Graduation Rates Package 2024-25 thru 2026-27

General
	Removed the Gender Unknown or Another Gender than Provided Categories question due to concerns with the privacy and ability of institutions to change data submitted numerous years prior.

Data reporting type abbreviations

Throughout these forms, the type of data reported or provided in each field is indicated with an abbreviation. The table below provides information about these abbreviations.

CF	Carried forward. Values are carried forward from other parts of the survey form.
CV	Calculated value. IPEDS calculates the information based on the data provided.
PL	Preloaded value. IPEDS preloads the information for the institution (when available).
RV	Reported value. All reported values in IPEDS are numerical.

Questions with varied applicability

Some questions are not applicable to all institutions. Please see the table below for information. In the materials below, variability is indicated with [purple].

Academic Year Reporters
Cohort year reported	Academic year reporters use a Fall cohort.
Program Reporters
Cohort year reported	Program reporters use a full-year cohort.

Years that change across the 3 years of clearance

Dates change for some elements depending on the collection year. Please see the table below for information. Dates currently included throughout the materials are for the 2023-24 data collection and are highlighted in [green].

Academic Year Reporters
Cohort year reported	4-year institutions 2024-25 collection: Fall 2018 2026-26 collection: Fall 2019 2027-27 collection: Fall 2020 2 and less-than 2-year institutions 2024-25 collection: Fall 2021 2025-26 collection: Fall 2022 2026-27 collection: Fall 2023
Program Reporters
Cohort year reported	4-year institutions 2024-25 collection: September 1, 2018 - August 31, 2019 2025-26 collection: September 1, 2019 - August 31, 2020 2026-27 collection: September 1, 2020 - August 31, 2021 2 and less-than 2-year institutions 2024-25 collection: September 1, 2021 - August 31, 2022 2025-26 collection: September 1, 2022 - August 31, 2023 2026-27 collection: September 1, 2023 - August 31, 2024

Graduation Rates Screens 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections

Overview [This section of the screens is the same for 4-, 2-, and less-than 2-year institutions]

Graduation Rates Overview

Welcome to the IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) survey component. The GR component collects data on the cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students and tracks their completion status at 150% of the normal time to complete all requirements of their program of study. This information is collected to assist institutions in complying with the requirements of the Student Right-to-Know Act.

Data Reporting Reminders

Report data to accurately reflect the time period corresponding with the IPEDS survey component, even if such reporting is seemingly inconsistent with prior-year reporting.
Once a student is in the cohort, they remain in the cohort, even if their status changes to part-time or they drop out or transfer out of the institution. However, adjustments can be made to the cohort for allowable exclusions, which include the death of a student, total and permanent disability, military deployment, or service on an official church mission or with a foreign aid service of the Federal government.
When reporting award levels for sub-baccalaureate certificates, determine program length by the number of credit or clock hours, NOT the academic year length in parentheses. The academic year length is meant only to provide context.

Changes to reporting for 2024-25:

The following changes were implemented for the 2024-25 data collection period:

Removed the Gender Unknown or Another Gender than Provided Categories question.

If you have questions about completing this survey, please contact the IPEDS Help Desk at 1-877-225-2568.

Graduation Rates Screens for 4-year Institutions 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections

Section I - Establishing cohorts

Based on your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (Part B, Question 4) on the Institutional Characteristics survey component from the IPEDS Fall 2024 data collection,
Your institution reported to the GR survey component as having the following number of students who did not complete, but were still enrolled at your institution:	Cohort to be used is preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and operating on a continuous basis.

Reporting Reminder:

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

NOTE: Reporting using the new race/ethnicity categories is now mandatory. On this screen you will need to revise your preloaded 2017 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students to the new race/ethnicity categories (if applicable). For information and assistance with this, please visit the IPEDS Race/Ethnicity Information Center.

Men

Screen 1 of 2	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Initial cohort	Revised cohort
		(Column 01)
U.S. Nonresident	PL, EF	RV
Hispanic/Latino	PL, EF	RV
American Indian or Alaska Native	PL, EF	RV
Asian	PL, EF	RV
Black or African American	PL, EF	RV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	PL, EF	RV
White	PL, EF	RV
Two or More Races	PL, EF	RV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	PL, EF	RV
Total men	PL, EF	CV

Women

Screen 1 of 2	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Initial cohort	Revised cohort
		(Column 01)
U.S. Nonresident	PL, EF	RV
Hispanic/Latino	PL, EF	RV
American Indian or Alaska Native	PL, EF	RV
Asian	PL, EF	RV
Black or African American	PL, EF	RV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	PL, EF	RV
White	PL, EF	RV
Two or More Races	PL, EF	RV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	PL, EF	CV
Total women

Total men + women

PL, EF

Section I - Establishing cohorts

Incoming students seeking a bachelor's degree should be reported in Column 02. Column 03 will then be generated for you. Column 03 is meant to include any full-time, first-time entering students who were seeking a degree or certificate other than a bachelor's degree, such as an associate's degree or undergraduate certificate.
If you have no changes to the preloaded data on this screen, click the "Save and Next" button to generate additional screens for reporting completers and transfers/exclusions.

