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

IPEDS 2017 EF Fall Enrollment 8-18-2017

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

OMB: 1850-0582

⚠️ Notice: This form may be outdated. More recent filings and information on OMB 1850-0582 can be found here:

2023-09-14 - No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection
2023-07-11 - No material or nonsubstantive change to a currently approved collection

Document [pdf]

Download: pdf | pdf

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

The changes from the memo are listed on the next page. They have not
yet been incorporated into the survey package below.

Revision to the Voluntary Burden Time Question
For all institutions
Existing question:

Replace Existing question with the following:
Question 1: How many staff from your institution only were involved in the data collection and
reporting process of this survey component?
_______ Number of Staff (including yourself)

Question 2: How many hours did you and others from your institution only spend on each of the
steps below when responding to this survey component?
Exclude the hours spent collecting data for state and other reporting purposes

Staff member
Your office
Other offices

Collecting Data
Needed
______ hours
______ hours

Revising Data to Match
IPEDS Requirements
______ hours
______ hours

Entering Data
______ hours
______ hours

Revising and
Locking Data
______ hours
______ hours

IPEDS Help Desk
(877) 225-2568 or [email protected]
NCES National Center for Education Statistics

date: 8/4/2017

2017-18 Survey Materials > Form

Fall Enrollment for 4-year degree-granting institutions

Overview
Fall Enrollment Overview
The Fall Enrollment component collects student enrollment counts by level of student, enrollment status, gender and race/ethnicity. In addition, first-time student retention
rates and the student-to-faculty ratio are collected. Every other year data on residence of first-time undergraduates is required and in opposite years, enrollment by student
age is required to be reported.
Institutions operating on a traditional academic year calendar (semester, trimester, quarter, or 4-1-4) report Fall enrollment as of the institution's official fall reporting date
or October 15. Institutions operating on a calendar that differs by program or that enrolls students on a continuous basis (referred to as program reporters) report Fall
enrollment as students enrolled any time during the period August 1 and October 31.
Data Reporting Reminders:
Part B, Enrollment of students by age, is required this year.
Part C, Residence of first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates, is optional this year.

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.

Part Selection
Completion of Part C (Residence of First-Time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Undergraduates) is optional this year.
Do you wish to complete Part C this year?
If you select 'Yes', you will be expected to complete the Part C screens.
If you select 'No', you will skip Part C.
No, I will not complete Part C
Yes, I will complete Part C

Full-time Undergraduate Students
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
Degree/certificate-seeking
Enrolled for credit
First-time

Transfer-in

Continuing/
Returning

Total degree/certificate-seeking

Non-degree/
non-certificate-seeking

Total,
Full-time
undergraduate
students

Non-degree/
non-certificate-seeking

Total,
Full-time
undergraduate
students

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 men
Total men prior year

Women
Degree/certificate-seeking
Enrolled for credit
First-time
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 (men+women)
Grand total (men+women) prior year

Transfer-in

Continuing/
Returning

Total degree/certificate-seeking

Part-time Undergraduate Students
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
Degree/certificate-seeking
Enrolled for credit
First-time

Transfer-in

Continuing/
Returning

Total degree/certificate-seeking

Non-degree/
non-certificate-seeking

Total,
Part-time
undergraduate
students

Non-degree/
non-certificate-seeking

Total,
Part-time
undergraduate
students

Grand total (men+women)
Grand total (men+women) prior year

Transfer-in

Continuing/
Returning

Total degree/certificate-seeking

Part A - Fall Enrollment for Graduate Students
Academic reporters report enrollment as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2017.
Program reporters report students enrolled at any time between August 1 and October 31, 2017.

Graduate Students
Race/Ethnicity Reporting Reminder:
Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

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

Total full-time

Total part-time

Total graduate students

Total full-time

Total part-time

Total graduate students

Women
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 (men+women)
Grand total (men+women) prior year

Part A - Fall Enrollment Summary
Fall Enrollment Summary
Men
Students enrolled for credit

Total full-time
students

Total part-time
students

Grand total,
all students

Total full-time
students

Total part-time
students

Grand total,
all students

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

Grand Total (men+women)

Part A - Fall Enrollment by Distance Education Status
Academic reporters report enrollment as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2017.
Program reporters report students enrolled at any time between August 1 and October 31, 2017.
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
Degree/Certificate Seeking

Non-Degree/Non-Certificate Seeking

Enrolled exclusively in distance education courses
Enrolled in some but not all distance education courses
Not enrolled in any distance education courses

Total (from prior part A screens)
You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above.
These context notes may be posted on the College Navigator website, and should be written to be understood by students and parents.

Part A - Fall Enrollment by Distance Education Status
Undergraduate Students
Of those students exclusively enrolled in distance education courses, report the number
that are:
Located in
Located in the U.S. but not in
Located in the U.S. but state/jurisdiction unknown
Located outside the U.S.
Location unknown/unreported
Total students exclusively enrolled in distance education (from section above)

Degree/Certificate
Seeking

Non-Degree/Non-Certificate
Seeking

Graduate
Students

Part B - Fall Enrollment by Age and Gender for Full-time Undergraduate Students
Academic reporters report enrollment as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2017.
Program reporters report students enrolled at any time between August 1 and October 31, 2017.
Age

Full-time Undergraduate Students
Men

Under 18
18-19
20-21
22-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-49
50-64
65 and over
Age unknown/unreported
Total full-time undergraduate students (from part A)

Women

Part B - Fall Enrollment by Age and Gender for Part-time Undergraduate Students
Academic reporters report enrollment as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2017.
Program reporters report students enrolled at any time between August 1 and October 31, 2017.
Age

Part-time Undergraduate Students
Men

Under 18
18-19
20-21
22-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-49
50-64
65 and over
Age unknown/unreported
Total part-time undergraduate students (from part A)

Women

Part B - Fall Enrollment by Age and Gender for Full-time Graduate Students
Academic reporters report enrollment as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2017.
Program reporters report students enrolled at any time between August 1 and October 31, 2017.
Age

Full-time Graduate Students
Men

Under 18
18-19
20-21
22-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-49
50-64
65 and over
Age unknown/unreported
Total full-time graduate students (from part A)

Women

Part B - Fall Enrollment by Age and Gender for Part-time Graduate Students
Academic reporters report enrollment as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2017.
Program reporters report students enrolled at any time between August 1 and October 31, 2017.
Age

Part-time Graduate Students
Men

Under 18
18-19
20-21
22-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-49
50-64
65 and over
Age unknown/unreported
Total part-time graduate students (from part A)

Women

Part C - Screening Question
Did any of your first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students (reported in Part A) enroll within 12 months of graduating high school or receiving their
GED?

No, we do not have any first-time students who enrolled within 12 months of their high school graduation.
Yes, we have first-time students who enrolled within 12 months of their high school graduation.
You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above.

Part C - Residence of First-time Undergraduates
NOTE: These data are optional this year.
Academic reporters report enrollment as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2017.
Program reporters report students enrolled at any time between August 1 and October 31, 2017.
Enter at least one zero, where applicable, to verify that the screen has not been skipped.

State of residence when student
was first admitted

FIPS Code

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Total first-time
degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduates
(1)

Of students in column 1, those
who enrolled within 12 months
of high school graduation
or receiving their GED
(2)

State of residence when student
was first admitted

FIPS Code

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Total first-time
degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduates
(1)

Of students in column 1, those
who enrolled within 12 months
of high school graduation
or receiving their GED
(2)

FIPS Code

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

State Unknown

American Samoa

Federated States of Micronesia

Guam

Marshall Islands

Northern Marianas

Palau

Puerto Rico

Virgin Islands

Foreign Countries

Residence unknown/unreported

Total first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates (from Part A)
You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above.

Total first-time
degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduates
(1)

Of students in column 1, those
who enrolled within 12 months of high school graduation
or receiving their GED
(2)

This part is only required from academic reporters.
Part D - Total Undergraduate Entering Class
Total Undergraduate Entering Class, Fall 2017

D1 Total full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates from Part A (GR cohort)
D2 Total first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates (full-time + part-time) from Part A
D3 Total transfer-in degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates (full-time + part-time) from Part A
D4 Total non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduates (full-time + part-time) from Part A
D5 Of the total non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduates displayed on line D4, the number that are new to the institution in Fall 2017
Total entering students at the undergraduate level
D6 Note: This is calculated as first-time students (line D2) + students transferring to the institution (line D3) + non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduates
entering in Fall 2017 (line D5).
D7 Percentage of undergraduate entering class represented by your GR cohort (line D1/line D6)

Part E - First-time Bachelor's Cohort Retention Rates (Full-time)
Retention Rates
Full-time, First-time Bachelor's Cohort from Fall 2016

Academic reporters determine the cohort and retention as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15. Program reporters determine the cohort
with enrollment any time between August 1 and October 31, 2016 and retention based on August 1, 2017.
The retention rate is calculated by the system after clicking "Save" on the screen. Exclusions are subtracted from and inclusions are added to the original cohort and
the resulting adjusted cohort is used for calculating the retention rate.

Retention Data Reporting Reminders:
Include only full-time, first-time bachelor's students in this cohort.
Determine the full-time cohort using Fall 2016 status (e.g. if a student was full-time in Fall 2016, report them in the full-time cohort regardless of their Fall 2017 status).
If there are no students to report in the cohort, enter zero. Do not leave the field blank.

