Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2017-18 through 2019-20

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2017-18 through 2019-20

IPEDS 2017 E12 12 Month Enrollment - 2016-09-20

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2017-18 through 2019-20

OMB: 1850-0582

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12 Month Enrollment
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2017-18

This IPEDS 12 Month Enrollment data collection instrument will be
used again during the 2017-18 data collection.

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IPEDS Help Desk
(877) 225-2568 or [email protected]

  
NCES National Center for Education Statistics

2016-17 Survey Materials > Form

date: 8/25/2016

12-month Enrollment for 4-year institutions
Overview 
12-month Enrollment Overview
The 12-Month Enrollment component collects unduplicated student enrollment counts and instructional activity data for
an entire 12-month period. Using the instructional activity data reported, a full-time equivalent (FTE) student
enrollment at the undergraduate and graduate level is estimated. Institutions with Doctor's-professional practice
students will also report the FTE enrollment of those students. NCES uses the FTE enrollment to produce indicators
such as expenses by function per FTE as reported in the IPEDS Data Feedback Report.
Data Reporting Reminders:
•

All institutions must use the July 1 - June 30 reporting period.

Resources:
To download the survey materials for this component: Survey Materials
If you have questions about completing this survey, please contact the IPEDS Help Desk at 1-877-225-2568.

Undergraduate Instructional Activity Type 
Undergraduate instructional activity data in Part B may be reported in units of contact hours or credit hours.
Which instructional activity units will you use to report undergraduate instructional activity?
Please note that any graduate level instructional activity must be reported in credit hours.
Contact hours
Credit hours
Both contact and credit hours (some undergraduate programs measured in contact hours and some measured
in credit hours)
You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above.

Part A - Unduplicated Count 
12-month Unduplicated Count by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016
Reporting Reminders:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
•Even though Teacher Preparation certificate programs may require a bachelor's degree for admission, they are
considered subbaccalaureate undergraduate programs, and students in these programs are undergraduate students.

Graduate Student Reporting Reminder:
•Report all postbaccalaureate degree and certificate students as graduate students, including any doctor's-professional
practice students (formerly first-professional)

Men
Students enrolled for credit
Nonresident alien

Undergraduate students Graduate students

Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
Total men
Total men prior year
Women
Students enrolled for credit
Nonresident alien
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
Total women
Total women prior year
Grand total (2015-16)
Prior year data:
Unduplicated headcount (2014-15)
Total enrollment Fall 2015

Undergraduate students Graduate students

NOTE: Grand total (2015-16) calculated above is expected to be greater
than Total enrollment Fall 2015.

Part B - Instructional Activity 
12-month Instructional Activity
July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016
Instructional Activity Reporting Reminder:
•Instructional activity is used to calculate an IPEDS FTE based on the institution’s reported calendar system.
•Graduate credit hour activity should not include any doctor’s–professional practice activity, the total of those students’
FTE is entered separately instead.

FTE Reporting Reminder:
•Institutions need not report their own calculations of undergraduate or graduate FTE unless IPEDS FTE calculations
would be misleading for comparison purposes among all IPEDS reporting institutions.

2015-16 total
activity

Prior year
data

Instructional Activity
Undergraduate level:
Contact hour activity
Credit hour activity
Graduate level:
Credit hour activity
(Do not include doctor's-professional practice instructional activity here; the total FTE of
those students should be entered separately below)
Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) of Students
Doctor's-professional practice level:
Doctor's-professional practice FTE student estimate

Calendar system (as reported on the prior year IC Header survey component):
If the IPEDS calculated FTE estimates below are not reasonable, AND you have reported the correct instructional
activity hours above, enter your best FTE estimate in the "Institution reported FTE" column below and save the page.
This option should be used ONLY if the calculated estimate is not reasonable for your institution and IPEDS
comparisons.
Please provide your best estimate of undergraduate and graduate FTE for the 12-month reporting period only if the
calculated FTE estimate below is not reasonable for IPEDS comparison purposes:
Calculated FTE
Institution reported
Prior year FTE
2015-16
FTE 2015-16
2014-15
Undergraduate student FTE
Graduate student FTE
(excluding doctor's-professional practice student FTE)
Doctor's-professional practice student FTE
Total FTE student enrollment

Prepared by 
This survey component was prepared by:
Keyholder
Finance Contact

SFA Contact

HR Contact

Academic Library Contact

Other

hours

minutes

Name:
Email:

How long did it take to prepare
this survey component?

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.

 
U.S. Department of Education
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IPEDS Help Desk
(877) 225-2568 or [email protected]

  
NCES National Center for Education Statistics

2016-17 Survey Materials > Instructions

date: 8/25/2016

12-Month Enrollment Full Instructions
 

Purpose of the Survey
Changes in Reporting
General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
Context Boxes

Coverage
Who To Include
Who To Exclude

Where to Get Help for Reporting
IPEDS Help Desk
AIR Website
IPEDS Website Resources

Where the Reported Data Will Appear
Institution Level
Aggregate Level

Reporting Directions
Screening Question
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Categories
Part A: Unduplicated Count by Student Level, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender
Part B: Instructional Activity and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment

Purpose of Survey
The purpose of the 12-Month Enrollment component of IPEDS is to collect unduplicated enrollment counts of all
students enrolled for credit and instructional activity data in postsecondary institutions for an entire 12-month period.
Data are collected by level of student and by race/ethnicity and gender. Instructional activity is collected as total credit
and/or contact hours attempted at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctor's professional levels. Using the
instructional activity data reported, a full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment at the undergraduate and graduate
level is estimated.
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Changes in Reporting

•

There are no changes to the 12-Month Enrollment (E12) component for the 2016-17 collection.

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General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
The 12-month reporting period is July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016.
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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
Who to Include
Include all students enrolled for credit (enrolled in instructional activity, courses or programs, that can be applied
towards the requirements for a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award), regardless of
whether or not they are seeking a degree or certificate. This includes:

•
•
•
•
•

Students enrolled for credit in off-campus centers
High school students taking regular college courses for credit
Students taking remedial courses if the student is degree-seeking for the purpose of student financial aid
determination
Students from overseas enrolled for credit at your institution (e.g., online students) 
Graduate students enrolled for thesis credits, even when zero credits are awarded, as these students are still
enrolled and seeking their degree

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Who to Exclude
Exclude students who are not enrolled for credit. For example, exclude:

•
•
•
•
•

Students enrolled exclusively in courses that cannot be applied towards a formal award
Students enrolled only in ESL programs (programs comprised exclusively of ESL courses)
Students enrolled exclusively in Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
Students exclusively auditing classes
Residents or interns in doctor's - professional practice programs, since they have already received their
doctor's degree

In addition, the following students should be excluded:

•
•

Any student studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at the 'home' institution serves
as an administrative record
Students enrolled in any branch campus located in a foreign country

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Where to Get Help with Reporting
IPEDS Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-225-2568
Email: [email protected]

Web Tutorials
You can also consult the IPEDS Website Trainings & Outreach page which contains several tutorials on IPEDS data
collection, a self-paced overview of IPEDS tools, and other valuable resources.