Establishing cohorts

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Men

Screen 2 of 2
	Cohort	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Cohort minus Bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort)
Enrolled for credit	(Column 01)	(Column 02)	(Column 03)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	RV	CV
Asian	CF	RV	CV
Black or African American	CF	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	RV	CV
White	CF	RV	CV
Two or More Races	CF	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	RV	CV
Total men	CF	CV	CV

Women

Screen 2 of 2
	Cohort	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Cohort minus Bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort)
Enrolled for credit	(Column 01)	(Column 02)	(Column 03)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	RV	CV
Asian	CF	RV	CV
Black or African American	CF	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	RV	CV
White	CF	RV	CV
Two or More Races	CF	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	RV	CV
Total women	CF	CV	CV

Total men + women

Section II - Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort - Completers within 150%

In the columns below, report the status of the bachelor's degree-seeking subcohort of students listed in Column 10.
Of the students in Column 10, those who attained a degree or certificate OTHER THAN A BACHELOR'S DEGREE within 150% of the normal time to complete the program as of August 31, 2024 should be reported in either Column 11 or 12, depending on the length of the program completed.
Of the students in Column 10, those who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time should be reported in Column 18.

Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Men

Screen 1 of 4	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion			Total completers within 150%
	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent)	Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent)	Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees	Total completers within 150%
	(Column 10)	(Column 11)	(Column 12)	(Column 18)	(Column 29)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Asian	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
White	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Total men	CF	CV	CV	CV	CV

Women

Screen 1 of 4	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion			Total completers within 150%
	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent)	Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent)	Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees	Total completers within 150%
	(Column 10)	(Column 11)	(Column 12)	(Column 18)	(Column 29)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Asian	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
White	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Total women	CF	CV	CV	CV	CV

Total women + men

Section II - Bachelor's completers by length of time to degree

Those students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time to completion, as reported on the previous screen, are listed in Column 18. In Column 19, report the number of these students who earned a bachelor's degree in 4 years. In Column 20, report the number of these students who earned a bachelor's degree in 5 years. Column 21 will be calculated for you.

Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Men

Screen 2 of 4	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150%	Subcohort students who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent
	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150%	Completed the program in 4 years or less	Completed the program in 5 years	Completed the program in 6 years
	(Column 10)	(Column 18)	(Column 19)	(Column 20)	(Column 21)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Asian	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
White	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Total men	CF	CF	CV	CV	CV

Women

Screen 2 of 4	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150%	Subcohort students who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent
	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150%	Completed the program in 4 years or less	Completed the program in 5 years	Completed the program in 6 years
	(Column 10)	(Column 18)	(Column 19)	(Column 20)	(Column 21)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Asian	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
White	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	CF	RV	RV	CV
Total women	CF	CF	CV	CV	CV

Total women + men

Section II - Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort - Transfers/exclusions

In the columns below, report the status of those students in the BACHELOR'S OR EQUIVALENT DEGREE-SEEKING SUBCOHORT listed in Column 10 who did not complete a program within 150% of normal time to completion.
Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Column 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed a program, you must report transfer-out data in Column 30. A school is required to report only on those students that the school knows have transferred to another eligible institution. A school must document that the student actually transferred. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you wish.
Report eligible exclusions from the subcohort in Column 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:

Students who died or became totally and permanently disabled

Students who left school to serve in the armed forces (or have been called up to active duty)

Students who left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government

Students who left school to serve on an official church mission

Column 52 [No longer enrolled] will be calculated for you. This includes students who have dropped out as well as those who completed in greater than 150% of normal time.
If you do not have any values to report in either Column 30, 45, or 51, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this screen to continue.

Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Men

Screen 3 of 4	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Total completers within 150%	Total transfer-out students	Total exclusions	Still enrolled	No longer enrolled
	(Column 10)	(Column 29)	(Column 30)	(Column 45)	(Column 51)	(Column 52)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Asian	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
White	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Total men	CF	CF	CV	CV	CV	CV

Women

Screen 3 of 4	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort	Total completers within 150%	Total transfer-out students	Total exclusions	Still enrolled	No longer enrolled
	(Column 10)	(Column 29)	(Column 30)	(Column 45)	(Column 51)	(Column 52)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Asian	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
White	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Total women	CF	CF	CV	CV	CV	CV

Total men + women

Section II - Bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking cohort - Pell recipients and a recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant

For each subcohort, report the number of students in the cohort, total exclusions for the cohort, the number of students that completed a bachelor’s or equivalent degree within 150% of normal time to completion, and the total completers within 150%.

Recipients of a Pell Grant and Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant are mutually exclusive, that is, if a student is in one cohort, they cannot be in the other cohort.

- The total of these 2 subcohorts must be less than the Bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking cohort

Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree

Screen 4 of 4	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Number of students in cohort	Total exclusions	Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150%	Total completers within 150%
	(Column 11)	(Column 45)	(Column 18)	(Column 29)
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking cohort
Recipients of a Pell Grant (within entering year)	RV	RV	RV	RV
Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) that did not receive a Pell Grant	RV	RV	RV	RV
Did not receive either a Pell Grant or Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year)	CV	CV	CV	CV

Section III - Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort - Completers within 150%

In the columns below, report the status of the subcohort of students seeking other than a bachelor's or equivalent degree listed in Column 10.
Of the students in Column 10, those who attained a degree or certificate other than a bachelor's degree within 150% of the normal time to complete the program as of August 31, 2024 should be reported in either Column 11 or 12, depending on the length of the program completed.
Of the students in Column 10, those who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time should be reported in Column 18.

Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Men

Screen 1 of 3	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort	Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion			Total completers within 150%
	Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort	Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent)	Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent)	Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees	Total completers within 150%
	(Column 10)	(Column 11)	(Column 12)	(Column 18)	(Column 29)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	RV	RV	RV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	RV	RV	RV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	RV	RV	RV
Asian	CF	RV	RV	RV
Black or African American	CF	RV	RV	RV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	RV	RV	RV
White	CF	RV	RV	RV
Two or More Races	CF	RV	RV	RV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	RV	RV	RV
Total men	CF

Women

Screen 1 of 3	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort	Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion			Total completers within 150%
	Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort	Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent)	Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent)	Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees	Total completers within 150%
	(Column 10)	(Column 11)	(Column 12)	(Column 18)	(Column 29)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Asian	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
White	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Total women	CF	CV	CV	CV	CV

Total men + women

Section III - Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort - Transfers/exclusions

In the columns below, report the status of those students in the OTHER DEGREE/CERTIFICATE-SEEKING SUBCOHORT listed in Column 10 who did not complete a program within 150% of normal time to completion.
Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Column 30. A school is required to report only on those students that the school knows have transferred to another eligible institution. A school must document that the student actually transferred. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you wish.
Report eligible exclusions from the subcohort in Column 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:

Students who died or became totally and permanently disabled

Students who left school to serve in the armed forces (or have been called up to active duty)

Students who left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government

Students who left school to serve on an official church mission

Column 52 [No longer enrolled] will be calculated for you. This includes students who dropped out as well as those who completed in greater than 150% of normal time.
If you do not have any values to report in either Column 30, 45, or 51, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this screen to continue.

Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Men

Screen 2 of 3	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort	Total completers within 150%	Total transfer-out students	Total exclusions	Still enrolled	No longer enrolled
	(Column 10)	(Column 29)	(Column 30)	(Column 45)	(Column 51)	(Column 52)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Asian	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
White	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Total men	CF	CF	CV	CV	CV	CV

Women

Screen 2 of 3	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort	Total completers within 150%	Total transfer-out students	Total exclusions	Still enrolled	No longer enrolled
	(Column 10)	(Column 29)	(Column 30)	(Column 45)	(Column 51)	(Column 52)
U.S. Nonresident	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Asian	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
White	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	CF	CF	RV	RV	RV	CV
Total women	CF	CF	CV	CV	CV	CV

Total men + women

Section III - Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort - Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant

For each subcohort, report the number of students in the cohort, total exclusions for the cohort, the number of students that completed other than a bachelor’s or equivalent degree within 150% of normal time to completion, and the total completers within 150%.

- The total of these 2 subcohorts must be less than the other degree-seeking cohort

Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree

Screen 3 of 3	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Number of students in cohort	Total exclusions	Completed other than a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150%	Total completers within 150%
	(Column 11)	(Column 45)	(Column 18)	(Column 29)
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking cohort
Recipients of a Pell Grant (within entering year)	RV	RV	RV	RV
Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) that did not receive a Pell Grant	RV	RV	RV	RV
Did not receive either a Pell Grant or Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year)	CV	CV	CV	CV

Graduation Rates Screens for 2-year Institutions 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections

Establishing cohorts

Based on your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (Part B, Question 4) on the Institutional Characteristics survey component from the IPEDS Fall 2024 data collection,
Your institution reported to the GR survey component as having the following number of students who did not complete, but were still enrolled at your institution:	Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and operating on a continuous basis.

Reporting Reminder:

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students

Please review the data in the initial cohort column and re-enter the cohort data making any necessary corrections for omissions, erroneous reporting, or where better information regarding race/ethnicity or gender is available. Institutions must continue to report using the new race/ethnicity categories. For information and assistance with this, please visit the IPEDS Race/Ethnicity Information Center.

Men

Screen 1 of 5	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Initial cohort	Revised cohort
		(Column 01)
U.S. Nonresident	PL	RV
Hispanic/Latino	PL	RV
American Indian or Alaska Native	PL	RV
Asian	PL	RV
Black or African American	PL	RV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	PL	RV
White	PL	RV
Two or More Races	PL	RV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	PL	RV
Total men	PL	CV

Women

Screen 1 of 5	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Initial cohort	Revised cohort
		(Column 01)
U.S. Nonresident	PL	RV
Hispanic/Latino	PL	RV
American Indian or Alaska Native	PL	RV
Asian	PL	RV
Black or African American	PL	RV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	PL	RV
White	PL	RV
Two or More Races	PL	RV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	PL	RV
Total women	PL	CV

Total men + women

Completers within 150%

Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students

In the columns below, report the status of the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students listed in Column 10. Those who completed their program within 150% of normal time as of August 31, 2024 should be reported in either Column 11 or 12, depending on the length of the program completed.