Report in the exclusions box (line E2a) the number of students from the cohort who left the institution for any of the following reasons: died or were totally and
permanently disabled; to serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty); to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government (e.g. Peace
Corps); or to serve on official church missions.
Report in the inclusion box (line E2b) first-time bachelor’s-seeking study abroad students who were excluded from the first-time cohort (line E1) but who have reenrolled at the institution their second year.

Prior year data (Fall 2015 cohort)
FULL-TIME, FIRST-TIME BACHELOR'S COHORT RETENTION:
E1

Full-time, first-time Fall 2016 bachelor's cohort

E2a

Exclusions from the Fall 2016 cohort

E2b

Inclusion to the Fall 2016 cohort

Adjusted Fall 2016 cohort (line E1- E2a + E2b)

Students from Fall 2016 cohort still enrolled as of Fall 2017

Full-time, first-time Fall 2016 bachelor's cohort retention rate (line E4 / line E3)

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.

Part E - First-time Bachelor's Cohort Retention Rates (Part-time)
Retention Rates
Part-time, First-time Bachelor's Cohort from Fall 2016

Academic reporters determine the cohort and retention as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15. Program reporters determine the cohort
with enrollment any time between August 1 and October 31, 2016 and retention based on August 1, 2017.
The retention rate is calculated by the system after clicking "Save" on the screen. Exclusions are subtracted from the original cohort and the resulting adjusted cohort
is used for calculating the retention rate.

Retention Data Reporting Reminders:
Include only part-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students in this cohort.
Determine part-time using Fall 2016 attendance status (e.g. if a student was part-time in Fall 2016, report them in the part-time cohort regardless of their Fall 2017
status).
If there are no students to report in the cohort, enter zero. Do not leave the field blank.

Report in the exclusions box (line E7a) the number of students from the cohort who left the institution for any of the following reasons: died or were totally and
permanently disabled; to serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty); to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government (e.g. Peace
Corps); or to serve on official church missions.
Report in the inclusion box (line E7b) first-time bachelor’s-seeking study abroad students who were excluded from the first-time cohort (line E6) but who have reenrolled at the institution their second year.

Prior year data (Fall 2015 cohort)
PART-TIME, FIRST-TIME BACHELOR'S COHORT RETENTION:
E6

Part-time, first-time Fall 2016 bachelor's cohort

E7a

Exclusions from the Fall 2016 cohort

E7b

Inclusions to the Fall 2016 cohort

Adjusted Fall 2016 cohort (line E6 - E7a + E7b)

Students from Fall 2016 cohort still enrolled as of Fall 2017

E10

Part-time, first-time Fall 2016 bachelor's cohort retention rate (line E9 / line E8)

Part F - Student-to-Faculty Ratio
Please provide your institution's student-to-faculty ratio (i.e., student-to-instructional staff) for undergraduate programs for Fall 2017. The student-to-faculty ratio and
any accompanying context that is provided will be displayed on College Navigator.
Note: Logic in this item is similar to item I-2 from the Common Data Set data collection.

Click here to use a worksheet to help you determine the student-to-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio

to 1

Student-to-faculty ratio prior year

to 1

Part F - Four-Year Institutions with Graduate Programs Student-to-Faculty Ratio Worksheet
This worksheet is designed to help you determine your institution's student-to-faculty ratio.
Data entered on this worksheet will NOT be collected or saved. Therefore, please PRINT this screen if you would like to refer to the ratio calculation for your institution at
a later time.

The term "stand-alone graduate or professional program" used below is defined as a graduate or professional practice program such as medicine, law, veterinary,
dentistry, social work, or public health, in which faculty teach virtually only graduate-level students (often referred to as "independent" programs).
Note: The logic used for this calculation is similar to item I-2 from the Common Data Set data collection.

Students, Fall 2017
FULL-TIME STUDENTS:
F1

Total full-time students from Part A

Full-time Student Exclusion (Line F2):
F2

Of the full-time students reported in Line F1, the number enrolled in stand-alone graduate or professional programs

Total adjusted full-time student count
(Line F1 - F2)

PART-TIME STUDENTS:
F4

Total part-time students from Part A

Part-time Student Exclusion (Line F5):
F5

Of the part-time students reported in Line F4, the number enrolled in stand-alone graduate or professional programs

Total adjusted part-time student count
(Line F4 - F5)

Full-time equivalent of adjusted part-time student count
(Line F6 * 1/3)

Total adjusted full-time equivalent students
(Line F3 + F7)
Instructional Staff, Fall 2017

FULL-TIME INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF:
F9

Number of full-time instructional staff (non-medical) as reported on the HR survey component

Full-time Instructional Staff Exclusions (Line F10A and 10B):
(Note: an individual instructor meeting both exclusion criteria should only be reported in ONE exclusion line item.)
F10A Of the full-time instructional staff reported in Line F9, the number teaching exclusively in stand-alone graduate or professional programs
F10B Of the full-time instructional staff reported in Line F9, the number teaching exclusively non-credit courses

F11

Total adjusted full-time instructional staff
(Line F9 - (F10A + F10B))

PART-TIME INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF:
F12

Number of part-time instructional staff (non-medical) as reported on the HR survey component

Part-time Instructional Staff Exclusions (Line F13A and 13B):
(Note: an individual instructor meeting both exclusion criteria should only be reported in ONE exclusion line item.)
F13A Of the part-time instructional staff reported in Line F12, the number teaching exclusively in stand-alone graduate or professional programs
F13B Of the part-time instructional staff reported in Line F12, the number teaching exclusively non-credit courses
Part-time Instructional Staff Addition (Line F14):
F14

Number of administrators, or other staff not reported to IPEDS as instructors, that are teaching a credit course(s) in the Fall

F15

Total adjusted part-time instructional staff
(Line F12 - (F13A + F13B) + F14)

F16

Full-time equivalent of adjusted part-time instructional staff
(Line F15 * 1/3)

F17

Total full-time equivalent of adjusted instructional staff
(Line F11 + F16)

F18

Student-to-faculty ratio
(Line F8/F17)

to 1

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NCES National Center for Education Statistics

2017-18 Survey Materials > Instructions

date: 8/4/2017

Fall 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 Questions
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Categories
Part A: Fall Enrollment by Level, Attendance Status, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender
Part B: Fall Enrollment by Age
Part C: Residence of First-Time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Undergraduates
Part D: Total Undergraduate Entering Class
Part E: Retention Rates for First-Time Bachelor's Seeking Students
Part F: Student-to-Faculty Ratio

Purpose of Survey
The purpose of the Fall Enrollment component of IPEDS is to collect enrollment data on all students enrolled for credit in courses/programs
that could lead to awards ranging from postsecondary certificates of less than 1 year to doctoral degrees. Fall enrollment data are collected
by level of student, attendance status, race/ethnicity, and gender. In addition, the Fall Enrollment component collects data on the institution's
undergraduate entering class, first-time student retention rates, and the student-to-faculty ratio. Every other year data on enrollment by nine
selected fields of study are collected, as is residency of first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students. In opposite years,
enrollment by student age is collected.

Changes in Reporting
Enrollment by age will be mandatory this year. Enrollment by residence is optional.

General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
For institutions operating on a traditional academic year calendar (semester, trimester, quarter, or 4-1-4), fall enrollment should be
reported as of the institution's official fall reporting date or October 15.
For institutions operating on an "other academic calendar," a calendar that differs by program, or enrolls students on a continuous basis
(referred to as program reporters), fall enrollment is reported for students enrolled any time during the period August 1 and October 31.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Reporting Directions
Screening Questions

Before entering any data, screening questions will need to be answered.
Part C Selection
Part C (Enrollment of Students by Residence) is optional this year. Indicate whether or not you will complete Part C of the Fall Enrollment
survey component this year.

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.

Part A: Full-Time Undergraduate Students by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
On this screen, include all students enrolled for credit, full-time at the undergraduate level. The undergraduate level includes students
enrolled in undergraduate level courses, in 4 or 5-year bachelor's degree programs, associate's degree programs, or any certificate
programs below the baccalaureate level. Students who have already earned a bachelor's degree but are taking undergraduate courses
for credit should be included as undergraduates.

Full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students
In column 1, report undergraduate students who have no prior postsecondary experience and have enrolled full-time with the intent
to earn a degree, certificate, or other formal award. The following are also considered first-time:
Students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer session (applicable to academic
reporters only)
Students who entered with advanced standing (any college credits or postsecondary formal award earned before graduation from
high school)

In order to be considered degree or certificate-seeking, the student must be enrolled in courses for credit and be recognized by the
institution as seeking a degree or other formal award. Note: All students eligible to receive federal student financial aid are to be
considered degree/certificate-seeking. Dual enrolled high school students are not degree/certificate-seeking students.
Program Reporters: Include first-time students who entered your institution between August 1, 2017 and October 31, 2017.
Academic Reporters: Student counts reported in column 1 define the initial cohort for reporting graduation rates in the IPEDS
Graduation Rates (GR) component to meet Student Right-to-Know reporting requirements. Students reported in this group will become
your GR cohort in the reporting year appropriate for your institution. The number of students reported in column 1 will also appear in
Part D to be used in determining the percentage of the undergraduate entering class represented by the cohort.

