort of full-time, first-time bachelor's degree-seeking undergraduate students
in your institution's 2008 graduation rates cohort, as first reported in the 2011-2012 Graduation Rates survey. You must report
the status of these students as of 200% of normal time so that 200% graduation rates may be calculated. In addition, the
100% and 150% graduation rates that were calculated in the 2011-2012 data collection are displayed for your reference.
Several numbers on this screen are preloaded with your institution's responses from previous surveys. In addition to the
existing information, you must report any Additional exclusions (between 151%-200% of normal time) (line 6) from the
cohort, the Number of students in the cohort who completed a program within 151%-200% of normal time (line 8), and
the number of students Still enrolled as of 200% of normal time to completion of their program.
Based on the information provided, the system will calculate the following:
•
•
•

Adjusted cohort 200% (line 7)
Total completers within 200% of normal time (line 10)
Graduation rates (for line 10)

The following edits will be performed on this screen:
•
•
•
•

•
•

The Additional exclusions (line 6) must be greater than or equal to 0. Please contact the Help Desk if you need
to revise your institution's preloaded cohort.
The Additional exclusions (line 6) cannot exceed 5% of the original Revised cohort (line 1). Make sure that
you are only reporting exclusions beyond those shown in Exclusions within 150% (line 2).
The Number of students in the cohort who completed a program within 150%-200% of normal time
(line 8) is expected to be greater than 0; otherwise an explanation is required.
If the Number of students in the cohort who completed a program within 150% of normal time (line 5)
is greater than 0, then Number of students in the cohort who completed a program between 151%200% of normal time (line 8) should be less than that value.
The total of Still enrolled as of 200% of normal time (line 9) and Total completers within 200% of
normal time (line 10) must be less than or equal to the Adjusted cohort 200% (line 7).
If the Adjusted cohort 150% (line 3) is greater than or equal to 50, then the Gratuation rate calculated for line
10 should be less than the Graduation Rate calculated for line 5 plus 25%.

2012-13 Survey Materials > Form

date: 12/4/2012

200% Graduation Rates for less than 4-year institutions reporting on a full-year
cohort (program reporters)
200% completers (<4 year institutions)
For less than 4-year institutions, report on your 2008 cohort of full-time, first-time undergraduate students.
Data for this cohort were originally reported by your institution in the 2011-12 data collection.

1
2
3
4

Revised cohort
Exclusions within 150%
Adjusted cohort 150%
Number of students in the cohort who completed a program within 100% of
normal time
5 Number of students in the cohort who completed a program within 150% of
normal time
6 Additional exclusions (between 151%-200% of normal time)

Graduation rates

7 Adjusted cohort 200%
8 Number of students in the cohort who completed a program between 151%200% of normal time
9 Still enrolled as of 200% of normal time

10 Total completers within 200% of normal time
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You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above. These context notes

will be posted on the College Navigator website, and should be written to be understood by students and
parents.

Prepared by

This survey component was prepared by:

Keyholder
SFA Contact
HR Contact
Finance Contact
Other  

  Name:

Email:

How long did it take to prepare this survey component?
hours
minutes  

The name of the preparer is being collected so that we can follow up with the appropriate person in the event that there
are questions concerning the data. The Keyholder will be copied on all email correspondence to other preparers.
The time it took to prepare this component is being collected so that we can continue to improve our estimate of the
reporting burden associated with IPEDS. Please include in your estimate the time it took for you to review instructions,
query and search data sources, complete and review the component, and submit the data through the Data Collection
System.
Thank you for your assistance.

2012-13 Survey Materials > Instructions

date: 12/4/2012

200% Graduation Rates Full Instructions - Less Than 4-Year Institutions

Purpose of Survey
Changes in Reporting
Period of Report
Context boxes
Coverage
Where to get help
Where data appears
Data Reporting Instructions

Purpose of Survey
The primary purpose of the IPEDS GR200 component is to collect more extensive data on graduation rates as
required by HEOA. Data will be collected to calculate graduation rates at 200% of normal time for bachelor
degree-seeking students at 4-year institutions and for all students at less than 4-year institutions.
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General Instructions
Reporting period covered
The GR200 covers full-time, first-time, degree or certificate-seeking undergraduates who entered either in
Fall 2008 or during period between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009 and includes information on their
status through August 31, 2012.
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Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component
items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search
tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness
before posting them on the College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of
their entries.
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Coverage
The students already reported on the 2010 IPEDS Graduation Rates component are preloaded into the 2012
GR200 report. Below are the parameters for the coverage of the original cohort.

A. Who to include
Include all full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering the institution
either during the fall term or during the 12-month period as described above. Include students enrolled in the
fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term.

Students must be enrolled in courses creditable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those
enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.
Be sure to include full-time students taking remedial courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for
the purpose of student financial aid determination.
A student who is designated as a member of the 2008 cohort remains in the 2008 cohort, even if the student:
•
Becomes a part-time student.
•
Transfers to another institution.
•
Drops out of the institution.
•
Stops out of the institution.
•
Has not fulfilled the institution's requirements to receive a degree or certificate.