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Men

Screen 2 of 5	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Cohort	Cohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion		Total completers within 150%
	Cohort	Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent)	Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent)	Total completers within 150%
	(Column 10)	(Column 11)	(Column 12)	(Column 29)
U.S. Nonresident	PL	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	PL	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	PL	RV	RV	CV
Asian	PL	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	PL	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	PL	RV	RV	CV
White	PL	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	PL	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	PL	RV	RV	CV
Total men	PL	CV	CV	CV

Women

Screen 2 of 5	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Cohort	Cohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion		Total completers within 150%
	Cohort	Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent)	Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent)	Total completers within 150%
	(Column 10)	(Column 11)	(Column 12)	(Column 29)
U.S. Nonresident	PL	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	PL	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	PL	RV	RV	CV
Asian	PL	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	PL	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	PL	RV	RV	CV
White	PL	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	PL	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	PL	RV	RV	CV
Total women	PL	CV	CV	CV

Total men + women

Transfers/exclusions

In the columns below, report the status of those students in the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students listed in Column 10 who did not complete a program as of August 31, 2025.
Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Column 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed a program, you must report transfer-out data in Column 30. A school is required to report only on those students that the school knows have transferred to another eligible institution. A school must document that the student actually transferred. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you wish.
Report eligible exclusions from the subcohort in Column 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:

Students who died or became totally and permanently disabled

Students who left school to serve in the armed forces (or have been called up to active duty)

Students who left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government

Students who left school to serve on an official church mission

Column 52 [No longer enrolled] will be calculated for you. This includes students who dropped out as well as those who completed in greater than 150% of normal time.
If you do not have any values to report in either Column 30, 45, or 51, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this screen to continue.

Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Men

Screen 3 of 5	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Cohort	Total completers within 150%	Total transfer-out students	Total exclusions	Still enrolled	No longer enrolled
	(Column 10)	(Column 29)	(Column 30)	(Column 45)	(Column 51)	(Column 52)
U.S. Nonresident	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Asian	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
White	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Total men	PL	PL	CV	CV	CV	CV

Women

Screen 3 of 5	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Cohort	Total completers within 150%	Total transfer-out students	Total exclusions	Still enrolled	No longer enrolled
	(Column 10)	(Column 29)	(Column 30)	(Column 45)	(Column 51)	(Column 52)
U.S. Nonresident	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Hispanic/Latino	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
American Indian or Alaska Native	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Asian	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Black or African American	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
White	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Two or More Races	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Race and Ethnicity Unknown	PL	PL	RV	RV	RV	CV
Total women	PL	PL	CV	CV	CV	CV

Total men + women

Completers within 100%

In the columns below, report the status of those students in the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who completed their program within 100% of normal time to completion.

Those who completed their program within 100% of normal time should be reported in either Column 55 or 56, depending on the length of the program completed.

Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students

Screen 4 of 5	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Revised cohort	Exclusions	Cohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion		Total completers within 100% (Column 55 + 56)
			Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent)	Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent)
			(Column 55)	(Column 56)	(Column 57)
Total men + women	PL	PL	RV	RV	CV

Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant

For each subcohort, report the number of students in the cohort, total exclusions for the cohort, and the number of students that completed a certificate or degree within 150% of normal time to completion.

- The total of these 2 subcohorts must be less than the full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking cohort

Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students

Screen 5 of 5	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Number of students in cohort	Total exclusions	Number of students that completed within 150% of normal time to completion
	(Column 11)	(Column 45)	(Column 29)
Full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking cohort	PL	PL	PL
Recipients of a Pell Grant (within entering year)	RV	RV	RV
Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) that did not receive a Pell Grant	RV	RV	RV
Did not receive either a Pell Grant or Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year)	CV	CV	CV

Graduation Rates Screens for Less-than-2-year Institutions 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections

Establishing cohorts

Based on your institution’s response to the predominant calendar system question (Part B, Question 4) on the Institutional Characteristics survey component from the IPEDS Fall 2024 data collection,
Your institution reported to the GR survey component as having the following number of students who did not complete, but were still enrolled at your institution:	Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and operating on a continuous basis.

Reporting Reminder:

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
In the columns below, indicate the status of the 2020 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students reported in Column 10.
The cumulative number of these students who completed their program within 150% of normal time as of August 31, 2024 should be reported in Column 11.
Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Column 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed a program, you must report transfer-out data in Column 30. A school is required to report only on those students that the school knows have transferred to another eligible institution. A school must document that the student actually transferred. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you wish.
Report eligible exclusions from the cohort in Column 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:

students who died or became totally and permanently disabled

students who left school to serve in the armed forces (or have been called up to active duty)

students who left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government

students who left school to serve on an official church mission

Column 52 [No longer enrolled] will be calculated for you. This includes students who dropped out as well as those who completed in greater than 150% of normal time.
Column 55 [Completers within 100%] is a subset of Column 11 [Completers within 150%]. These data are being requested so they can be preloaded into next year’s Graduation Rates 200% survey component.

Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students

Screen 1 of 2	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Initial Cohort	Revised Cohort	Total exclusions	Adjusted cohort (Column 10 – Column 45)	Completed within 150% of normal time to completion	Of those in Column 11, those who completed within 100% of normal time to completion	Total transfer-out students	Still enrolled	No longer enrolled
		(Column 10)	(Column 45)	(Column 50)	(Column 11)	(Column 55)	(Column 30)	(Column 51)	(Column 52)
Total men + women	PL	RV	RV	CV	RV	RV	RV	RV	CV
Total men + women prior year	PL	PL	PL	PL	PL	PL	PL	PL	PL

Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant

- The total of these 2 subcohorts must be less than the full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking cohort

Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students

Screen 2 of 2	Cohort year Cohort preloaded based on institutions level and reporter type
	Number of students in cohort	Total exclusions	Number of students that completed within 150% of normal time to completion
	(Column 11)	(Column 45)	(Column 29)
Full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking cohort	PL	PL	PL
Recipients of a Pell Grant (within entering year)	RV	RV	RV
Recipients of a Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year) that did not receive a Pell Grant	RV	RV	RV
Did not receive either a Pell Grant or Direct Subsidized Loan (within entering year)	CV	CV	CV

Graduation Rates Instructions for 4-year Institutions 2023-24 through 2024-25Data Collections

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

Where the Reported Data Will Appear

Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System

Reporting Directions

Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Categories

Section I: Establishing and Revising Cohorts

Section II: Bachelor’s Degree Subcohort

Section III: Other Degree/Certificate-Seeking Subcohorts

Worksheets

Purpose of the Survey

The purpose of the IPEDS Graduation Rates survey component is to track given cohorts of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students – as well as their completion status at 150% of the normal time to complete all requirements of their program of study – at postsecondary institutions. These data are collected to assist institutions in complying with the requirements of the Student Right-to-Know Act.

Changes to reporting for 2024-25:

The following changes were implemented for the 2024-25 data collection period:

Removed the Gender Unknown or Another Gender than Provided Categories question.

General Instructions

Reporting Period Covered

This survey component collects data on the cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2019 (or the institution’s official fall reporting date) for institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (e.g., semesters, trimesters, quarters, or 4-1-4 plan); or (2) during the period between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017 for institutions that do not offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2024.

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 in the Cohort

Include all full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering the institution either during the fall term or during the 12-month period as described above. Include students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer session and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduating from high school).

For institutions that will report using a full-year cohort, count as entering students all students who entered the institution between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020, and who were enrolled for at least 15 days in a program of up to and including one year in length; or 30 days in a program of greater than one year in length.

Include all students enrolled for credit toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential. Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.

Be sure to include full-time students taking developmental courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for the purpose of student financial aid determination. 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
Obtained a student visa to enroll at a U.S. postsecondary institution

A student who is designated as a member of the cohort remains in the cohort, even if the student:

Becomes a part-time student
Transfers to another institution
Drops out of the institution
Stops out of the institution
Has not fulfilled the institution’s requirements to receive a degree or certificate
Went on a study abroad program the first year upon entering the institution

Who to Exclude from the Cohort

Do NOT include students in the cohort who are:

Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a recognized postsecondary credential or the completion of a vocational program (i.e., non-degree/certificate-seeking students)
Exclusively taking CEUs
Exclusively auditing classes
Enrolled part-time
Transfers into the institution
Foreign students who are only taking coursework at a host institution (e.g., an American institution overseas), if these students are not enrolled at a U.S. institution.

Where to Get Help with Reporting

IPEDS Help Desk

Phone: (877) 225-2568

E-mail: [email protected]

Web Tutorials

You can consult the IPEDS website’s 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’s 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 Use the Data portal
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
College Affordability and Transparency Center website

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:

IPEDS Data Explorer
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education

Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System

The File Import/Upload option is found under the Tools menu. In order to perform the upload you’ll need to have a file formatted to specifications. Upload specifications are included with the survey materials found under the Help menu. There are three upload formats available for the Graduation Rates survey component:

Fixed width file
Key value file

Reporting Instructions

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, residents, and other eligible non-citizens. Eligible noncitizens includes all students who completed high school or a GED equivalency within the United States (including DACA and undocumented students) and who were not on an F-1 non-immigrant student visa at the time of high school graduation. More information about other eligible (for financial aid purposes) non-citizens is available at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/requirements/non-us-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:

U.S. Nonresident
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

U.S. Nonresident – 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. Do not include DACA, undocumented, or other eligible noncitizens in this category. NOTE – U.S. Nonresidents are to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of the seven racial/ethnic categories.
Race and ethnicity unknown – This category is used only if the person did not select EITHER a racial or ethnic designation.

Section I – Establishing Cohorts

Cohort Type

The method used to report graduation rates data on this survey is predetermined by your institution’s response to the predominant calendar system question (Part B, Question 4) on the IC survey component of the IPEDS Fall 2025 data collection, according to the following rules:

Institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (semesters, trimesters, quarters, or 4-1-4 plan) will report using a fall cohort of students. Institutions may use October 15, 2019 or the institution's official fall reporting date to determine the cohort. This should be the same reporting date used for the IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey.
Institutions that do not offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (as defined above) will report using a full-year cohort. These institutions must count as entering students all those students who entered the institution between September 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021, and who were enrolled for at least 15 days in a program of up to and including one year in length; or 30 days in a program of greater than one year in length.

Establishing your Cohorts

Report each student only once.

Please complete all of Section I. Screens for Sections II and III will be generated based on the data reported in Section I.

Initial cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information reported on full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate student enrollment at your institution on the 2018 IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey will be preloaded in this column. If you did not respond to that survey, or if you are reporting on a full-year cohort, the column will be blank.