IPEDS Resource Page
The IPEDS Website Reporting Tools page contains frequently asked questions, a link to data tip sheets, tutorials,
taxonomies, information centers (e.g., academic libraries, average net price, human resources, race/ethnicity, etc.),
and other valuable information.
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Where the Reported 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
College Affordability and Transparency Center Website

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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Reporting Directions
Screening Question
Before entering any data, a screening question will need to be answered.
Instructional Activity Units.
Select which units your institution will use to report undergraduate instructional activity for this component.
Institutions are given the option to report undergraduate instructional activity in contact hours, credit hours, or a
combination of the two.
Contact hours are a unit of measure that represent an hour of scheduled instruction given to students, sometimes
referred to as a clock hour. Credit hours are a unit of measure representing the equivalent of approximately one hour
of instruction per week over the entire term. Select the method that best describes the units used to measure
instructional activity at your institution.
The option for both contact and credit hours should only be used if some programs are measured in contact hours
while others are measured in credit hours. If your institution measures courses or programs in a unit of measure other
than standard credit or contact hours, select credit hours and convert the instructional activity offered to credit hour
equivalents for reporting in Part B of this component.
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Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category (1997 OMB)
This information is being collected in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972 and Sec. 421(a)(1) of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. These instructions
correspond with the Final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data to the U.S.
Department of Education, published in the Federal Register on October 19, 2007.

Method of collection - Institutions must collect race and ethnicity information using a 2-question format. The first
question is whether the respondent is Hispanic/Latino. The second question is whether the respondent is from one or
more races from the following list: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White. Institutions should allow students and staff to self-identify their race
and ethnicity. For further details on the guidance for collecting these data, please see the full Federal Register notice.
Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of Education
using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States citizens, resident
aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.

•

Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:

•
•
•
•
•
•

American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races

In addition, the following categories may be used:

•
•

Nonresident alien
Race and ethnicity unknown

Racial/ethnic descriptions - Racial/ethnic designations as used in this survey do not denote scientific definitions of
anthropological origins. The categories are:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Hispanic or Latino- A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish
culture or origin, regardless of race.
American Indian or Alaska Native- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South
America (including Central America) who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or
community attachment.
Asian- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian
Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine
Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Black or African American- A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii,
Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Other descriptive categories

•

Nonresident alien - A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country
on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. NOTE - Nonresident aliens are
to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of the seven racial/ethnic
categories. Resident aliens and other eligible (for financial aid purposes) non-citizens who are not citizens or
nationals of the United States and who have been admitted as legal immigrants for the purpose of obtaining
permanent resident alien status (and who hold either an alien registration card (Form I-551 or I-151), a
Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) with a notation that
conveys legal immigrant status such as Section 207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee
or Cuban-Haitian) are to be reported in the appropriate racial/ethnic categories along with United States
citizens.

•

Race and ethnicity unknown - This category is used only if the person did not select EITHER a racial or
ethnic designation.

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Part A: Unduplicated Count by Student Level, Gender, and Race/Ethnicity
Report all students enrolled for credit at any time during the July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016 reporting period. Students
are reported by gender, race/ethnicity, and their level of standing with the institution.
Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add
period for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular program, and the
5th day of each short program.
To determine the unduplicated 12-month enrollment, count each student only once during the 12-month period. For
example: If a student enrolls in the fall term, drops out in winter, but enrolls again in spring, count that student once.
Student Level Reporting Reminders:

•
•
•
•

Students who already hold a baccalaureate degree but are enrolled as an undergraduate for additional
undergraduate courses should be reported as undergraduate students
Students admitted with graduate standing should be counted as graduate students, even if they are taking
some undergraduate courses
If a student's level (undergraduate or graduate) changes during the 12-month period, count the student at
his/her highest level enrolled. For example: If a student is an undergraduate in the fall and a graduate student
in the spring, count the student as a graduate student.
Doctor's-professional practice students (formerly called first-professional students) should be counted in the
graduate student enrollment counts for Part A.

To provide context, two prior year enrollment totals are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The first is the total 12month unduplicated count reported last year (2014-15). The second is the total fall enrollment from Fall 2015, as
reported on the Fall Enrollment survey component. Since the Fall 2015 enrollment falls within the 12-month period
currently being reported (2015-16), the 12-month unduplicated count must be greater than or equal to the Fall 2015
total enrollment.
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Part B: Instructional Activity and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment
Report the total contact hour and/or credit hour activity attempted during the 12-month period of July 1, 2015 - June
30, 2016. The instructional activity data reported will be used to calculate full-time equivalent (FTE) student
enrollment at the institution.

Reporting Contact Hour Activity
To determine the contact hour activity for a course, multiply the contact hour value of the course by the number of
students enrolled in the course for credit. When computing total contact hour activity for the institution, include all
courses offered for credit (see the IPEDS Glossary for the definition of "credit course") that are measured in contact or
clock hours, do not convert credit hour activity into contact hour activity.
Contact Hour Activity of a Course = Course Contact Hour Value * Number of Students Enrolled for Credit
Contact Hour Value of a Course: The contact hour value of a course is the number of hours per week that the
course meets multiplied by the number of weeks the course is given. For example, a 3-week real estate licensure
course that meets 15 hours per week has a value of 45 contact hours.
Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add
period for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular program, and the
5th day of each short program.

Example Calculation: Total contact hour activity for Institution ABC.
Institution ABC offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016 reporting period:

•
•
•

Course 1 is a 50-week course with 30 contact hours per week and 10 students.
Course 2 is a 20-week course with 35 contact hours per week and 5 students.
Course 3 is a 15-week course with 20 contact hours per week and 10 students.

Compute the contact hour activity for each course:

•
•
•

Course 1: 50 * 30 * 10 = 15,000 hours
Course 2: 20 * 35 * 5 = 3,500 hours
Course 3: 15 * 20 * 10 = 3,000 hours

Compute the total contact hour activity for the institution by summing the contact hour activity for all courses offered
for credit that are measured in terms of contact or clock hours:

•

15,000 hours + 3,500 hours + 3,000 hours = 21,500 hours

Note: If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, the contact hour activity
reported should be only for the number of weeks which fall within the July 1 - June 30 period. For example, if only 40
weeks of a 64 week course (which meets 15 hours per week and has an enrollment of 30 students) falls within the 12month period, the contact hour activity for this course would be computed as follows: 40 weeks x 15 hours per week x
30 students = 18,000 contact hours.

Reporting Credit Hour Activity
To determine the credit hour activity for a course, multiply the credit hour value of the course by the number of
students enrolled in the course for credit (see the IPEDS Glossary for the definition of "credit course"). When
computing total credit hour activity for the institution, include only those courses offered for credit that are measured
in credit hours, do not convert contact hour activity into credit hour activity.
Credit Hour Activity of a Course = Course Credit Hour Value * Number of Students Enrolled for Credit
Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add
period for each term. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular term and the 5th day
of each summer or short term.
Example Calculation: Total credit hour activity for Institution DEZ.
Institution DEZ offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016 reporting period:

•
•
•

Course 1 is a 3 credit hour course with 20 students.
Course 2 is a 5 credit hour course with 10 students.
Course 3 is a 4 credit hour course with 15 students.