B. Who NOT to include
DO NOT include students in the cohort who are:
•
Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a formal award or the completion of a vocational
program (i.e., non-degree/non-certificate seeking).
•
Taking CEUs unless they are also enrolled full time in courses creditable toward a degree or other
formal award.
•
Exclusively auditing classes.
•
Studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at this institution is only an
administrative record and the fee is only nominal.
•
In any branch campus located in a foreign country.
•
Part time when they enter your institution.
•
Transfers into the institution.
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Where to Get Help
IPEDS Data Collection Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-225-2568
Email: [email protected]

AIR Website
You can also consult the AIR website that contains several tutorials on IPEDS data collection, a self-paced
overview of IPEDS tools and other valuable resources.

IPEDS Resources Page
In addition, the IPEDS Resources Page contains frequently asked questions, a link to the glossary, data tip
sheets, an archive of survey instruments, information on the new race/ethnicity categories and other relevant
information.
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Where the Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
•
College Navigator Website
•
IPEDS Data Center
•
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
•
IPEDS First Looks
•
IPEDS Table Library
•
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
•
The Digest of Education Statistics
•
The Condition of Education
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Data Reporting Instructions
This report requests data on the cohort of full-time, first-time undergraduate students in your institution's
Graduation Rates cohort as first reported in your 2011 GR reporting. Institutions are to report the status of
these students as of 100% and 200% of normal time, so that 100% and 200% graduation rates can be
calculated. 150% graduation rates were calculated in the 2011 data collection.
Graduation Rates data reported on GR200 are NOT reported by race and ethnicity.

A number of data elements are preloaded in this survey. Data elements 1-5 are preloaded based on
responses to the 2011 GR data collection. These fields will not be able to be updated: Revised cohort,
exclusions within 150%, adjusted cohort 150% (calculated as the difference between revised cohort and
exclusions), and the number of cohort students who completed within both 100% and 150% of normal time.
100% and 150% graduation rates reported in 2011 will also be preloaded on this screen, and will not be able
to be adjusted.
In line 6, please indicate any additional exclusions to the cohort. This will include any additional students who
left your institution between 150% and 200% of normal completion time(and have neither graduated nor
transferred to another institution) because of one of the following documented reasons:
1.
The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
2.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called to active duty. (DO NOT include
students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
3.
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the
Peace Corps.
4.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.
NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the reasons noted in b, c, or d above, but return prior to
the status date of August 31, 2012, may still be reported as exclusions.
Line 7, 200% adjusted cohort, is a calculated value, and is the difference between the 150% adjusted cohort
(line 3) and the exclusions reported in line 6.
In line 8, report the number of students who completed within the period of 150% to 200% of normal time.
Once you save the page, the total completers within 200% and the 200% graduation rate value will be
calculated in the appropriate boxes on line 10.
In line 9, report the number of students who are still enrolled at your institution as of 200% of normal time to
completion of their program.
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Glossary

date: 12/4/2012

Term

Definition

Adjusted cohort

The result of removing any allowable exclusions from a cohort (or subcohort). For the Graduation
Rates component, this is the cohort from which graduation and transfer-out rates are calculated; for
the Fall Enrollment component, it is the cohort for calculating retention rate.

Associate's degree

An award that normally requires at least 2 but less than 4 years of full-time equivalent college work.

Bachelor's degree

An award (baccalaureate or equivalent degree, as determined by the Secretary, U.S. Department of
Education) that normally requires at least 4 but not more than 5 years of full-time equivalent college
-level work. This includes all bachelor's degrees conferred in a 5-year cooperative (work-study)
program. A cooperative plan provides for alternate class attendance and employment in business,
industry, or government; thus, it allows students to combine actual work experience with their
college studies. Also includes bachelor's degrees in which the normal 4 years of work are completed
in 3 years.

Bachelor's or equivalent
degree-seeking subcohort

In the GR component of IPEDS, a cohort of students who were seeking a bachelor's or equivalent
degree upon entry.

Exclusions

Those students who may be removed (deleted) from a cohort (or subcohort). For the Graduation
Rates and Fall Enrollment retention rate reporting, students may be removed from a cohort if they
left the institution for one of the following reasons: death or total and permanent disability; service in
the armed forces (including those called to active duty); service with a foreign aid service of the
federal government, such as the Peace Corps; or service on official church missions.

First-time student
(undergraduate)

A student who has no prior postsecondary experience (except as noted below) attending any
institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. This includes students enrolled in academic
or occupational programs. It also includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for
the first time in the prior summer term, and students who entered with advanced standing (college
credits earned before graduation from high school).

Graduation rate

The rate required for disclosure and/or reporting purposes under Student Right-to-Know Act. This
rate is calculated as the total number of completers within 150% of normal time divided by the
revised adjusted cohort.