Revised cohort (Column 01) - Institutions have the option of revising their preloaded cohort if:

there are eligible students who were omitted in the past
students were reported who did not belong in the cohort (e.g., they were not actually first-time, or full-time)
better information regarding race/ethnicity or gender is available for eligible students

Please review the data in the Initial cohort column (if applicable) and re-enter the cohort data in the Revised cohort column according to the 1997 racial/ethnic categories, making any necessary corrections for omissions, erroneous reporting, or where better information regarding race/ethnicity or gender is available. If your data do not appear in the Initial cohort column, please provide the enrollment data as requested in the Revised cohort column.

Establishing Subcohorts

For 4-year institutions, the cohort is divided into two subcohorts: (1) those students who upon entry are seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree, and (2) those students who upon entry are seeking an undergraduate award other than a bachelor's degree. Institutions that do not determine degree intent upon entry should report all students as if they are bachelor's degree-seeking.

Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (Column 02) –Of the revised cohort of students listed in Column 1, indicate the number of these students who declared intent to seek a bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry. As indicated above, this should also include any students whose intent was not known. These data will be carried forward to Section II.

Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Column 03) –This column represents the difference between the Revised cohort (Column 1) and the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (Column 2). The values in this column are calculated for you, and represent the number of students who declared intent to seek an undergraduate award other than a bachelor's level degree (e.g., an associate's degree or other recognized postsecondary credential) upon entry. These data will be carried forward to Section III.

Section II – Completers within 150% - Bachelor’s or Equivalent Degree-Seeking Subcohort

Report each student only once.

Report the status of the 2019 subcohort of bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking students as of 150% of normal time to completion or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers by type of program completed. Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.

Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking a bachelor’s or equivalent degree upon entry. Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution, or students who changed their program of study to a bachelor's level degree after their first semester.

Count completers only once and indicate the highest award level attained.

SPECIAL NOTE: In order to resolve a potential conflict between transfers-out and the mission of particular programs to prepare students for transfer to other institutions, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed a transfer-preparatory program.

Transfer-preparatory program is defined in 34 CFR Student Assistance General Provisions, Section 668.8(b)(1)(ii) as "the successful completion of at least a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree and qualifies a student for admission into the third year of a bachelor’s degree program." The Secretary considers this the equivalent of an associate’s degree, thus completers of transfer-preparatory programs (although they do not receive a "recognized postsecondary credential") should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.

Similarly, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed the first three years of a 3-2 program and are eligible to enter another institution to complete the program (provided the program is acceptable for full credit towards a five-year bachelor's degree, and qualifies a student for admission into the fourth year of a five-year bachelor's degree program). As with a transfer-preparatory program, these students should be counted as completers of an at least 2 but less than 4 year program.

In order to calculate a graduation rate that complies with Student Right-to-Know regulations, institutions may count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of the normal time for program completion (normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a program according to the institution's catalog). Do not count as completers students who receive their degree from another institution.

Note that completers should be reported in terms of the type of program completed, as defined by award level. For programs that are defined in terms of clock or credit hours, the program type may not be indicative of the actual calendar time a program takes to complete. For more information on program types, please consult the IPEDS Glossary.

Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (Column 10) - The data in this column are carried forward from Section I for your reference.

Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 11) - Enter the number of students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who completed programs of less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of less than one academic year and of at least one but less than two academic years; or designed for completion in less than 60 semester or trimester credit hours, less than 90 quarter credit hours, or less than 1,800 clock hours.

Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 12) - Enter the number of students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who completed programs of at least 2 but less than 4 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of at least two but less than four academic years - or designed for completion in at least 60 but less than 120 semester or trimester credit hours, at least 90 but less than 180 quarter credit hours, or at least 1,800 but less than 3,600 clock hours - and associate's degrees.

Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees (Column 18) - Enter the number of students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent program within 150% of normal time to completion. Note: Completers of 3-year bachelor’s degree programs should only be included if they completed the program within 4-1/2 years.

Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - This column is the sum of the previous three columns, and is calculated for you by the data collection system.

Section II – Bachelor’s Completers by Length of Time to Degree

Report each student only once.

Of those students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent program within 150% of normal time to completion you must provide additional information on the length of time it took them to complete their program. Include all baccalaureate level degrees, including 5-year bachelor's/cooperative programs and those bachelor's degrees in which the normal 4 years of work are completed in 3 years. Of the total number of completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees within 150% of normal time listed in Column 18, provide the following breakout:

Completed the program in 4 yrs or less (Column 19) - Enter the number of students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent in 4 years or less. This should include all students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent by August 31, 2024.

Completed the program in 5 yrs (Column 20) - Enter the number of students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent in 5 years. This should include all students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent in the period from September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024. Do NOT include students who completed their program in 4 years or less in this column.

Completed the program in 6 yrs (Column 21) - This column represents the difference between the number of completers of bachelor's degrees or equivalent within 150% of normal time (Column 18) and the sum of those who completed their program in 4 years or less (Column 19) and those who completed their program in 5 years (Column 20). This should include all students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent in the period from September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2025. This column is calculated for you by the data collection system.

Section II – Non-completers - Bachelor’s or Equivalent Degree-Seeking Subcohort

Report each student only once.

Report the status of the non-completers from the 2019 subcohort of bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking students as of 150% of the normal time to completion for their program or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier). Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.

Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry. Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution, or students who changed their program of study to a bachelor's level degree after their first semester.

Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (Column 10) – The data in this column are carried forward from Section I for your reference.

Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - The data in this column are carried forward from page 1 of Section II for your reference.

Total transfer-out students (Column 30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution without having completed a program, you must report the total number of students who transferred out of your institution (without earning a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students who transferred out of your institution and subsequently re-enrolled at another eligible institution. If it is not part of your mission, you may still report transfer-out data if you wish.

Total exclusions (Column 45)- Indicate the total number of students who left your institution within 150% of normal time to completion for their program (and have neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) due to one of the following documented reasons:

The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called up to active duty. (Do NOT include students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the Peace Corps.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.

NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the reasons noted above, but return prior to the status date of August 31, 2025, may still be subtracted/excluded from the cohort during the calculation of graduation rates.

Still enrolled (Column 51) - Enter the number of students who were still enrolled at your institution as of 150% of normal time to completion for their program (or August 31, 2024 if 150% of normal time to completion had not elapsed by that time).

No longer enrolled (Column 52) - This column represents the difference between the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (Column 10) and the sum of Columns 29, 30, 45, and 51. This column should include students who graduated from their program after 150% of normal time to completion elapsed.

Section II – Bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking cohort - Graduation Rate for Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant

Report each student only once.

Report the status of the 2016 subcohort of bachelor’s or equivalent degree-seeking students as of 150% of normal time to completion or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers.

Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking a bachelor’s or equivalent degree upon entry. Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution, or students who changed their program of study to a bachelor's level degree after their first semester.

SPECIAL NOTE: In order to resolve a potential conflict between transfers-out and the mission of particular programs to prepare students for transfer to other institutions, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed a transfer-preparatory program.

For each of two different subcohorts - Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking students and Other degree/certificate-seeking students, data will be collected on those students who were recipients of a Pell Grant and those students who were recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant.

Recipients are defined as those students receiving and using their Pell Grant or Subsidized Direct loan. These students must receive and use the award within their first year at the institution. If the student is a recipient of an award at a later point, they would not be included in one of the subcohorts.

Number of students in the cohort - The number of students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort will be preloaded from Section 1 of the GR form. Of those students, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories() will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Total exclusions - The number of exclusions in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort will be preloaded from Section II of the GR form. Of those students reported as exclusions, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% - The number of students in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent program within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from Section II of the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. This must be less than or equal to the Completers within 150% of normal time. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Total completers within 150% of normal time - The total number of students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from Section II of the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Section III – Completers within 150% - Other Degree/Certificate-Seeking Subcohort

Report each student only once.

Report the status of the 2016 subcohort of students seeking other than a bachelor's degree as of 150% of normal time to completion or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers by type of program completed. Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.

Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking undergraduate degrees or certificates other than a bachelor’s degree upon entry (within entering year). Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution, or students who changed their program of study from a bachelor's level degree after the first semester.

Count completers only once and indicate the highest award level attained.

SPECIAL NOTE: In order to resolve a potential conflict between transfers-out and the mission of particular programs to prepare students for transfer to other institutions, institutions may count as completers those students who have successfully completed a transfer-preparatory program.

Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Column 10) - The data in this column are carried forward from Section I for your reference.

Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 11) - Enter the number of students in the other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort who completed programs of less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of less than one academic year and of at least one but less than two academic years; or designed for completion in less than 60 semester or trimester credit hours, less than 90 quarter credit hours, or less than 1,800 clock hours.

Completers of programs of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 12) - Enter the number of students in the other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort who completed programs of at least 2 but less than 4 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of at least two but less than four academic years - or designed for completion in at least 60 but less than 120 semester or trimester credit hours, at least 90 but less than 180 quarter credit hours, or at least 1,800 but less than 3,600 clock hours - and associate's degrees.

Completers of bachelor's or equivalent degrees (Column 18) - Enter the number of students in the other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort who completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent program within 150% of normal time to completion. Note: Completers of 3-year bachelor’s degree programs should only be included if they completed the program within 4-1/2 years.

Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - This column is the sum of the previous three columns, and is calculated for you by the data collection system.

Section III – Non-completers - Other Degree/Certificate-Seeking Subcohort

Report each student only once.

Report the status of the non-completers from the 2016 subcohort of students seeking other than a bachelor's or equivalent degree as of 150% of the normal time to completion for their program or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier). Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.

Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking an undergraduate award other than a bachelor's level degree upon entry. Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution, or students who changed their program of study from a bachelor's level degree after their first semester.

Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Column 10) – The data in this column are carried forward from Section I for your reference.

Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - The data in this column are carried forward from page 1 of Section III for your reference.

Total exclusions (Column 45) – Indicate the total number of students who left your institution within 150% of normal time to completion for their program (and have neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) due to one of the following documented reasons:

The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called up to active duty. (DO NOT include students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the Peace Corps.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.

NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the reasons noted above, but return prior to the status date of August 31, 2025, may still be subtracted/excluded from the cohort during the calculation of graduation rates.

No longer enrolled (Column 52) - This column represents the difference between the other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Column 10) and the sum of Columns 29, 30, 45, and 51. This column should include students who graduated from their program after 150% of normal time to completion elapsed.