Compute the credit hour activity for each course:

•
•
•

Course 1: 3*20 = 60 hours
Course 2: 5*10 = 50 hours
Course 3: 4*15 = 60 hours

Compute the total credit hour activity for the institution by summing the credit hour activity for all courses offered for
credit and measured in credit hours:

•

60 hours + 50 hours + 60 hours = 170 hours

Report credit hour activity by course level, if applicable to your institution.  The level of each course (undergraduate or
graduate) should be the level of the course as designated by the institution. If there are courses that cannot be
assigned to a single level (i.e., if some courses serve both undergraduate and graduate students), partition the
enrollment in the course based on the level of the student. For example, a 3-credit course has 5 graduate students
and 10 undergraduate students enrolled. The total credit hour activity for the course is 45 hours (3x15). The
undergraduate credit hour activity for the course is 30 hours (3x10), and the graduate credit hour activity for the
course is 15 hours (3x5).
Note: If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, report all credit hour activity for
the course in the 12-month period in which the course began. Because course enrollment counts (necessary for
calculating total credit hour activity) are typically taken at the close of the official add/drop period for a course, this
date can also be used as the course start date for the purposes of determining the appropriate 12-month period. If
there is no official add/drop period, the 15th day of a regular term and the 5th day of a summer or short term can be
used.
Graduate Level Instructional Activity Reporting Reminder: Be sure to exclude doctor's-professional
practice activity (formerly first-professional) from the graduate level instructional activity.
If your institution has doctor's-professional practice students but does not see the section to report them on their
survey screens, you must contact the IPEDS Help Desk.
Once you have entered the instructional activity information, then click "save" and the FTE student enrollment will be
calculated and appear on the screen.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Calculation
Full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment, by level (undergraduate and graduate) will be calculated for the
institution using the instructional activity data reported in Part B. This total FTE student count will be used in
computing indicators such as expenses by function per FTE and revenues per FTE, which are reported on the IPEDS
Data Feedback Report (DFR). A FTE student is a unit of measurement intended to represent one student enrolled fulltime for one academic year.
Calculated Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Estimate. After entering the instructional activity, the FTE estimate will be
calculated as follows:

•
•

•

For institutions reporting contact or clock hours, the number of contact hours is divided by 900. For
example, the FTE for Institution ABC would be 1150/900, or approximately 1 student.
For institutions operating on a Quarter calendar system (as reported in the prior year IC Header survey
component), undergraduate credit hours are divided by 45, and graduate credit hours are divided by 36. If
Institution DEZ from the example above was an undergraduate program on the quarter system, the FTE would
be 170/45, or approximately 4 students.
For institutions operating on a semester, 4-1-4 Plan, or other calendar type (as reported in the prior
year IC Header survey component), undergraduate credit hours are divided by 30, and graduate credit hours
are divided by 24. If Institution DEZ was an undergraduate program on the one of these systems, the FTE
would be 170/30, or approximately 6 students.

If these calculated estimates are not reasonable for the institution, please double check the credit and/or contact
hours reported to ensure their accuracy. If the instructional activity data reported are inaccurate, then the calculated
FTE estimate will also be inaccurate.
After double checking the instructional activity data reported, if the FTE count estimated for the institution is still not
reasonable, the system will allow you to enter more accurate FTE data for the institution in the "Institution reported
FTE" column below. This option should be used ONLY if the system calculated estimates are not reasonable for the
institution and would be misleading for comparison purposes among all IPEDS reporting institutions.

date: 8/25/2016

Glossary
Term

Definition

12-month enrollment (E12)

These data were collected in the Enrollment component prior to the 2007 IPEDS collection. Data are collected for the
entire 12-month academic year, while enrollment data collected in the Fall Enrollment component are fall data.
Institutions report an unduplicated head count for the total number of students by gender, race/ethnicity, and level
(undergraduate, graduate, first-professional) enrolled throughout the reporting period. Students included are those
enrolled in any courses leading to a degree or other formal award, as well as those enrolled in courses that are part
of a terminal vocational or occupational program. Institutions also report the total instructional activity for the same
12-month period for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Instructional activity data are reported in units of
contact hours (sometimes referred to as clock hours) or credit hours.

12-month period

A 12-month period defined by an institution for reporting a full year of activity (usually either July 1 through June 30
or September 1 through August 31). This time period should be consistent across all IPEDS data collections and from
year-to-year.

4-1-4 (calendar system)

The 4-1-4 calendar usually consists of 4 courses taken for 4 months, 1 course taken for 1 month, and 4 courses
taken for 4 months. There may be an additional summer session.

American Indian or Alaska
Native

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) who
maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent,
including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand,
and Vietnam.

Audit/auditing (a class)

Term used when a student elects to take a course, but does not wish to receive credit for the course toward a degree
or other formal award.

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.

Black or African American

A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Calculation of FTE students
(using instructional activity)

The number of FTE students is calculated based on the credit and/or contact hours reported by the institution on the
IPEDS 12-month enrollment (E12) component and the institution's calendar system, as reported on the IC Header
component. The following table indicates the level of instructional activity used to convert the credit and/or contact
hours reported to an indicator of full-time equivalents (FTE students):
   - Quarter calendar system
         - Enrollment level (One FTE over 12-month period)
               -Undergraduate 45 credit hours, 900 contact hours
               -Graduate 36 credit hours
   - Semester/trimester/4-1-4 plan/other calendar system
         -Enrollment level (one FTE over 12-month period)
               -Undergraduate 30 credit hours 900 contact hours
               -Graduate 24 credit hours
For institutions with continuous enrollment programs, FTE is determined by dividing the number of contact hours
attempted by 900.
The total 12-month FTE is generated by summing the estimated or reported undergraduate FTE and the estimated or
reported graduate FTE and reported Doctor's Professional Practice FTE.

Calendar system

The method by which an institution structures most of its courses for the academic year.

Clock hour

A unit of measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Also referred to as contact
hour.

Contact hour

A unit of measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Also referred to as clock hour.

Contact hour activity

The provision of coursework to students which can be measured in terms of contact or clock hours .

Continuous basis

A calendar system classification that is used by institutions that allow students to enroll/start classes at any time
during the year. For example, a cosmetology school or a word processing school might allow students to enroll and
begin studies at various times, with no requirement that classes begin on a certain date.

Credit

Recognition of attendance or performance in an instructional activity (course or program) that can be applied by a
recipient toward the requirements for a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award,
irrespective of the activity's unit of measurement.

Credit course

A course that, if successfully completed, can be applied toward the number of courses required for achieving a
postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award, irrespective of the activity's unit of measurement.

Credit hour

A unit of measure representing the equivalent of an hour (50 minutes) of instruction per week over the entire term.
It is applied toward the total number of credit hours needed for completing the requirements of a degree, diploma,
certificate, or other formal award.

Credit hour activity

The provision of coursework to students which can be measured in terms of credit hours.

Differs by program (calendar
system)

A calendar system classification that is used by institutions that have occupational/vocational programs of varying
lengths. These schools may enroll students at specific times depending on the program desired. For example, a
school might offer a 2-month program in January, March, May, September, and November; and a 3-month program
in January, April, and October.