Full-time, transfer-in degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
In column 2, report the total number of full-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering the reporting institution
for the first time but known to have previously attended a postsecondary institution at the undergraduate level. Include students
enrolled in the fall term who transferred into the institution the prior summer term. These students may or may not have transferred
credit(s).
Program Reporters: Include students who transferred into your institution between August 1, 2017 and October 31, 2017
Academic Reporters: Include students who transferred into your institution as of the institution's official fall reporting date or October
15, 2017 and those who transferred in the prior summer term.

Full-time, continuing degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
In column 3, report the total number of continuing (i.e., not first-time and not transfer-in) full-time degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduate students. These are students who are not new to the institution in the fall, but instead are continuing their studies at
the institution.

Full-time, non-degree/non-certificate-seeking full-time undergraduates
In column 5, report the total number of full-time non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduates. These students are enrolled for
credit but not with the intent of earning a degree or other formal award. Note: High school students enrolled in creditable courses prior
to high school graduation are considered non-degree/non-certificate-seeking students.
Once you save the data by clicking the 'Verify and Save' button, the 'Total full-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates' (column 4)
and 'Total, full-time undergraduate students' (column 6) will be calculated by the system and display on the survey screen.

Part A: Part-time Undergraduate Students
Report part-time students using the same definitions and instructions provided for full-time undergraduate students.

Part A: Graduate Students by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
Report all students enrolled for credit at the graduate level as either full-time (column 1) or part-time (column 2). Include graduate
students enrolled for thesis credits, even when zero credits are awarded, as these students are still enrolled and seeking their degree.
Graduate Student Reporting Reminder: Institutions are required to report using the new postbaccalaureate classifications. Report all
postbaccalaureate degree and certificate students as graduate students, including doctor's-professional practice students (formerly firstprofessional).

Note: Requirements for coming to campus for orientation, testing, or academic support services do not exclude a course from being
classified as exclusively distance education. Similarly, if a student is taking instructional portions of their program entirely online, but are
then required to complete a practicum, residency, or internship, the student can still be considered enrolled in entirely distance education
courses.
Not enrolled in any distance education courses offered at your institution: This number represents the students who are not enrolled in
any distance education courses at your institution. It will be calculated by subtracting the (students enrolled exclusively in distance
education + students enrolled in some but not all distance education courses) from the total enrolled students from Part A, which is
the totals for degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate (first-time + transfer-in + continuing), non-degree/non-certificate-seeking
undergraduate and graduate students.
Location of students enrolled exclusively in distance education courses
If there are students reported as enrolled exclusively in distance education courses, further data on the location of these distance
education students will need to be reported. Report, by student level and undergraduate degree-seeking status, the number of
exclusively distance education students that are located in the same state/jurisdiction as the institution, in a different state/jurisdiction
than the institution, in the U.S. but the state/jurisdiction is unknown, and residing outside the U.S.

The total students exclusively enrolled in distance education courses will be carried forward from earlier on the screen. If the total
students reported by location does not equal the total enrolled exclusively in distance education from above, the “Location
unknown/unreported” is calculated.

Part B: Fall Enrollment by Age and Gender
Part B is mandatory this year. This part is required in odd-numbered years.
This distribution of students should include all students reported in Part A.

Enrollment by Age
Use institutional records to calculate student age.
Academic reporters: report student age as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2017.
Program reporters: report student age as of August 1, 2017.
The totals by gender for each attendance status (full- or part-time) and student level (undergraduate or graduate) will be carried
forward from the corresponding Part A screens. When the Part B and Part A totals do not agree, the "Age unknown/unreported" is
calculated.
Note: If the Part B student count total is larger than the total carried forward from Part A (resulting in a negative value), a fatal error
results. In this case, reexamine both the age data and comparable portion of Part A to identify the error and make appropriate
corrections.

Part C: Residence of First-time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Undergraduate Students
Part C is optional this year. This part is required in even-numbered years only.
This distribution of students should include all first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students (both full- and part-time)
reported in Part A.

Recent High School Graduates Screening Question
Part C begins with a screening question to determine whether or not your institution has first-time degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduate students who enrolled within 12 months of graduating high school or receiving their GED. If the answer is 'No', then
only one column for all first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates will display in Part C. If the answer is 'Yes', then 2 columns
will be reported in Part C, one for all first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates and one for those first-time
degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates enrolled within 12 months of graduating high school or receiving their GED.

State of residence
Use the state identified by the student as his/her permanent address at the time of application to the institution. This may be the legal
residence of a parent or guardian, or the state in which a student has a driver's license or is registered to vote. It is not necessarily the
state in which the student's high school is located.

Residence of first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
In column (1), report all first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students, both full-time and part-time, by state of
residence. The total line for column (1) will be carried forward from the total first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate
students reported in Part A. If the sum of the students reported by state of residence in column (1), lines 1-90, does not agree with the
total first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates from Part A, the "Residence unknown/unreported" (line 98) will be calculated.
Note: When the sum of students by state of residence is larger than the total carried forward from Part A (resulting in a negative value
calculated for the "Residence unknown/unreported" line), a fatal error results. In this case, reexamine both the residence data and
comparable section of Part A to identify the error and make appropriate corrections.
If your institution responded 'Yes' to the screening question, the subset of students from column (1) who enrolled within 12 months of
graduating high school or receiving their GED are to be reported again by their state of residence in column (2).

Part D: Total Undergraduate Entering Class
Program reporters and non-degree-granting institutions do not complete Part D.
Total entering class data are included to address concerns some institutions have raised about the cohort that is defined by the IPEDS
Graduation Rates (GR) component. The GR cohort includes only full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students. For
institutions with substantial part-time, transfer-in, and non-degree/non-certificate-seeking enrollment, this may result in graduation rates
that are not representative of their typical entering class.
The total undergraduate entering class is comprised of all first-time undergraduates (full-time and part-time), all transfer-in
undergraduates (full-time and part-time) and the subset of non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduates who are new to the
institution in the Fall. To reach the total entering class total, Part D follows a line-by-line step process.
Lines D1 - D4 are carried forward from Part A reporting.
In Line D5, report the subset of non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduate students displayed on line D4, who are new to the
institution in Fall 2017.
Line D6 will calculate the total undergraduate entering students. This is calculated as all first-time students (line D2) + all transfer-in
students (line D3) + non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduate students new to the institution in Fall 2017 (line D5).
After clicking 'Save', Line D7 will display the percentage of the undergraduate entering class that is represented by the current GR cohort
(the GR cohort is carried forward from Part A and displayed in Line D1). The percentage is calculated as line D1/D6.

Part E: Retention Rates for First-Time Bachelor's Degree Seeking Student Cohort
Retention rates examine the percentage of first-time bachelor's degree (or equivalent) seeking students enrolled in the fall of the prior
year that are still enrolled in the fall of the current year.

On each retention screen (full-time cohort and part-time cohort screens) institutions must report:
First-time bachelor's degree (or equivalent) seeking Fall 2016 cohort.
Academic reporters: determine the cohort using the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2016.
Program reporters: determine the cohort based on students who were enrolled in the institution at any time between August 1 and
October 31, 2016.
Note: The retention cohorts are the subset of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students reported in Part A of the prior year Fall
Enrollment survey that are bachelor's degree (or equivalent) seeking. Attendance status (full- or part-time) should be based on the
student's Fall 2016 status.
Exclusions from the cohorts (see below for allowable exclusions)
Inclusion to the Fall 2016 cohort. Report on this line first-time bachelor's seeking study abroad students who were excluded from the
first-time cohort but who have re-enrolled at the institution their second year.
Total number of students retained from the Fall 2016 cohort. Include students who were reported as first-time but who are studying
abroad Fall 2017.
Total students retained = students from the Fall 2016 cohort who are still enrolled as of Fall 2017.
Academic reporters: Report students retained as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2017.
Program reporters: Report students retained as of August 1, 2017.

Exclusions:
Institutions may report cohort exclusions. Allowable exclusions are students who left the institution for any of the following reasons:
Died or were totally and permanently disabled
To serve in the armed forces (including those called to active duty)
To serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government (e.g., Peace Corps)
To serve on official church missions
The system will compute an adjusted cohort by subtracting the student exclusions from the original cohort prior to calculating the
retention rate.
Retention rates will be computed by the system after clicking 'Save.' The retention rate is calculated as:
(Students from the Fall 2016 cohort still enrolled as of Fall 2017/Adjusted Fall 2016 cohort)*100

Part F: Student-to-Faculty Ratio
Graduate only institutions do not complete Part F.
Report the student-to-faculty ratio for undergraduate programs at your institution. A worksheet is available to help determine your
institution's ratio. Click on the link from the Part F screen to access the worksheet.

Worksheet for Institutions with Graduate or Professional Programs
The worksheet is designed to help institutions determine their student-to-faculty ratio for undergraduate programs. It is NOT
mandatory that you use this worksheet to calculate your student-to-faculty ratio. Data entered on the worksheet will NOT be collected
or saved in the system. Make sure to print the screen in order to refer to the ratio calculation for your institution at a later time.
Please note: The logic used in this calculation is similar to that of item I-2 from the Common Data Set data collection.
The term "stand-alone graduate or professional programs" used on the worksheet is defined as graduate or professional programs
such as medicine, law, veterinary, dentistry, social work, or public health, in which faculty teach virtually only graduate-level students
(also referred to as "independent" programs). Student and instructional staff counts will be adjusted for stand-alone graduate or
professional programs to allow the ratio to come closer to an undergraduate program student-to-faculty ratio without overburdening
institutions with reporting detail on the level of instruction taught by each instructor.