Graduation Rates (GR)

This annual component of IPEDS was added in 1997 to help institutions satisfy the requirements of
the Student Right-to-Know legislation. Data are collected on the number of students entering the
institution as full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students in a particular
year (cohort), by race/ethnicity and gender; the number completing their program within 150
percent of normal time to completion; the number that transfer to other institutions if transfer is part
of the institution's mission. Prior to 2007, institutions who offered athletically-related student aid
were asked to report, by sport, the number of students receiving aid and whether they completed
within 150 percent of normal time to completion. Now, these institutions only need to report a URL
where the athletic data is located on their website, when available. GR automatically generates
worksheets that calculate rates, including average rates over 4 years.

Less than 2-year
institution

A postsecondary institution that offers programs of less than 2-years duration below the
baccalaureate level. Includes occupational and vocational schools with programs that do not exceed
1800 contact hours .

Normal time to
completion

The amount of time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate
according to the institution's catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12
quarters, excluding summer terms) for a bachelor's degree in a standard term-based institution; 2
years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters, excluding summer terms) for an associate's degree
in a standard term-based institution; and the various scheduled times for certificate programs.

Student Right-to-Know
Act

Also known as the "Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act" (P.L. 101-542), which was
passed by Congress November 9, 1990. Title I, Section 103, requires institutions eligible for Title IV
funding to calculate completion or graduation rates of certificate- or degree-seeking, full-time
students entering that institution, and to disclose these rates to all students and prospective
students. Further, Section 104 requires each institution that participates in any Title IV program and
is attended by students receiving athletically-related student aid to submit a report to the Secretary
of Education annually. This report is to contain, among other things, graduation/completion rates of
all students as well as students receiving athletically-related student aid by race/ethnicity and gender
and by sport, and the average completion or graduation rate for the four most recent years. These
data are also required to be disclosed to parents, coaches, and potential student athletes when the
institution offers athletically-related student aid. The Graduation Rates component of IPEDS was
developed specifically to help institutions respond to these requirements. See Graduation Rates for
the current description of data collected.

Subcohort

A predefined subset of the initial cohort or the revised cohort established for tracking purposes on
the Graduation Rates (GR) component of IPEDS. (e.g., bachelor's degree-seeking subcohort.)

Transfer-out rate

Total number of students who are known to have transferred out of the reporting institution within
150% of normal time to completion divided by the adjusted cohort.

Transfer-preparatory
program

A program designed specifically to provide a student with the basic knowledge needed to transfer
into a higher level program. For example, this may be the first 2 years of a baccalaureate level
program for which the institution does not offer an award, or 2 years of undergraduate study needed
for entrance into a first-professional program, or 1 or more years of undergraduate study needed for
entrance into health services fields.

2012-13 Survey Materials > Narrative Edits

date: 12/4/2012

200% Graduation Rates for less than 4-year institutions
Edit specifications for the 2012-13 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection
Graduation Rates 200 (GRS200) Component
Applicable to less-than-4 year institutions
All screens must be completed in order to lock the survey.
200% completers
In the GR200 component, report data on the cohort of full-time, first-time bachelor's degree-seeking undergraduate students
in your institution's 2008 graduation rates cohort, as first reported in the 2011-2012 Graduation Rates survey. You must report
the status of these students as of 200% of normal time so that 200% graduation rates may be calculated. In addition, the
100% and 150% graduation rates that were calculated in the 2011-2012 data collection are displayed for your reference.
Several numbers on this screen are preloaded with your institution's responses from previous surveys. In addition to the
existing information, you must report any Additional exclusions (between 151%-200% of normal time) (line 6) from the
cohort, the Number of students in the cohort who completed a program within 151%-200% of normal time (line 8), and
the number of students Still enrolled as of 200% of normal time to completion of their program.
Based on the information provided, the system will calculate the following:
•
•
•

Adjusted cohort 200% (line 7)
Total completers within 200% of normal time (line 10)
Graduation rates (for line 10)

The following edits will be performed on this screen:
•
•
•
•

•
•

The Additional exclusions (line 6) must be greater than or equal to 0. Please contact the Help Desk if you need
to revise your institution's preloaded cohort.
The Additional exclusions (line 6) cannot exceed 5% of the original Revised cohort (line 1). Make sure that
you are only reporting exclusions beyond those shown in Exclusions within 150% (line 2).
The Number of students in the cohort who completed a program within 150%-200% of normal time
(line 8) is expected to be greater than 0; otherwise an explanation is required.
If the Number of students in the cohort who completed a program within 150% of normal time (line 5)
is greater than 0, then Number of students in the cohort who completed a program between 151%200% of normal time (line 8) should be less than that value.
The total of Still enrolled as of 200% of normal time (line 9) and Total completers within 200% of
normal time (line 10) must be less than or equal to the Adjusted cohort 200% (line 7).
If the Adjusted cohort 150% (line 3) is greater than or equal to 50, then the Gratuation rate calculated for line
10 should be less than the Graduation Rate calculated for line 5 plus 25%.