Doctor's degree-professional
practice

A doctor's degree that is conferred upon completion of a program providing the knowledge and skills for the
recognition, credential, or license required for professional practice. The degree is awarded after a period of study
such that the total time to the degree, including both pre-professional and professional preparation, equals at least
six full-time equivalent academic years. Some of these degrees were formerly classified as first-professional and may
include: Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.); Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.); Law (J.D.); Medicine (M.D.); Optometry (O.D.);
Osteopathic Medicine (D.O); Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); Podiatry (D.P.M., Pod.D., D.P.); or, Veterinary Medicine
(D.V.M.), and others, as designated by the awarding institution.
Dual credit

A program through which high school students are enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses, taught at their high
school, that fulfill high school graduation requirements and may earn the student college credits .

Dual enrollment

A program through which high school students may enroll in college courses while still enrolled in high school.
Students are not required to apply for admission to the college in order to participate.

Graduate student

A student who holds a bachelor's degree or above and is taking courses at the postbaccalaureate level. These
students may or may not be enrolled in graduate programs.

High school diploma or
recognized equivalent

A document certifying the successful completion of a prescribed secondary school program of studies, or any of the
following:
•recognized attainment of satisfactory scores on the GED or another state-authorized
examination
•recognized completion of homeschooling at the secondary level as defined by state law
•completion of secondary school education in a homeschool setting which qualifies for an
exemption from compulsory attendance requirements under state law, if state law does not
require a homeschooled student to receive credential for their education

Hispanic/Latino

A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless
of race.

Instructional activity

The total number of credit and contact hours all students are engaged in during the specified period.

Integrated Postsecondary
Education Data System
(IPEDS)

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), conducted by the NCES, 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 (throughout IPEDS referred to as
"Title IV") are required to report data using a web-based data collection system. IPEDS currently consists of the
following components: Institutional Characteristics (IC); 12-month Enrollment (E12);Completions (C); Admissions
(ADM); Student Financial Aid (SFA); Human Resources (HR) composed of Employees by Assigned Position, Fall Staff,
and Salaries; Fall Enrollment (EF); Graduation Rates (GR); Outcome Measures (OM); Finance (F); and Academic
Libraries (AL).

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Noncredit course

A course or activity having no credit applicable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.

Nonresident alien

A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis
and does not have the right to remain indefinitely.

Other academic calendar
system

Category used to describe "non-traditional" calendar systems at 4-year and 2-year degree-granting institutions.
These can include schools that offer primarily on-line courses or "one course at a time."

Quarter (calendar system)

A calendar system in which the academic year consists of 3 sessions called quarters of about 12 weeks each. The
range may be from 10 to 15 weeks as defined by the institution. There may be an additional quarter in the summer.

Race and ethnicity unknown

The category used to report students or employees whose race and ethnicity are not known.

Race/ethnicity

Categories developed in 1997 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that are used to describe groups to
which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote
scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The designations are used to categorize U.S. citizens, resident aliens,
and other eligible non-citizens.
Individuals are asked to first designate ethnicity as:
   - Hispanic or Latino or
   - Not Hispanic or Latino
Second, individuals are asked to indicate all races that apply among the following:
   - American Indian or Alaska Native
   - Asian
   - Black or African American
   - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
   - White

Remedial courses

Instructional courses designed for students deficient in the general competencies necessary for a regular
postsecondary curriculum and educational setting.

Resident alien (and other
eligible non-citizens)

A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States but who has been admitted as a legal immigrant for the
purpose of obtaining permanent resident alien status (and who holds either an alien registration card (Form I-551 or
I-151), a Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) with a notation that
conveys legal immigrant status such as Section 207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee or
Cuban-Haitian).

Semester (calendar system)

A calendar system that consists of two sessions called semesters during the academic year with about 15 weeks for
each semester of instruction. There may be an additional summer session.

Study abroad

Arrangement by which a student completes part of the college program studying in another country. Can be at a
campus abroad or through a cooperative agreement with some other U.S. college or an institution of another
country.

Summer session

A summer session is shorter than a regular session and is not considered part of the academic year. It is not the
third term of an institution operating on a trimester system or the fourth term of an institution operating on a
quarter calendar system. The institution may have two or more sessions occurring in the summer months. Some
schools, such as vocational and beauty schools, have year-round classes with no separate summer session.
Title IV institution

An institution that has a written agreement with the Secretary of Education that allows the institution to participate
in any of the Title IV federal student financial assistance programs (other than the State Student Incentive Grant
(SSIG) and the National Early Intervention Scholarship and Partnership (NEISP) programs).

Trimester (calendar system)

An academic year consisting of 3 terms of about 15 weeks each.

Undergraduate

A student enrolled in a 4- or 5-year bachelor's degree program, an associate's degree program, or a vocational or
technical program below the baccalaureate.

Unduplicated count

The sum of students enrolled for credit with each student counted only once during the reporting period, regardless
of when the student enrolled.

White

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

 
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NCES National Center for Education Statistics

2016-17 Survey Materials > Form

date: 8/25/2016

12-month Enrollment for less-than-4-year institutions
Overview 
12-month Enrollment Overview
The 12-Month Enrollment component collects unduplicated student enrollment counts and instructional activity data
for an entire 12-month period. Using the instructional activity data reported, a full-time equivalent (FTE) student
enrollment is estimated. NCES uses the FTE enrollment to produce indicators such as expenses by function per FTE
as reported in the IPEDS Data Feedback Report.
Data Reporting Reminders:
•

All institutions must use the July 1 - June 30 reporting period.

Resources:
To download the survey materials for this component: Survey Materials
If you have questions about completing the survey, please contact the IPEDS Help Desk at 1-877-225-2568.

Undergraduate Instructional Activity Type 
Undergraduate instructional activity data in Part B may be reported in units of contact hours or credit hours.
Which instructional activity units will you use to report undergraduate instructional activity?
Please note that any graduate level instructional activity must be reported in credit hours.
Contact hours
Credit hours
Both contact and credit hours (some undergraduate programs measured in contact hours and some measured
in credit hours)
You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above.

Part A - Unduplicated Count 
12-month Unduplicated Count by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016
Reporting Reminders:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
•Even though Teacher Preparation certificate programs may require a bachelor's degree for admission, they are
considered subbaccalaureate undergraduate programs, and students in these programs are undergraduate students.

Men
Students enrolled for credit
Nonresident alien

Undergraduate students

Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
Total men
Total men prior year
Women
Students enrolled for credit
Nonresident alien
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
Total women
Total women prior year
Grand total (2015-16)
Prior year data:
Unduplicated headcount (2014-15)
Total enrollment Fall 2015
NOTE: Grand total (2015-16) calculated above is expected to be greater than Total
enrollment Fall 2015.

Undergraduate students

Part B - Instructional Activity 
12-month Instructional Activity
July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016
Instructional Activity Reporting Reminder:
•Instructional activity is used to calculate an IPEDS FTE based on the institution’s reported calendar system.

FTE Reporting Reminder:
•Institutions need not report their own calculations of undergraduate FTE unless IPEDS FTE calculations would be
misleading for comparison purposes among all IPEDS reporting institutions.