FULL- AND PART-TIME STUDENT DATA:
The total number of full-time and part-time students (lines F1 and F4) are carried forward from Part A.
Institutions with stand-alone graduate or professional programs (see definition above) report the following Fall 2017 student
exclusions:
In line F2, report the total number of full-time students enrolled in stand-alone graduate or professional programs.
In line F5, report the total number of part-time students enrolled in stand-alone graduate or professional programs.

With the above student exclusions, the system will then compute the following on the worksheet:
Lines F3 and F6. Total adjusted full-time and total adjusted part-time student counts.
These are the total full-time and part-time students reported in Part A, excluding those enrolled in stand-alone graduate or
professional programs. The system will calculate line F3 as line F1 (total full-time students) minus line F2 (total full-time
students enrolled in stand-alone graduate or professional programs) and calculate line F6 as line F4 (total part-time students)
minus line F5 (total part-time students enrolled in stand-alone graduate or professional programs).
Line F7. A full-time equivalent (FTE) of the adjusted part-time student count.
The FTE will be calculated as line F6 (total adjusted part-time student count) * 1/3.
Line F8. Total adjusted FTE students.
This is calculated as the sum of lines F3 (total adjusted full-time students) and F7 (FTE of total adjusted part-time students).
Line F8 is used in the ratio calculation.

FULL-AND PART-TIME INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF DATA:
Lines F9 and F12 should be reported based on data your institution is reporting in the IPEDS Human Resources (HR) survey
component. Please work together with the appropriate staff at your institution to ensure that the data used on this worksheet and
reported in the HR component are the same.
Line F9. The total number of full-time instructional staff (non-medical) as reported on the HR component.

Line F12. The total number of part-time instructional staff (non-medical) as reported on the HR component. NOTE: Graduate
assistants are not included.

Instructional Staff Exclusions for Stand-Alone Programs:
Institutions with stand-alone graduate or professional programs (see definition above) report the following Fall 2017 instructional
staff exclusions on the worksheet:
In line F10A, report the number of full-time instructional staff teaching exclusively in stand-alone graduate or professional
programs.
Please note that instructional staff reported on the medical school screens in the HR component (medical school screens are seen
only by institutions with M.D. and/or D.O. programs) are already excluded from the counts in line F9 and therefore should not be
reported in line F10.
In line F13A, report the number of part-time instructional staff teaching exclusively in stand-alone graduate or professional
programs.
Please note that instructional staff reported on the medical school screens in the HR component (medical school screens are seen
only by institutions with M.D. and/or D.O. programs) are already excluded from the counts in line F12 and therefore should not be
reported in line F13.

Instructional Staff Exclusion for Non-Credit Instructors:
In line F10B, report the number of full-time instructional staff teaching exclusively non-credit courses.
In line F13B, report the number of part-time instructional staff teaching exclusively non-credit courses.

For institutions that have a large amount of non-credit activity (most often public two-year institutions), the above exclusions will
better align the student data with the instructional staff data being used in the ratio.

Part-Time Instructional Staff Addition:
In line F14, report the number of administrators or other staff NOT reported to IPEDS as instructors (and therefore not
included in the EAP count reported in line F12) that are teaching a credit course in Fall 2017.

For institutions that have administrators and other professionals on staff that are not reported to IPEDS as instructors (because it is
not their "primary function") but they teach credit courses throughout the year, the above allowable addition will produce a more
accurate ratio.
With the above instructional staff exclusions and part-time instructional staff addition information above, the system will compute
the following on the worksheet:
Line F11. Total adjusted full-time instructional staff.
The adjusted full-time instructional staff is the total full-time instructional staff, excluding those teaching exclusively in standalone graduate or professional programs and those teaching exclusively non-credit classes. The system will calculate line F11
as line F9 (total full-time instructional staff as reported on HR) minus the total exclusions [line F10A (total full-time instructional
staff teaching exclusively in stand-alone graduate or professional programs) + line F10B (total full-time instructional staff
teaching exclusively non-credit courses)].
Line F15. Total adjusted part-time instructional staff.
The adjusted part-time instructional staff is the total part-time instructional staff, excluding those teaching exclusively in standalone graduate or professional programs and those teaching exclusively non-credit classes, and adding those administrators
and other staff teaching credit courses. The system will calculate line F15 as line F12 (total part-time instructional staff as
reported on HR) minus the total exclusions [line F13A (total part-time instructional staff teaching exclusively in stand-alone
graduate or professional programs) + line F13B (total part-time instructional staff teaching exclusively non-credit courses)] +
line F14 (administrators and other staff teaching credit courses).
Line F16. Total FTE of adjusted part-time instructional staff.
The FTE will be calculated as line F15 (total adjusted part-time instructional staff) * 1/3.
Line F17. Total FTE of adjusted instructional staff.
This is calculated as the sum of lines F11 (total adjusted full-time instructional staff) and F16 (FTE of total adjusted part-time
instructional staff). Line F17 is used in the ratio calculation.
Line F18. Student-to-faculty ratio.
The ratio will be calculated by the system as line F8 (total adjusted FTE students) divided by line F17 (total adjusted FTE
instructional staff). The ratio will be displayed on the worksheet as xxx to 1.
The calculated ratio can then be entered onto the Part F (Student-to-Faculty Ratio) screen.

Glossary

date: 8/4/2017

Term

Definition

Adjusted cohort

The result of removing any allowable exclusions from a cohort (or subcohort). For the Fall Enrollment component, it is the cohort for
calculating retention rate; for the Graduation Rates component, this is the cohort from which graduation and transfer-out rates are
calculated; and for the Outcome Measures component, these are the four cohorts (first-time, full-time; first-time, part-time; non-firsttime, full-time; or non-first-time, part-time) for which outcomes rates are calculated at 4, 6, and 8 years.

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.

Branch institution

A campus or site of an educational institution that is not temporary, is located in a community beyond a reasonable commuting
distance from its parent institution, and offers full programs of study, not just courses.

CIP code

A six-digit code in the form xx.xxxx that identifies instructional program specialties within educational institutions.

Classification of Instructional
Programs (CIP)

A taxonomic coding scheme for secondary and postsecondary instructional programs. It is intended to facilitate the organization,
collection, and reporting of program data using classifications that capture the majority of reportable data. The CIP is the accepted
federal government statistical standard on instructional program classifications and is used in a variety of education information
surveys and databases.

Cohort

A specific group of students established for tracking purposes.

Continuing/Returning student
(undergraduate)

A student who is not new to the institution in the fall, but instead is continuing his or her studies at the institution (i.e., not first-time
and not transfer-in).

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.

Degree/certificate-seeking
students

Students enrolled in courses for credit who are seeking a degree, certificate, or other formal award. This includes students who:
- received any type of federal financial aid, regardless of what courses they took at any time;
- received any state or locally based financial aid with an eligibility requirement that the student be enrolled in a degree, certificate,
or transfer-seeking program; or
- obtained a student visa to study at a U.S. postsecondary institution
High school students also enrolled in postsecondary courses for credit are not considered degree/certificate-seeking.

Distance education
Education that uses one or more technologies to deliver instruction to students who are separated from the instructor and to support
regular and substantive interaction between the students and the instructor synchronously or asynchronously.
Technologies used for instruction may include the following: Internet; one-way and two-way transmissions through open broadcasts,
closed circuit, cable, microwave, broadband lines, fiber optics, satellite or wireless communication devices; audio conferencing; and
video cassette, DVDs, and CD-ROMs, if the cassette, DVDs, and CD-ROMs are used in a course in conjunction with the technologies
listed above.
Distance education course

A course in which the instructional content is delivered exclusively via distance education. Requirements for coming to campus for
orientation, testing, or academic support services do not exclude a course from being classified as distance education.

Distance education program

A program for which all the required coursework for program completion is able to be completed via distance education courses.

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.

Entering students
(undergraduate)

Students at the undergraduate level, both full-time and part-time, coming into the institution for the first time in the fall term (or the
prior summer term who returned again in the fall). This includes all first-time undergraduate students, students transferring into the
institution at the undergraduate level for the first time, and non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduates entering in the fall.

Exclusions

Those students who may be removed (deleted) from a cohort (or subcohort). For the Graduation Rates, Outcome Measures, 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 or postsecondary formal award earned before graduation from high school).

Full-time student

Undergraduate: A student enrolled for 12 or more semester credits, or 12 or more quarter credits, or 24 or more contact hours a week
each term. Graduate: A student enrolled for 9 or more semester credits, or 9 or more quarter credits, or a student involved in thesis or
dissertation preparation that is considered full-time by the institution. Doctor's degree - Professional practice - as defined by the
institution.

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.

Integrated Postsecondary
Education Data System (IPEDS)

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), conducted by the NCES, began in 1986 and involves annual institutionlevel 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 webbased 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.

Non-degree-seeking student

A student enrolled in courses for credit who is not recognized by the institution as seeking a degree or formal award.

Non-first-time student
(undergraduate)

A student who has prior postsecondary experience before attending the reporting IPEDS institution. This cohort of students may closely
reflect the transfer-in enrollment from Fall Enrollment (EF) component.

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.

Off-campus centers (extension
centers)

Sites outside the confines of the parent institution where courses are offered that are part of an organized program at the parent
institution. The sites are not considered to be temporary but may be rented or made available to the institution at no cost by another
institution or an organization, agency, or firm.

Official fall reporting date

The date (in the fall) on which an institution must report fall enrollment data to either the state, its board of trustees or governing
board, or some other external governing body.

Part-time student

Undergraduate: A student enrolled for either less than 12 semester or quarter credits, or less than 24 contact hours a week each term.
Graduate: A student enrolled for less than 9 semester or quarter credits.

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.

Residence

A person's permanent address determined by such evidence as a driver's license or voter registration. For entering freshmen,
residence may be the legal residence of a parent or guardian.

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).

Retention rate

A measure of the rate at which students persist in their educational program at an institution, expressed as a percentage. For four-year
institutions, this is the percentage of first-time bachelors (or equivalent) degree-seeking undergraduates from the previous fall who
are again enrolled in the current fall. For all other institutions this is the percentage of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students
from the previous fall who either re-enrolled or successfully completed their program by the current fall.

State of residence

A person's permanent address as determined by such evidence as a driver's license or voter registration. For entering freshmen, state
of residence may be the legal state of residence of a parent or guardian.

State unknown

Status used when the reporting institution is unable to determine from existing records the home state or residence of the student.

Student-to-faculty ratio

The ratio of FTE students to FTE instructional staff, i.e., students divided by staff.
Students enrolled in "stand-alone" graduate or professional programs and instructional staff teaching in these programs are excluded
from both full-time and part-time counts.
"Stand-alone" graduate or professional programs are those programs such as medicine, law, veterinary, dentistry, social work, or public
health, in which faculty teach virtually only graduate-level students (also referred to as "independent" programs).
Each FTE value is equal to the number of full-time students/staff plus 1/3 the number of part-time students/staff.

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 yearround 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).

Transfer-in student

A student entering the reporting institution for the first time but known to have previously attended a postsecondary institution at the
same level (e.g., undergraduate, graduate). This includes new students enrolled in the fall term who transferred into the institution the
prior summer term. The student may transfer with or without credit.

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.

White

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

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2017-18 Survey Materials > FAQ

Fall Enrollment
Click one of the following questions to view the answer.
General
1)

Who should I include in my enrollment reporting?

What is the reporting period/date for fall enrollment?

Should I report students who are studying abroad?

In the past I reported first-professional students on this component. Why are there no screens for reporting firstprofessional students?

My school is part of a consortium of schools. How do I report student enrollment?

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

Fall Enrollment by Student Level, Race/Ethnicity and Gender (Part A)
1)

What is NOT considered "prior postsecondary experience" when reporting first-time students?

Where do I report students if I don't know whether or not they are first-time?

Where do I report undergraduate students who enrolled at my institution for the first time this fall (without prior
postsecondary experience), but earned college credits during the prior summer?

How do I treat new students who transferred into the institution the prior summer term and take courses in the
fall?

Does "continuing/returning student" include those students who have stopped out and re-entered the same
institution?

How do I report a student who earned college credit or postsecondary award while in high school (a dual enrolled
student) and has now graduated high school and enrolled in my institution in the Fall?

Where do I report a high school student who is enrolled for credit at my institution (a dual enrolled student)?

If a student enrolled for credit has not indicated whether they intend to earn a degree or certificate, how do I
determine whether they are degree/certificate-seeking?

Where do I report students who are seeking a second baccalaureate degree?

10)

How do I report an undergraduate student who took courses as a non-degree-seeking student and re-enrolls as a
degree-seeking student at the same reporting institution?

11)

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?

12)

How do I report foreign students living outside the U.S. who are enrolled in my institution?

13)

How does enrollment in non-credit or zero-credit remedial/ESL and co-op courses count in the determination of a
student's full-time status?

14)

In which race/ethnicity category do I report undocumented students?

Fall Enrollment in Selected Fields (Part A, 4-year institutions only)
1)

What do I do if my institution does not offer any of the program areas listed on the CIP selection screen?

How do I report students in program areas that do not appear on the CIP selection screen?

How do I report undergraduates who have not yet declared a major?

How do we report a student that has majors falling under more than one of the CIP codes collected in Part A (i.e.,
13.0000 Education and 27.0000 Mathematics)?

Distance Education
1)

What should I do if I do not know the location of students enrolled exclusively in distance education courses?

How do I determine location for those students enrolled exclusively in distance education?

Are U.S. jurisdictions or territories (like Guam, the U.S. Virgin Island, etc.) considered in the U.S. for distance
education location reporting?

Fall Enrollment by Age (Part B)
1)

I am not able to enter a number in the “Age unknown/unreported” box. How do I report students whose ages are
unknown?

My institution uses age range categories that differ from the ones IPEDS uses in Part B. What should I do?

Residence of First-Time Undergraduates (Part C)
1)

When reporting students by residence (Part C), should I include students who completed a GED in the second
column that asks for numbers of students that graduated high school within 12 months?

Total Undergraduate Entering Class (Part D)
1)

What is the difference between the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort (GRS cohort) and the
undergraduate entering class calculated in Part D?

Retention Rates for First-Time Undergraduates (Part E)
1)

How is the retention rate calculated?

How do I report students who changed attendance status (part-time to full-time or full-time to part-time) between
one fall and the next?

Are students on a leave of absence from the institution considered retained?

For less-than-4-year institutions that have a student who completed a program and are still enrolled at the same
institution in another program, how should they count that student?

My institution’s freshman study abroad students were excluded from the prior year first-time enrollment count. How

date: 8/4/2017

can I add these students back into the prior year’s first-time cohort for the current year’s retention calculation?
6)

Sophomore study abroad students have been excluded from my fall enrollment count because they are taking
classes in a foreign country. How can I include them as part of my retention calculation?

Undergraduate Student-to-Faculty Ratio (Part F)
1)

How do I calculate my institution's student-to-faculty ratio?

Can you provide an example of a stand-alone graduate or professional program (a program such as medicine, law,
veterinary, or dentistry in which faculty teach virtually only graduate-level students)?

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 degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award, irrespective of the activity's unit of
measurement.”
Students who are not seeking a degree or certificate may be still be enrolled for credit. These students are to
be reported in the non-degree/non-certificate-seeking column.
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What is the reporting period/date for fall enrollment?
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 the enrollment at an institution at a specific time in the Fall. The date/period used depends on
whether the institution is an academic reporter or a program reporter for IPEDS purposes.
Academic reporters: Report enrollment as of October 15 or as of the institution's official fall reporting date.
Program reporters: Report enrollment during the 3-month period of August 1 to October 31. If a student
enrolls or remains enrolled at any time during that period, the student is included in the fall enrollment counts.
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Should I report students who are studying abroad?
U.S. 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.
Foreign students who are enrolled for credit and taking courses at the institution should be included
in the institution's enrollment report.
While study abroad students may be excluded from the enrollment count for reasons cited above,
they may be included in the institution’s retention calculation. Please see the specific instructions on
Part E: Retention or the FAQ on including study abroad students in retention.
For additional information on how to report study abroad students in all IPEDS survey components,
please visit the following link: http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/pdf/Reporting_Study_Abroad_Students.pdf.
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4)

In the past I reported first-professional students on this component. Why are there no screens for
reporting first-professional students?
Beginning with the 2009-10 collection year, institutions are required to use the new postbaccalaureate degree
categories (eliminating the first-professional category and reclassifying those programs). In parts A and B, all
postbaccalaureate students are to be reported as graduate students, including doctor's-professional practice
students (formerly reported as first-professional). 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.
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My school is part of a consortium of schools. How do I report student enrollment?
For reporting students studying in consortium agreements, please refer to the Resource page
at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/Section/Consortium_Cheatsheet.
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Do I include students enrolled only in ESL programs (programs comprised exclusively of ESL
courses) in Fall 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 (programs comprised exclusively of ESL courses),
regardless of whether or not they are receiving Title-IV aid, should NOT be counted in enrollment.
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Fall Enrollment by Student Level, Race/Ethnicity and Gender (Part A)
1)

What is NOT considered "prior postsecondary experience" when reporting first-time students?