2015-16 total activity

Prior year data

Instructional Activity
Undergraduate level:
Contact hour activity
Credit hour activity

Calendar system (as reported on the prior year IC Header survey component):
If the IPEDS calculated FTE estimates below are not reasonable, AND you have reported the correct instructional
activity hours above, enter your best FTE estimate in the "Institution reported FTE" column below and save the page.
This option should be used ONLY if the calculated estimate is not reasonable for your institution and IPEDS
comparisons.
Please provide your best estimate of undergraduate FTE for the 12-month reporting period only if the calculated FTE
estimate below is not reasonable for IPEDS comparison purposes:
Calculated FTE
Institution reported
Prior year FTE
2015-16
FTE 2015-16
2014-15
Undergraduate student FTE

Prepared by 
This survey component was prepared by:
Keyholder
Finance Contact

SFA Contact

HR Contact

Academic Library Contact

Other

hours

minutes

Name:
Email:

How long did it take to prepare
this survey component?

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.

 
U.S. Department of Education
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IPEDS Help Desk
(877) 225-2568 or [email protected]

  
NCES National Center for Education Statistics

2016-17 Survey Materials > Instructions

date: 8/25/2016

12-Month Enrollment Full Instructions
 

Purpose of the Survey
Changes in Reporting
General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
Context Boxes

Coverage
Who To Include
Who To Exclude

Where to Get Help for Reporting
IPEDS Help Desk
AIR Website
IPEDS Website Resources

Where the Reported Data Will Appear
Institution Level
Aggregate Level

Reporting Directions
Screening Question
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Categories
Part A: Unduplicated Count by Student Level, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender
Part B: Instructional Activity and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment

Purpose of Survey
The purpose of the 12-Month Enrollment component of IPEDS is to collect unduplicated enrollment counts of all
students enrolled for credit and instructional activity data in postsecondary institutions for an entire 12-month period.
Data are collected by level of student and by race/ethnicity and gender. Instructional activity is collected as total credit
and/or contact hours attempted at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctor's professional levels. Using the
instructional activity data reported, a full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment at the undergraduate and graduate
level is estimated.
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Changes in Reporting

•

There are no changes to the 12-Month Enrollment (E12) component for the 2016-17 collection.

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General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
The 12-month reporting period is July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016.
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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
Who to Include
Include all students enrolled for credit (enrolled in instructional activity, courses or programs, that can be applied
towards the requirements for a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award), regardless of
whether or not they are seeking a degree or certificate. This includes:

•
•
•
•

Students enrolled for credit in off-campus centers
High school students taking regular college courses for credit
Students taking remedial courses if the student is degree-seeking for the purpose of student financial aid
determination
Students from overseas enrolled for credit at your institution (e.g., online students)

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Who to Exclude
Exclude students who are not enrolled for credit. For example, exclude:

•
•
•
•

Students enrolled exclusively in courses that cannot be applied towards a formal award
Students enrolled only in ESL programs (programs comprised exclusively of ESL courses)
Students enrolled exclusively in Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
Students exclusively auditing classes

In addition, the following students should be excluded:

•
•

Any student studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at the 'home' institution is serves
as an administrative record
Students enrolled in any branch campus located in a foreign country

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Where to Get Help with Reporting
IPEDS Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-225-2568
Email: [email protected]

Web Tutorials
You can also consult the IPEDS Website Trainings & Outreach page which contains several tutorials on IPEDS data
collection, a self-paced overview of IPEDS tools, and other valuable resources.

IPEDS Resource Page

The IPEDS Website Reporting Tools page contains frequently asked questions, a link to data tip sheets, tutorials,
taxonomies, information centers (e.g., academic libraries, average net price, human resources, race/ethnicity, etc.),
and other valuable information.
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Where the Reported 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
College Affordability and Transparency Center Website

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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Reporting Directions
Screening Question
Before entering any data, a screening question will need to be answered.
Instructional Activity Units.
Select which units your institution will use to report undergraduate instructional activity for this component.
Institutions are given the option to report undergraduate instructional activity in contact hours, credit hours, or a
combination of the two.
Contact hours are a unit of measure that represent an hour of scheduled instruction given to students, sometimes
referred to as a clock hour. Credit hours are a unit of measure representing the equivalent of approximately one hour
of instruction per week over the entire term. Select the method that best describes the units used to measure
instructional activity at your institution.
The option for both contact and credit hours should only be used if some programs are measured in contact hours
while others are measured in credit hours. If your institution measures courses or programs in a unit of measure other
than standard credit or contact hours, select credit hours and convert the instructional activity offered to credit hour
equivalents for reporting in Part B of this component.
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Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category (1997 OMB)
This information is being collected in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972 and Sec. 421(a)(1) of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. These instructions
correspond with the Final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data to the U.S.
Department of Education, published in the Federal Register on October 19, 2007.

Method of collection - Institutions must collect race and ethnicity information using a 2-question format. The first
question is whether the respondent is Hispanic/Latino. The second question is whether the respondent is from one or
more races from the following list: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White. Institutions should allow students and staff to self-identify their race
and ethnicity. For further details on the guidance for collecting these data, please see the full Federal Register notice.
Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of Education
using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States citizens, resident
aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.

•

Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:

•
•
•
•
•
•

American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races

In addition, the following categories may be used:

•
•

Nonresident alien
Race and ethnicity unknown

Racial/ethnic descriptions - Racial/ethnic designations as used in this survey do not denote scientific definitions of
anthropological origins. The categories are:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Hispanic or Latino- A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish
culture or origin, regardless of race.
American Indian or Alaska Native- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South
America (including Central America) who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or
community attachment.
Asian- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian
Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine
Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Black or African American- A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii,
Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Other descriptive categories

•

Nonresident alien - A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country
on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. NOTE - Nonresident aliens are
to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of the seven racial/ethnic
categories. Resident aliens and other eligible (for financial aid purposes) non-citizens who are not citizens or
nationals of the United States and who have been admitted as legal immigrants for the purpose of obtaining
permanent resident alien status (and who hold either an alien registration card (Form I-551 or I-151), a
Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) with a notation that
conveys legal immigrant status such as Section 207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee
or Cuban-Haitian) are to be reported in the appropriate racial/ethnic categories along with United States
citizens.

•

Race and ethnicity unknown - This category is used only if the person did not select EITHER a racial or
ethnic designation.

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Part A: Unduplicated Count by Gender and Race/Ethnicity
Report all students enrolled for credit at any time during the July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016 reporting period. Students
are reported by gender and race/ethnicity.
Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add
period for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular program, and the
5th day of each short program.
To determine the unduplicated 12-month enrollment, count each student only once during the 12-month period.  For
example: If a student enrolls in the fall term, drops out in winter, but enrolls again in spring, count that student once.
Note: Students who already hold a baccalaureate degree but are enrolled as an undergraduate for additional
undergraduate courses should be reported as undergraduate students.
To provide context, two prior year enrollment totals are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The first is the total 12month unduplicated count reported from last year (2014-15). The second is the total fall enrollment from Fall 2015, as
reported on the Fall Enrollment survey component. Since the Fall 2015 enrollment falls within the 12-month period
currently being reported (2015-16), the 12-month unduplicated count must be greater than or equal to the Fall 2015
total enrollment.
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Part B: Instructional Activity and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment
Report the total contact hour and/or credit hour activity attempted during the 12-month period of July 1, 2015 - June
30, 2016. The instructional activity data reported will be used to calculate full-time equivalent (FTE) student
enrollment at the institution.