Credit for military service/training from an association such as the American Council on
Education,
Credit from any non-credit courses, as defined by the institution,
Credit received for completion of tests/assessments,
Credit received before the student has earned a high school diploma (i.e., AP or dual
enrollment credits),
Postsecondary award received before the students earned a high school diploma (e.g.,
certificate, associate's, bachelor's, etc.), or
Credit for life experience.
Students with prior postsecondary experience credit from attending a military academic institution (e.g.,
Community College of the Air Force, West Point, U.S. Naval Academy, etc.) would NOT be considered first-time
students.
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2)

Where do I report students if I don't know whether or not they are first-time?
If their status is not indicated directly and the student does not enroll with prior credits or transcripts from

another institution, then assume the student is first-time.
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3)

Where do I report undergraduate students who enrolled at my institution for the first time this fall
(without prior postsecondary experience), but earned college credits during the prior summer?
These students should be reported as first-time undergraduates. The definition of “first-time” allows for students
to still be classified as first-time if the college credit they have previously earned occurred in the summer
immediately prior to enrollment.
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How do I treat new students who transferred into the institution the prior summer term and take
courses in the fall?
For the Fall Enrollment survey, count the student as a "transfer-in," even if the student transferred into the
institution during the prior summer term and is not entering the institution for the first time in the fall. (Applies
only to academic reporters)
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Does "continuing/returning student" include those students who have stopped out and re-entered
the same institution?
Yes, "continuing/returning student" is meant to capture students who are not first-time or transfer-in. This
includes students who have been continuously enrolled in the institution and those who have stopped out and
re-enrolled, without having transferred to another institution.
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How do I report a student who earned college credit or postsecondary award while in high school
(a dual enrolled student) and has now graduated high school and enrolled in my institution in the
Fall?
If the college credit or postsecondary award was earned prior to the student graduating high school, then this
student would be considered a first-time student in the Fall. The definition of “first-time” allows for students to
still be classified as first-time if the college credit they have previously earned was prior to their high school
graduation. (Applies only to academic reporters)
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Where do I report a high school student who is enrolled for credit at my institution (a dual
enrolled student)?
This student would be reported as non-degree/non-certificate-seeking. Prior to receipt of a high school diploma
or recognized equivalent (see glossary definition), a student is non-degree/non-certificate-seeking. After receipt
of the high school diploma or recognized equivalent, they can be classified as degree/certificate-seeking, if
appropriate.
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If a student enrolled for credit has not indicated whether they intend to earn a degree or
certificate, how do I determine whether they are degree/certificate-seeking?
If the student has not indicated any intent but is applying for Title IV federal financial aid, assume the student to
be degree/certificate-seeking.
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Where do I report students who are seeking a second baccalaureate degree?
Report these students in the column labeled "Continuing" degree/certificate-seeking students (column 3). This
column is intended to capture all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who are not first-time and
did not transfer-in to the institution in that Fall.
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10)

How do I report an undergraduate student who took courses as a non-degree-seeking student and
re-enrolls as a degree-seeking student at the same reporting institution?
This student should be reported as a "continuing/returning" student. IPEDS defines "continuing/returning
students" as "A student who is not new to the institution in the fall, but instead is continuing his or her studies at
the institution (i.e., not first-time and not transfer-in)."
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11)

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.
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12)

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. 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.
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13)

How does enrollment in non-credit or zero-credit remedial/ESL and co-op courses count in the
determination of a student's full-time status?
Students in the following categories are considered degree-seeking in IPEDS, though they may be enrolled in
courses not creditable for an award:

Students enrolled in remedial courses that are not creditable toward an award but have been
admitted into an eligible Title-IV program and receive Title-IV aid
Students enrolled in ESL courses that are not creditable toward an award but have been
admitted into an eligible Title-IV program and receive Title-IV aid
Co-op students enrolled in courses that are not creditable toward an award but are required
for award attainment
In determination of the student's full-time status, credit or contact hours (up to one academic year's worth) of
remedial and ESL courses may be used in the determination of a student's full-time status if the remedial or
ESL course is part of a program that leads to a postsecondary award. In these cases, the remedial or ESL
courses should count the same as the comparable full-credit class. For co-op students, the work portion of a
cooperative education program in which the amount of work performed is equivalent to the academic workload
of a full-time student will also count toward the determination of full-time status.
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14)

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.
However, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students are a particular group of undocumented
students that have been authorized by the Department of Homeland Security to be lawfully present in the U.S.
for the duration of their DACA, and as such, this status would allow them to be reported under the "nonresident
alien" category.
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Fall Enrollment in Selected Fields (Part A, 4-year institutions only)
1)

What do I do if my institution does not offer any of the program areas listed on the CIP selection
screen?
Select “None of the above” on the CIP selection screen and report all students enrolled for credit, regardless of
field of study, Full-time and Part-time Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity screens of Part A.
Back to top

How do I report students in program areas that do not appear on the CIP selection screen?
The program areas on the CIP selection screen are the only fields for which enrollment data is collected
separately. In addition to reporting enrollment by the selected fields requested, report all students enrolled for
credit (regardless of field of study) on the "Full-time and Part-time Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity screens of Part
A.
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How do I report undergraduates who have not yet declared a major?
These students should only be reported on the Full-time and Part-time Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity screens of
Part A, where all students enrolled for credit (regardless of field of study) are reported.
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How do we report a student that has majors falling under more than one of the CIP codes
collected in Part A (i.e., 13.0000 Education and 27.0000 Mathematics)?
Report the students as either full-time or part-time depending on their status at the institution. Then report
them on the corresponding CIP pages. The CIP pages are not an unduplicated count and students can be
included on more than one page.
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Distance Education
1)

If a student is taking the instructional portions of their program entirely online, but are then
required to complete a practicum, residency, or internship, is the student considered enrolled in
exclusively distance education courses?
Yes, if the instructional portions are entirely online, the student is considered to be enrolled in exclusive
distance education course.
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What should I do if I do not know the location of students enrolled exclusively in distance
education courses?
If you have no information about the location of students enrolled exclusively in distance education, do not
report them in any of the location fields. The system will calculate the number of "Location Unknown"
exclusively distance education enrollments.
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How do I determine location for those students enrolled exclusively in distance education?
Location for those students enrolled exclusively in distance education should be their physical location or
current address, as of the institution's Fall reporting date. If this is not available, use the address on file for the
student. For students enlisted in the military on active duty, use the permanent address instead of the student's
physical location.
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Are U.S. jurisdictions or territories (like Guam, the U.S. Virgin Island, etc.) considered in the U.S.
for distance education location reporting?
Yes, Students located in a U.S. jurisdiction while they are enrolled in distance education courses should be
reported as located in the U.S.
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We offer courses that combine distance education and traditional teaching methods (“hybrid”
courses). How should students enrolled in these courses be counted in the distance education
portion of Fall Enrollment?
Hybrid courses are not considered by IPEDS as distance education. Students enrolled in “hybrid” courses should
be reported as “not enrolled in any distance education courses.”
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Fall Enrollment by Age (Part B)
1)

I am not able to enter a number in the “Age unknown/unreported” box. How do I report students
whose ages are unknown?
The number of students whose age is unknown will be computed by the data collection system. The difference
between the sum of students reported by age category in Part B and the corresponding total enrollment
reported in Part A results in the number of students whose age is unknown.
If this results in a negative number, a fatal error will appear and you will need to either correct your data or
contact the IPEDS Help Desk for assistance.
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My institution uses age range categories that differ from the ones IPEDS uses in Part B. What
should I do?
In order to have consistent data from all institutions, IPEDS must use standard age categories. Use the
students' dates of birth to report the enrollment by IPEDS age categories.
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Residence of First-Time Undergraduates (Part C)
1)

When reporting students by residence (Part C), should I include students who completed a GED in
the second column that asks for numbers of students that graduated high school within 12
months?
If the student received the GED within the past 12 months, they should be included in the second column.
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Some first-time undergraduates at my institution are dependents whose parents are in foreign
countries on a temporary basis (e.g., military/diplomatic service). When reporting residence and
migration data, what location do I use?
The home state could be the student’s or parent’s official home state, the state where they are registered to
vote or pay taxes, or the state issuing their driver’s license. If no such information is available, they would be
reported under “State unknown”(57).
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Total Undergraduate Entering Class (Part D)
1)

What is the difference between the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort (GRS
cohort) and the undergraduate entering class calculated in Part D?
In addition to the students in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort, the total undergraduate
entering class includes part-time students of the same criteria as well as transfers-in and full- and part-time
non-degree/non-certificate-seeking students that are new to your institution in the Fall.

The entering class is intended to represent all students new to an institution in a given fall and provide context
for the GRS cohort. The percent of the entering class that is represented by the institution's GRS cohort is
included on College Navigator as a note to the graduation rate data displayed.
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Retention Rates for First-Time Undergraduates (Part E)
1)

How is the retention rate calculated?
The retention rate is calculated as follows:
4-year Institutions:
first-time bachelor's degree-seeking students in Fall 2016 who are still enrolled in Fall 2017/(first-time bachelor's
degree-seeking students in Fall 2016 - cohort exclusions + cohort inclusions)
2-year and Less-than-2-year Institutions:
(first-time students in Fall 2016 who are still enrolled in Fall 2017 + first-time students in Fall 2016 who
completed their program by Fall 2017)/(first-time students in Fall 2016 - cohort exclusions + cohort inclusions)
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How do I report students who changed attendance status (part-time to full-time or full-time to
part-time) between one fall and the next?
Report students based on their attendance status in the fall the cohort was initially based on, even if that status
changed in the following fall.
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Are students on a leave of absence from the institution considered retained?
No. Students must be enrolled for credit at the institution in the Fall to be considered retained from the previous
fall.
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For less-than-4-year institutions that have a student who completed a program and are still
enrolled at the same institution in another program, how should they count that student?
The institution should count that student as "retained" only once. Do NOT count that student twice, once for
having completed the program and another time for still being enrolled.
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My institution’s freshman study abroad students were excluded from the prior year first-time
enrollment count. How can I add these students back into the prior year’s first-time cohort for the
current year’s retention calculation?