Reporting Contact Hour Activity
To determine the contact hour activity for a course, multiply the contact hour value of the course by the number of
students enrolled in the course for credit. When computing total contact hour activity for the institution, include all
courses offered for credit (see the IPEDS Glossary for the definition of "credit course") that are measured in contact or
clock hours, do not convert credit hour activity into contact hour activity.
Contact Hour Activity of a Course = Course Contact Hour Value * Number of Students Enrolled for Credit
Contact Hour Value of a Course: The contact hour value of a course is the number of hours per week that the
course meets multiplied by the number of weeks the course is given. For example, a 3-week real estate licensure
course that meets 15 hours per week has a value of 45 contact hours.
Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add
period for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular program, and the
5th day of each short program.
Example Calculation: Total contact hour activity for Institution ABC.
Institution ABC offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016 reporting period:

•
•
•

Course 1 is a 50-week course with 30 contact hours per week and 10 students.
Course 2 is a 20-week course with 35 contact hours per week and 5 students.
Course 3 is a 15-week course with 20 contact hours per week and 10 students.

Compute the contact hour activity for each course:

•
•
•

Course 1: 50 * 30 * 10 = 15,000 hours
Course 2: 20 * 35 * 5 = 3,500 hours
Course 3: 15 * 20 * 10 = 3,000 hours

Compute the total contact hour activity for the institution by summing the contact hour activity for all courses offered
for credit that are measured in terms of contact or clock hours:

•

15,000 hours + 3,500 hours + 3,000 hours = 21,500 hours

Note: If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, the contact hour activity
reported should be only for the number of weeks which fall within the July 1 - June 30 period. For example, if only 40
weeks of a 64 week course (which meets 15 hours per week and has an enrollment of 30 students) falls within the 12month period, the contact hour activity for this course would be computed as follows: 40 weeks x 15 hours per week x
30 students = 18,000 contact hours.

Reporting Credit Hour Activity
To determine the credit hour activity for a course, multiply the credit hour value of the course by the number of
students enrolled in the course for credit (see the IPEDS Glossary for the definition of "credit course"). When
computing total credit hour activity for the institution, include only those courses offered for credit that are measured
in credit hours, do not convert contact hour activity into credit hour activity.
Credit Hour Activity of a Course = Course Credit Hour Value * Number of Students Enrolled for Credit
Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add
period for each term. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular term and the 5th day
of each summer or short term.
Example Calculation: Total credit hour activity for Institution DEZ.
Institution DEZ offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2015 - June 30, 2016 reporting period:

•
•
•

Course 1 is a 3 credit hour course with 20 students.
Course 2 is a 5 credit hour course with 10 students.
Course 3 is a 4 credit hour course with 15 students.

Compute the credit hour activity for each course:
•
•
•

Course 1: 3*20 = 60 hours
Course 2: 5*10 = 50 hours
Course 3: 4*15 = 60 hours

Compute the total credit hour activity for the institution by summing the credit hour activity for all courses offered for
credit and measured in credit hours:

•

>60 hours + 50 hours + 60 hours = 170 hours

Note: If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, report all credit hour activity for
the course in the 12-month period in which the course began. Because course enrollment counts (necessary for
calculating total credit hour activity) are typically taken at the close of the official add/drop period for a course, this
date can also be used as the course start date for the purposes of determining the appropriate 12-month period. If
there is no official add/drop period, the 15th day of a regular term and the 5th day of a summer or short term can be
used.

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Calculation
Full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment will be calculated for the institution using the instructional activity data
(total contact hour and credit hour activity) reported in Part B. This FTE student count will be used in computing
indicators such as expenses by function per FTE and revenues per FTE, which are reported on the IPEDS Data
Feedback Report (DFR). A FTE student is a unit of measurement intended to represent one student enrolled full time
for one academic year.
Calculated Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Estimate. After entering the instructional activity, the FTE estimate will be
calculated as follows:

•
•
•

For institutions reporting contact or clock hours, the number of contact hours is divided by 900. For
example, the FTE for Institution ABC would be 1150/900, or approximately 1 student.
For institutions operating on a Quarter calendar system (as reported in the prior year IC Header survey
component), undergraduate credit hours are divided by 45.  If Institution DEZ from the example above was an
undergraduate program on the quarter system, the FTE would be 170/45, or approximately 4 students.
For institutions operating on a semester, 4-1-4 Plan, or other calendar type (as reported in the prior
year IC Header survey component), undergraduate credit hours are divided by 30. If Institution DEZ was an
undergraduate program on one of these systems, the FTE would be 170/30, or approximately 6 students.

If the calculated estimate is not reasonable for the institution, please double check the credit and/or contact hours
reported to ensure their accuracy. If the instructional activity data reported are inaccurate, then the calculated FTE
amount will also be inaccurate.
After double checking the instructional activity data reported, if the FTE estimated for the institution is still not
reasonable the system will allow you to enter more accurate FTE data for the institution in the "Institution reported
FTE" column. This option should be used ONLY if the system calculated estimate is not reasonable for the institution
and would be misleading for comparison purposes among all IPEDS reporting institutions.
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date: 8/25/2016

Glossary
Term

Definition

12-month enrollment (E12)

These data were collected in the Enrollment component prior to the 2007 IPEDS collection. Data are collected for the
entire 12-month academic year, while enrollment data collected in the Fall Enrollment component are fall data.
Institutions report an unduplicated head count for the total number of students by gender, race/ethnicity, and level
(undergraduate, graduate, first-professional) enrolled throughout the reporting period. Students included are those
enrolled in any courses leading to a degree or other formal award, as well as those enrolled in courses that are part
of a terminal vocational or occupational program. Institutions also report the total instructional activity for the same
12-month period for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Instructional activity data are reported in units of
contact hours (sometimes referred to as clock hours) or credit hours.

12-month period

A 12-month period defined by an institution for reporting a full year of activity (usually either July 1 through June 30
or September 1 through August 31). This time period should be consistent across all IPEDS data collections and from
year-to-year.

4-1-4 (calendar system)

The 4-1-4 calendar usually consists of 4 courses taken for 4 months, 1 course taken for 1 month, and 4 courses
taken for 4 months. There may be an additional summer session.

American Indian or Alaska
Native

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) who
maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent,
including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand,
and Vietnam.

Audit/auditing (a class)

Term used when a student elects to take a course, but does not wish to receive credit for the course toward a degree
or other formal award.

Black or African American

A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Calculation of FTE students
(using instructional activity)

The number of FTE students is calculated based on the credit and/or contact hours reported by the institution on the
IPEDS 12-month enrollment (E12) component and the institution's calendar system, as reported on the IC Header
component. The following table indicates the level of instructional activity used to convert the credit and/or contact
hours reported to an indicator of full-time equivalents (FTE students):
   - Quarter calendar system
         - Enrollment level (One FTE over 12-month period)
               -Undergraduate 45 credit hours, 900 contact hours
               -Graduate 36 credit hours
   - Semester/trimester/4-1-4 plan/other calendar system
         -Enrollment level (one FTE over 12-month period)
               -Undergraduate 30 credit hours 900 contact hours
               -Graduate 24 credit hours
For institutions with continuous enrollment programs, FTE is determined by dividing the number of contact hours
attempted by 900.
The total 12-month FTE is generated by summing the estimated or reported undergraduate FTE and the estimated or
reported graduate FTE and reported Doctor's Professional Practice FTE.

Calendar system

The method by which an institution structures most of its courses for the academic year.

Clock hour

A unit of measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Also referred to as contact
hour.

Contact hour

A unit of measure that represents an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Also referred to as clock hour.

Contact hour activity

The provision of coursework to students which can be measured in terms of contact or clock hours .

Continuous basis

A calendar system classification that is used by institutions that allow students to enroll/start classes at any time
during the year. For example, a cosmetology school or a word processing school might allow students to enroll and
begin studies at various times, with no requirement that classes begin on a certain date.

Credit

Recognition of attendance or performance in an instructional activity (course or program) that can be applied by a
recipient toward the requirements for a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award,
irrespective of the activity's unit of measurement.

Credit course

A course that, if successfully completed, can be applied toward the number of courses required for achieving a
postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award, irrespective of the activity's unit of measurement.

Credit hour

A unit of measure representing the equivalent of an hour (50 minutes) of instruction per week over the entire term.
It is applied toward the total number of credit hours needed for completing the requirements of a degree, diploma,
certificate, or other formal award.

Credit hour activity

The provision of coursework to students which can be measured in terms of credit hours.

Differs by program (calendar
system)

A calendar system classification that is used by institutions that have occupational/vocational programs of varying
lengths. These schools may enroll students at specific times depending on the program desired. For example, a
school might offer a 2-month program in January, March, May, September, and November; and a 3-month program
in January, April, and October.

Dual credit

A program through which high school students are enrolled in Advanced Placement (AP) courses, taught at their high
school, that fulfill high school graduation requirements and may earn the student college credits .

Dual enrollment

A program through which high school students may enroll in college courses while still enrolled in high school.
Students are not required to apply for admission to the college in order to participate.

High school diploma or
recognized equivalent

A document certifying the successful completion of a prescribed secondary school program of studies, or any of the
following:
•recognized attainment of satisfactory scores on the GED or another state-authorized
examination
•recognized completion of homeschooling at the secondary level as defined by state law

•completion of secondary school education in a homeschool setting which qualifies for an
exemption from compulsory attendance requirements under state law, if state law does not
require a homeschooled student to receive credential for their education
Hispanic/Latino

A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless
of race.

Instructional activity

The total number of credit and contact hours all students are engaged in during the specified period.

Integrated Postsecondary
Education Data System
(IPEDS)

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), conducted by the NCES, 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 (throughout IPEDS referred to as
"Title IV") are required to report data using a web-based data collection system. IPEDS currently consists of the
following components: Institutional Characteristics (IC); 12-month Enrollment (E12);Completions (C); Admissions
(ADM); Student Financial Aid (SFA); Human Resources (HR) composed of Employees by Assigned Position, Fall Staff,
and Salaries; Fall Enrollment (EF); Graduation Rates (GR); Outcome Measures (OM); Finance (F); and Academic
Libraries (AL).

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Noncredit course

A course or activity having no credit applicable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.

Nonresident alien

A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis
and does not have the right to remain indefinitely.

Other academic calendar
system

Category used to describe "non-traditional" calendar systems at 4-year and 2-year degree-granting institutions.
These can include schools that offer primarily on-line courses or "one course at a time."

Quarter (calendar system)

A calendar system in which the academic year consists of 3 sessions called quarters of about 12 weeks each. The
range may be from 10 to 15 weeks as defined by the institution. There may be an additional quarter in the summer.

Race and ethnicity unknown

The category used to report students or employees whose race and ethnicity are not known.

Race/ethnicity

Categories developed in 1997 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that are used to describe groups to
which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote
scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The designations are used to categorize U.S. citizens, resident aliens,
and other eligible non-citizens.
Individuals are asked to first designate ethnicity as:
   - Hispanic or Latino or
   - Not Hispanic or Latino
Second, individuals are asked to indicate all races that apply among the following:
   - American Indian or Alaska Native
   - Asian
   - Black or African American
   - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
   - White

Remedial courses

Instructional courses designed for students deficient in the general competencies necessary for a regular
postsecondary curriculum and educational setting.

Resident alien (and other
eligible non-citizens)

A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States but who has been admitted as a legal immigrant for the
purpose of obtaining permanent resident alien status (and who holds either an alien registration card (Form I-551 or
I-151), a Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) with a notation that
conveys legal immigrant status such as Section 207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee or
Cuban-Haitian).

Semester (calendar system)

A calendar system that consists of two sessions called semesters during the academic year with about 15 weeks for
each semester of instruction. There may be an additional summer session.

Study abroad

Arrangement by which a student completes part of the college program studying in another country. Can be at a
campus abroad or through a cooperative agreement with some other U.S. college or an institution of another
country.

Summer session

A summer session is shorter than a regular session and is not considered part of the academic year. It is not the
third term of an institution operating on a trimester system or the fourth term of an institution operating on a quarter
calendar system. The institution may have two or more sessions occurring in the summer months. Some schools,
such as vocational and beauty schools, have year-round classes with no separate summer session.

Title IV institution

An institution that has a written agreement with the Secretary of Education that allows the institution to participate
in any of the Title IV federal student financial assistance programs (other than the State Student Incentive Grant
(SSIG) and the National Early Intervention Scholarship and Partnership (NEISP) programs).

Trimester (calendar system)

An academic year consisting of 3 terms of about 15 weeks each.

Undergraduate

A student enrolled in a 4- or 5-year bachelor's degree program, an associate's degree program, or a vocational or
technical program below the baccalaureate.

Unduplicated count

The sum of students enrolled for credit with each student counted only once during the reporting period, regardless
of when the student enrolled.

White

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

 
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2016-17 Survey Materials > FAQ

date: 8/25/2016

12-month Enrollment
Click one of the following questions to view the answer.
General
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

Who should I include in my enrollment reporting?
What is the reporting period for 12-month enrollment?
What is the difference between 12-month enrollment and Fall enrollment?
In the past I reported first-professional student enrollment separately in Part A. Why is there no column for reporting
first-professional students?
Should I report students who are studying abroad?

Do I include students enrolled only in ESL programs (programs comprised exclusively of ESL
courses) in enrollment?

Unduplicated Count (Part A)
1)
Why does the total 12-month enrollment need to be larger than the corresponding prior year fall enrollment?
2)
How do I report a student who changes enrollment levels during the 12-month period?
3)
How do I report foreign students living outside the U.S. who are enrolled in my institution?
4)
My institution has students for which gender is unknown. Since there is no place to report “gender unknown” on the
IPEDS data collection screens, how should we report these individuals?
5)
In which race/ethnicity category do I report undocumented students?
Instructional Activity and FTE (Part B)
1)
How do I report instructional activity for courses that start in one 12-month reporting period and end in the next 12month reporting year?
2)
Instructional activity in doctor's-professional practice programs is measured differently from other graduate
programs. How should I report the activity for these programs?
3)
How is the estimate of full-time equivalent (FTE) students calculated?
4)
The calculated FTE is not a reasonable estimate for my institution. What should I do?