Freshman study abroad students can be added to the first‐time cohort. Report in the inclusion box
first‐time bachelor’s degree/certificate‐seeking study abroad students who were excluded from
the first‐time cohort but who have re‐enrolled at the institution their second year.
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6)

Sophomore study abroad students have been excluded from my fall enrollment count because
they are taking classes in a foreign country. How can I include them as part of my retention
calculation?
Sophomore study abroad students are considered part of the retained cohort even though they may not be
included in the institution’s fall enrollment count. Count these students in the retained cohort.
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Undergraduate Student-to-Faculty Ratio (Part F)
1)

How do I calculate my institution's student-to-faculty ratio?
A worksheet has been provided to guide the process of calculating the student-to-faculty ratio for your
institution. The worksheet can be accessed from the Part F screen in the Data Collection System.
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Can you provide an example of a stand-alone graduate or professional program (a program such
as medicine, law, veterinary, or dentistry in which faculty teach virtually only graduate-level
students)?
An example of a program that would fall into this category (typically a doctor's-professional practice program)
is a school of medicine that only awards degrees/certificates at the graduate level and therefore its faculty
exclusively (or in some cases almost exclusively) teach graduate students. Programs that are "stand-alone"
graduate programs may have some undergraduate students enrolled in their courses, however a "stand-alone"
graduate program would only award degrees/certificates at the graduate level. An example of a graduate
program that would not meet this criteria is a school of business that has an undergraduate and graduate
program and therefore enrolls both types of students and awards degrees/certificates at both levels. Further,
the faculty would teach a mix of undergraduate and graduate students. Excluding “stand-alone” graduate
programs is intended to make the student-to-faculty ratio closer to an undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio
than it would be if these programs were included in the calculation, without overburdening institutions.
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My institution has graduate and/or doctors-professional practice programs but does not have any
"stand-alone" programs. What should I enter on the student and faculty exclusion line items
related to these types of programs on the worksheet for Part F?
If your institution does not have any "stand-alone" graduate or professional programs, then enter 0 for students
and 0 for faculty in the lines for these types of programs. Most institutions do not have these types of graduate
or professional programs, so entering 0 in those lines will be fairly common.
Back to top

U.S. Department of Education

Software Provider Resources

Use of Cookies

Section 508 Compliance

Browsers Supported

Troubleshooting

NCES Privacy Policy

IPEDS Help Desk
(877) 225-2568 or [email protected]
NCES National Center for Education Statistics

date: 8/4/2017

2017-18 Survey Materials > Form

Fall Enrollment for 2-year degree-granting institutions

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.

Men
Degree/certificate-seeking
Enrolled for credit
First-time

Transfer-in

Continuing/
Returning

Total degree/certificate-seeking

Non-degree/
non-certificate-seeking

Total,
Full-time
undergraduate
students

Non-degree/
non-certificate-seeking

Total,
Full-time
undergraduate
students

Grand total (men+women)
Grand total (men+women) prior year

Transfer-in

Continuing/
Returning

Total degree/certificate-seeking

Men
Degree/certificate-seeking
Enrolled for credit
First-time

Transfer-in

Continuing/
Returning

Total degree/certificate-seeking

Non-degree/
non-certificate-seeking

Total,
Part-time
undergraduate
students

Non-degree/
non-certificate-seeking

Total,
Part-time
undergraduate
students

Grand total (men+women)
Grand total (men+women) prior year

Transfer-in

Continuing/
Returning

Total degree/certificate-seeking

Part A - Fall Enrollment Summary
Fall Enrollment Summary
Men
Students enrolled for credit

Total full-time
students

Total part-time
students

Grand total,
all students

Total full-time
students

Total part-time
students

Grand total,
all students

Grand Total (men+women)

Non-Degree/Non-Certificate Seeking

Enrolled exclusively in distance education courses
Enrolled in some but not all distance education courses
Not enrolled in any distance education courses

Part A - Fall Enrollment by Distance Education Status
Undergraduate Students
Of those students exclusively enrolled in distance education courses, report the number that are:
Located in
Located in the U.S. but not in
Located in the U.S. but state/jurisdiction unknown
Located outside the U.S.
Location unknown/unreported
Total students exclusively enrolled in distance education (from section above)

Degree/Certificate Seeking

Non-Degree/Non-Certificate Seeking

Full-time Undergraduate Students
Men

Under 18
18-19
20-21
22-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-49
50-64
65 and over
Age unknown/unreported
Total full-time undergraduate students (from part A)

Women

Part-time Undergraduate Students
Men

Under 18
18-19
20-21
22-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-49
50-64
65 and over
Age unknown/unreported
Total part-time undergraduate students (from part A)

Women

Part C - Screening Question
Did any of your first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students (reported in Part A) enroll within 12 months of graduating high school or receiving their
GED?

State of residence when student
was first admitted

FIPS Code

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Total first-time
degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduates
(1)

Of students in column 1, those
who enrolled within 12 months
of high school graduation
or receiving their GED
(2)

State of residence when student
was first admitted

FIPS Code

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

Total first-time
degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduates
(1)

Of students in column 1, those
who enrolled within 12 months
of high school graduation
or receiving their GED
(2)

FIPS Code

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

State Unknown

American Samoa

Federated States of Micronesia

Guam

Marshall Islands

Northern Marianas

Palau

Puerto Rico

Virgin Islands

Foreign Countries

Residence unknown/unreported

Total first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates (from Part A)
You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above.

Total first-time
degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduates
(1)

Of students in column 1, those
who enrolled within 12 months of high school graduation
or receiving their GED
(2)

This part is only required from academic reporters.
Part D - Total Undergraduate Entering Class
Total Undergraduate Entering Class, Fall 2017

Part E - First-Time Student Cohort Retention Rates (Full-time)
Retention Rates
Full-time, First-time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Cohort from Fall 2016
The Fall 2016 cohort is preloaded based on data reported in the prior year Fall Enrollment survey component.
Academic reporters report retention data as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15. Program reporters determine the cohort with enrollment any time
between August 1 and October 31, 2016 and retention based on August 1, 2017.
The retention rate is calculated by the system after clicking "Save" on the screen. Exclusions are subtracted from the original cohort and the resulting adjusted cohort is used
for calculating the retention rate.
Retention Data Reporting Reminders:
Include only full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students in this cohort.
Determine full-time using Fall 2016 attendance status (e.g. if a student was full-time in Fall 2016, report them in the full-time cohort regardless of Fall 2017 status).
If there are no students to report in the cohort, enter zero. Do not leave the field blank.

Preloaded
cohort

Prior year data (Fall 2015
cohort)

FULL-TIME, FIRST-TIME COHORT RETENTION:
E1
E2a
E2b
E3

Full-time, first-time Fall 2016 cohort
Exclusions from the Fall 2016 cohort
Inclusions to the Fall 2016 cohort
Adjusted Fall 2016 cohort (line E1 - E2a + E2b)

E4
Students from Fall 2016 cohort who are still enrolled + students from Fall 2016 cohort who completed their
program as of Fall 2017
E5

Full-time, first-time Fall 2016 cohort retention rate (line E4 / line E3)

Part E - First-Time Student Cohort Retention Rates (Part-time)
Retention Rates
Part-time, First-time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Cohort from Fall 2016
The Fall 2016 cohort is preloaded based on data reported in the prior year Fall Enrollment survey component.
Academic reporters report retention data as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15. Program reporters determine the cohort with enrollment any time
between August 1 and October 31, 2016 and retention based on August 1, 2017.
The retention rate is calculated by the system after clicking "Save" on the screen. Exclusions are subtracted from the original cohort and the resulting adjusted cohort is used
for calculating the retention rate.
Retention Data Reporting Reminders:
Include only part-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students in this cohort.
Determine part-time using Fall 2016 attendance status (e.g. if a student was part-time in Fall 2016, report them in the part-time cohort regardless of their Fall 2017
status).
If there are no students to report in the cohort, enter zero. Do not leave the field blank.

Preloaded
cohort

Prior year data (Fall 2015
cohort)

PART-TIME, FIRST-TIME COHORT RETENTION:
E6
E7a
E7b
E8

Part-time, first-time Fall 2016 cohort
Exclusions from the Fall 2016 cohort
Inclusions to the Fall 2016 cohort
Adjusted Fall 2016 cohort (line E6 - line E7)

E9
Students from Fall 2016 cohort who are still enrolled + students from Fall 2016 cohort who completed their
program as of Fall 2017
E10

Part-time, first-time Fall 2016 cohort retention rate (line E9 / line E8)

Click here to use a worksheet to help you determine the student-to-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio

to 1

Student-to-faculty ratio prior year

to 1

Part F - Less Than Four-Year Institutions and Four Year-Institutions Without Graduate Programs Student-to-Faculty Ratio
Worksheet
This worksheet is designed to help you determine your institution's student-to-faculty ratio.
Data entered on this worksheet will NOT be collected or saved. Therefore, please PRINT this screen if you would like to refer to the ratio calculation for your institution at
a later time.
Note: The logic used for this calculation is similar to item I-2 from the Common Data Set data collection.
Students, Fall 2017

Total full-time students from Part A

Total part-time students from Part A

Full-time equivalent of part-time students
(Line F2 * 1/3)

Total full-time equivalent students
(Line F1 + F3)
Instructional Staff, Fall 2017

FULL-TIME INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF:
F5

Number of full-time instructional staff as reported on the HR survey component

Full-Time Instructional Staff Exclusion (Line F6):
F6

Full-Time Instructional Staff Exclusion:
Of the number of full-time instructional staff reported in Line F5, the number teaching exclusively non-credit courses

Total adjusted full-time instructional staff
(Line F5 - F6)

PART-TIME INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF:
F8

Number of part-time instructional staff as reported on the HR survey component

Part-Time Instructional Staff Exclusion (Line F9):
F9

Of the number of part-time instructional staff reported in Line F8, the number teaching exclusively non-credit courses

Part-Time Instructional Staff Addition (Line F10):
F10 Number of administrators, or other staff not reported to IPEDS as instructors, that are teaching a credit course(s) in the Fall

F11

Total adjusted part-time instructional staff
(Line F8 - F9 + F10)

F12

Full-time equivalent of adjusted part-time instructional staff
(Line F11 * 1/3)

F13

Total full-time equivalent instructional staff
(Line F7 + F12)

F14

Student-to-faculty ratio
(Line F4/F13)

U.S. Department of Education

to 1

Software Provider Resources

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IPEDS Help Desk
(877) 225-2568 or [email protected]
NCES National Center for Education Statistics

2017-18 Survey Materials > Instructions

date: 8/4/2017

Fall Enrollment Full Instructions

Purpose of 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 Questions
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Categories
Part A: Fall Enrollment by Level, Attendance Status, Race/Ethnicity, and Gender
Part B: Fall Enrollment by Age
Part C: Residence of First-Time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Undergraduates
Part D: Total Undergraduate Entering Class
Part E: Retention Rates for First-Time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Undergraduates
Part F: Student-to-Faculty Ratio

Changes in Reporting
Enrollment by age will be mandatory this year. Enrollment by residence is optional.

grammar and spelling of their entries.

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 in for credit at your institution (e.g., online students)

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

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

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

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

Reporting Directions
Screening Questions
Before entering any data, screening questions will need to be answered.
Part C Selection
Part C (Enrollment of Students by Residence) is optional this year. Indicate whether or not you will complete Part C of the Fall Enrollment

survey component this year.

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

Program Reporters: Include first-time students who entered your institution between August 1, 2017 and October 31, 2017.
Academic Reporters: Student counts reported in column 1 define the initial cohort for reporting graduation rates in the IPEDS
Graduation Rates (GR) component to meet Student Right-to-Know reporting requirements. Students reported in this group will become
your GR cohort in the reporting year appropriate for your institution. The number of students reported in column 1 will also appear in
Part D to be used in determining the percentage of the undergraduate entering class represented by the cohort.

Part A: Part-time Undergraduate Students
Report part-time students using the same definitions and instructions provided for full-time undergraduate students.

Part A: Enrollment by Distance Education Status
On this screen, report all students reported on previous Part A screens who are:
Enrolled exclusively in distance education courses offered at your institution: Students who are enrolled only in courses that are
considered distance education courses at your institution.
Enrolled in some but not all distance education courses offered at your institution: Students who are enrolled in at least one course
that is considered a distance education course, but are not enrolled exclusively in distance education courses.
Note: Requirements for coming to campus for orientation, testing, or academic support services do not exclude a course from being
classified as exclusively distance education. Similarly, if a student is taking instructional portions of their program entirely online, but are
then required to complete a practicum, residency, or internship, the student can still be considered enrolled in entirely education courses.
Not enrolled in any distance education courses offered at your institution: This number represents the students who are not enrolled in
any distance education courses at your institution. It will be calculated by subtracting the (students enrolled exclusively in distance
education + students enrolled in some but not all distance education courses) from the total enrolled students from Part A, which is
the totals for degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates and non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduates.
Location of students enrolled exclusively in distance education courses
If there are students reported as enrolled exclusively in distance education courses, further data on the location of these distance
education students will need to be reported. Report, by degree/certificate-seeking status, the number of exclusively distance education
students that are located in the same state/jurisdiction as the institution, in a different state/jurisdiction than the institution, in the U.S.
but the state/jurisdiction is unknown, and residing outside the U.S. Location for those students enrolled exclusively in distance education
should be their physical location or current address, as of the institution's Fall reporting date. If this is not available, use the address on
file for the student. For students enlisted in the military on active duty, use the permanent address instead of the student's physical
location or current address.
The total students exclusively enrolled in distance education courses will be carried forward from earlier on the screen. If the total
students reported by location does not equal the total enrolled exclusively in distance education from above, the “Location
unknown/unreported” is calculated.

Part B: Fall Enrollment by Age and Gender
Part B is mandatory this year. This part is required in odd-numbered years.
This distribution of students should include all students reported in Part A.

results. In this case, reexamine both the age data and comparable portion of Part A to identify the error and make appropriate
corrections.

Part E: Retention Rates for the First-Time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Student Cohort
Retention rates examine the percentage of first-time degree/certificate seeking students enrolled in the fall of the prior year that are
either still enrolled in the fall of the current year or have completed their program in that time.
The retention cohorts, full-time and part-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates from Fall 2016, are preloaded from Part
A of the prior year Fall Enrollment survey component.
On each retention screen (full-time cohort and part-time cohort screens), institutions must:
Verify the preloaded Fall 2016 cohort.
Attendance status (full- or part-time) should be based on the student's Fall 2016 attendance status.
Report any exclusions for the cohort (see below for allowable exclusions).
Report any inclusions of first-time study abroad students who were excluded from the first-time cohort but who have re-enrolled at
the institution their second year.
Report the total number of students retained from the Fall 2016 cohort. Include students who were reported as first-time but who are
studying abroad in Fall 2017.
Total students retained = students from Fall 2016 cohort still enrolled as of Fall 2017 + students from Fall 2016 cohort who
completed their program as of Fall 2017.
Academic reporters: Report students retained as of the institution's official fall reporting date or as of October 15, 2017.
Program reporters: Report students retained as of August 1, 2017.

To serve on official church missions
The system will compute an adjusted cohort by subtracting the student exclusions from the original cohort prior to calculating the
retention rate.
Retention rates will be computed by the system after clicking 'Save.' The retention rate is calculated as:
(Students from Fall 2016 cohort still enrolled + Students from Fall 2016 cohort who completed their program as of Fall
2017/Adjusted Fall 2016 cohort)*100.

Worksheet for Less Than Four-Year Institutions and Four-Year Institutions without Graduate or Professional Programs
The worksheet is designed to help institutions determine their student-to-faculty ratio. It is NOT mandatory that you use this
worksheet to calculate your student-to-faculty ratio. Data entered on the worksheet will NOT be collected or saved. Make sure to print
the screen in order to refer to the ratio calculation for your institution at a later time.
Please note: The logic used in this calculation is similar to that of item I-2 from the Common Data Set data collection.

FULL- AND PART-TIME STUDENT DATA:
All student data on the worksheet is either carried forward from Part A or a calculated field.
Lines F1 and F2. Total full-time and total part-time students.
The total number of full- and part-time students are carried forward from Part A.
Line F3. A full-time equivalent (FTE) of the part-time student count.
The FTE will be calculated as line F2 (total part-time student count) * 1/3.
Line F4. Total FTE students.
This is calculated as the sum of lines F1 (total full-time students) and F3 (FTE of part-time students). Line F4 is used in the ratio
calculation.

FULL-AND PART-TIME INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF DATA:
Lines F5 and F8 should be reported based on data your institution is reporting in the IPEDS Human Resources (HR) survey
component. Please work together with the appropriate staff at your institution to ensure that the data used on this worksheet and
reported in the HR component are the same.
In line F5, report the total number of full-time instructional staff as reported on the HR component.
In line F8, report the total number of part-time instructional staff as reported on the HR component.

Instructional Staff Exclusion for Non-Credit Instructors:
In line F6, report the number of full-time instructional staff reported in line F5 that are teaching exclusively non-credit courses.
In line F9, report the number of part-time instructional staff reported in line F8 that are teaching exclusively non-credit courses.
For institutions that have a large amount of non-credit activity, the above exclusions will better align the student data with the
instructional staff data being used in the ratio.

The adjusted part-time instructional staff is the total part-time instructional staff, excluding those teaching exclusively non-credit
classes, and adding those administrators and other staff teaching credit courses. The system will calculate line F11 as line F8 (total
part-time instructional staff as reported on the HR component) minus line F9 (total part-time instructional staff teaching exclusively
non-credit courses) + line F10 (administrators and other staff teaching credit courses).
Line F12. Total FTE of adjusted part-time instructional staff.
The FTE will be calculated as line F11 (total adjusted part-time instructional staff) * 1/3.
Line F13. Total FTE of adjusted instructional staff.
This is calculated as the sum of lines F7 (total adjusted full-time instructional staff) and F12 (FTE of total adjusted part-time
instructional staff). Line F13 is used in the ratio calculation.
Line F14. Student-to-faculty ratio.
The ratio will be calculated by the system as line F4 (total adjusted FTE students) divided by line F13 (total adjusted FTE
instructional staff). The ratio will be displayed on the worksheet as xxx to 1.
The calculated ratio can then be entered onto the Part F (Student-to-Faculty Ratio) screen.