Answers:
General
1)
Who should I include in my enrollment reporting?
 
All students enrolled for credit should be reported. Credit is defined as "recognition of attendance or performance in an
instructional activity (course or program) that can be applied by a recipient toward the requirements for a
postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award, irrespective of the activity’s unit of measurement."
Back to top
2)
What is the reporting period for 12-month enrollment?
 
The reporting period for the 12-month enrollment component is July 1 - June 30. In the past, institutions had the
option to report using the July 1 - June 30 period or the September 1 - August 31 period. Since the 2011-12 collection
year, institutions have been required to use the July 1 - June 30 reporting period.
Back to top
3)
What is the difference between 12-month enrollment and Fall enrollment?
 
12-month enrollment is a cumulative unduplicated headcount of enrollment over the full 12-month period beginning
July 1 and ending June 30.  In contrast, Fall enrollment is a count 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.
Back to top
4)
In the past I reported first-professional student enrollment separately in Part A. Why is there no column
for reporting first-professional students?
 
Since the 2010-11 collection year, institutions have been required to use the new postbaccalaureate degree categories
(eliminating the first-professional category and reclassifying those programs). In part A, all postbaccalaureate
students are to be reported as graduate students (including students formerly reported as first-professional).

5)
 

In Part B, Doctor's-professional practice activity (formerly first-professional) will be reported separately from the
graduate instructional activity.  FTE for these programs should be reported as defined by the institution.
Back to top
Should I report students who are studying abroad?
Students who are enrolled in your institution and attend classes in a foreign country should be included in your
institution's enrollment report if your institution provides instructional resources (classroom, instructors), even though
the education occurs abroad. Students who are enrolled in your institution and attend classes in a foreign country
should NOT be included in your enrollment report if:

•
•

The students are enrolled ONLY in courses offered by another institution;
The students are enrolled at a branch campus of your institution in a foreign country;

•

Your institution does not provide the instructional resources (i.e., classrooms, instructors), even if
the student pays tuition to your institution. Their enrollment at your institution serves only as an
administrative record.
Back to top

6)

Do I include students enrolled only in ESL programs (programs comprised exclusively
of ESL courses) in enrollment?

 

ESL has never been considered a postsecondary program by IPEDS.  Since it is considered non-postsecondary,
students who are ONLY enrolled in ESL programs, regardless of whether or not they are receiving Title-IV aid, should
NOT be counted in enrollment. 
Back to top
Unduplicated Count (Part A)
1)
Why does the total 12-month enrollment need to be larger than the corresponding prior year fall
enrollment?
 
The 12-month unduplicated count must be equal to or greater than the corresponding prior year fall enrollment. Since
Fall 2015 lies within the 12-month period currently being reported on the 12-Month Enrollment survey component
(2015-16), the 12-month unduplicated count must be equal to or greater than the Fall 2015 reported enrollments.
Back to top
2)
How do I report a student who changes enrollment levels during the 12-month period?
 
Students should be reported at their highest level of enrollment. For example, a student enrolled as an undergraduate
in the fall and then as a graduate student in the spring should be reported as a graduate student on the 12-Month
Enrollment Survey component.
Back to top
3)
How do I report foreign students living outside the U.S. who are enrolled in my institution?
 
There has been no change to how these students should be reported with the new race/ethnicity reporting method.
Foreign students living outside the U.S., such as a foreign student living outside the U.S. who is enrolled in distance
education at your institution, should be classified in the Race/Ethnicity Unknown category. Only U.S. citizens are to be
categorized in the specific Race/Ethnicity categories. The non-resident alien category is reserved specifically for
students that are in the U.S. under that specific legal status.
Back to top
4)
My institution has students for which gender is unknown. Since there is no place to report “gender
unknown” on the IPEDS data collection screens, how should we report these individuals?
 
These individuals are still to be reported to IPEDS, even though their gender is unknown. It is up to the institution to
decide how best to handle reporting individuals whose gender is unknown. However, a common method used is to
allocate students with gender unknown based on the known proportion of men to women.
Back to top
5)
In which race/ethnicity category do I report undocumented students?
 
Because the race and ethnicity designations are reported only for U.S. citizens and the "nonresident alien" category is
a legal status for students with specific types of visas, undocumented students would not be reported under any of
these statuses. Instead, they should be reported as "Race/ethnicity unknown." Please visit the race/ethnicity FAQ for
more information: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/visFaq_re.aspx. 
Back to top
Instructional Activity and FTE (Part B)
1)
How do I report instructional activity for courses that start in one 12-month reporting period and end in
the next 12-month reporting year?
 
If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, report that activity using the following
guidelines:
Contact Hour Reporting:
Report only the activity for the number of weeks that fall within the 12-month period being reported on. For example,
if only 40 weeks of a 64 week course occurred before the June 30 end of the current reporting period, then report only
those 40 weeks worth of activity. Next year, report the 24 weeks worth of activity for that course that occurred after
July 1. For guidance on calculating total contact hour activity, refer to the 12-month Enrollment survey component
instructions.
Credit Hour Reporting:
Report all activity for a course in the 12-month period in which the course began. Because course enrollment counts
(necessary for calculating total credit hour activity) are typically taken at the close of the official add/drop period for a
course, this date can also be used as the course start date for the purposes of determining the appropriate 12-month
period. If there is no official add/drop period, the 15th day of a regular term and the 5th day of a summer or short
term can be used.

2)
 

3)
 

Back to top
Instructional activity in doctor's-professional practice programs is measured differently from other
graduate programs. How should I report the activity for these programs?
Starting with the 2012-13 data collection, institutions now report the FTE for doctor's-professional practice (DPP)
programs as a separate amount in Part B.  This DPP FTE amount will then be summed with the undergraduate and
graduate FTE amounts to create the total FTE enrollment for the institution.
Back to top
How is the estimate of full-time equivalent (FTE) students calculated?

The FTE enrollment estimate is calculated based on the total credit and/or contact hours reported in Part B and the
institution's calendar system, as reported on the prior year Institutional Characteristics (IC) component. The following
method is used to convert the credit and/or contact hours reported to an indicator of full-time equivalent students:
Contact Hour Reporters: Contact hours are divided by 900
Quarter Calendar System: Undergraduate credit hours are divided by 45 and graduate credit hours are divided by
36
Semester/Trimester/4-1-4 Plan/Other Calendar System: Undergraduate credit hours are divided by 30 and
graduate credit hours are divided by 24.

4)
 

Doctor's-professional practice (DPP) FTE student enrollment is reported by the institution, based on the institution's
definition of a full-time equivalent DPP student.  This amount is then added to the undergraduate and graduate FTE
amounts to create a total FTE student enrollment count.
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The calculated FTE is not a reasonable estimate for my institution. What should I do?
First, double check the instructional activity data reported on the Part B screen. If your instructional activity data is
accurate and the FTE calculation is not providing a reasonable FTE estimate for your institution, there is the option to
report a more accurate FTE in Part B. This option should be used ONLY if the system calculation is not a reasonable
estimate for your institution and would be misleading for comparison purposes among all IPEDS reporting institutions.
If a more accurate FTE is provided and an edit is received on that data entry, make sure to detail the methodology
used to arrive at the reported FTE and explain why this is a better measure for the institution.
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