Section III – Other Degree/Certificate-Seeking Subcohort - Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant

Report each student only once.

Report the status of the 2016 subcohort of Other degree/certificate-seeking students as of 150% of normal time to completion or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers.

Report only for full-time, first-time students who were seeking Other degree/certificate. Do NOT include part-time students, students who transferred into your institution.

Number of students in the cohort - The number of students in the Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort will be preloaded from Section 1 of the GR form. Of those students, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Total exclusions - The number of exclusions in the Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort will be preloaded from Section III of the GR form. Of those students reported as exclusions, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Completed bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% - The number of students in the Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort who completed a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from Section III of the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. This must be less than or equal to the Total completers within 150%. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Total completers within 150% - The total number of students in the Other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort who completed their degree/certificate program within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from Section III of the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates

Worksheets

Worksheets calculating the Student Right-To-Know and overall four-year average completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students for the 2016 student cohort are provided as a convenience to the institution. In addition, the 4-year, 5-year, and 6-year graduation rates for the 2016 bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort are provided for those institutions that are able to report bachelor's or equivalent completers by length of time to degree. Data previously reported by the institution are preloaded for use in these calculations.

Note that certain information from these worksheets will be displayed on College Navigator, as noted. Additional information relevant to the calculated rates may be entered in the context box provided, and will also be displayed on College Navigator.

Privacy Issues With Disclosure

Before using the worksheets for disclosure, please consider the following:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended (1998) (FERPA) requires that institutions not disclose information where students could be identified.

Graduation Rates Instructions for 2-year Institutions 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections

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

Where the Reported Data Will Appear

Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System

Reporting Directions

Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Categories

Establishing Cohorts

Completers within 150% of Normal Time to Completion

Non-completers

Completers within 100% of Normal Time to Completion

Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant

Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates

Purpose of the Survey

The purpose of the IPEDS Graduation Rates survey component is to track given cohorts of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students - as well as their completion status at 150% of the normal time to complete all requirements of their program of study - at postsecondary institutions. These data are collected to assist institutions in complying with the requirements of the Student Right-to-Know Act.

Changes to reporting for 2024-25:

The following changes were implemented for the 2024-25 data collection period:

Removed the Gender Unknown or Another Gender than Provided Categories question.

General Instructions

Reporting Period Covered

This survey component collects data on the cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2019 (or the institution's official fall reporting date) for institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (e.g., semesters, trimesters, quarters, or 4-1-4 plan); or (2) during the period between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020 for institutions that do not offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2025.

Context Boxes

Coverage

Who to Include in the Cohort

Be sure to include full-time students taking developmental courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for the purpose of student financial aid determination. 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
Obtained a student visa to enroll at a U.S. postsecondary institution

A student who is designated as a member of the cohort remains in the cohort, even if the student:

Becomes a part-time student
Transfers to another institution
Drops out of the institution
Stops out of the institution
Has not fulfilled the institution's requirements to receive a degree or certificate
Went on a study abroad program the first year upon entering the institution

Who to Exclude from the Cohort

Do NOT include students in the cohort who are:

Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a recognized postsecondary credential or the completion of a vocational program (i.e., non-degree/certificate-seeking students)
Exclusively taking CEUs
Exclusively auditing classes
Enrolled part-time
Transfers into the institution
Foreign students who are only taking coursework at a host institution (e.g., an American institution overseas), if these students are not enrolled at a U.S. institution.

Where to Get Help with Reporting

IPEDS Help Desk

Phone: (877) 225-2568

E-mail: [email protected]

Web Tutorials

You can consult the IPEDS website's 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's 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 Use the Data portal
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
College Affordability and Transparency Center website

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:

IPEDS Data Explorer
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education

Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System

Fixed width file
Key value file

Reporting Instructions

Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category (1997 OMB)

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, residents, and other eligible non-citizens. Eligible noncitizens includes all students who completed high school or a GED equivalency within the United States (including DACA and undocumented students) and who were not on an F-1 non-immigrant student visa at the time of high school graduation. More information about other eligible (for financial aid purposes) non-citizens is available at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/requirements/non-us-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:

U.S. Nonresident
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

U.S. Nonresident - 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. Do not include DACA, undocumented, or other eligible noncitizens in this category. NOTE - U.S. Nonresidents are to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of the seven racial/ethnic categories.
Race and ethnicity unknown - This category is used only if the person did not select EITHER a racial or ethnic designation.

Establishing Cohorts

The method used to report graduation rates data on this survey is predetermined by your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (Part B, Question 4) on the IC component of the IPEDS Fall 2025 data collection, according to the following rules:

Institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (semesters, trimesters, quarters, or 4-1-4 plan) will report using a fall cohort of students. Institutions may use October 15, 2019 or the institution's official fall reporting date to determine the cohort. This should be the same reporting date used for the IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey.
Institutions that do not offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (as defined above) will report using a full-year cohort. These institutions must count as entering students all those students who entered the institution between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020, and who were enrolled for at least 15 days in a program of up to and including one year in length; or 30 days in a program of greater than one year in length.

Report each student only once.

Initial cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information reported on full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate student enrollment at your institution on the 2019 IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey will be preloaded in this column. If you did not respond to that survey, or if you are reporting on a full-year cohort, the column will be blank.

Revised cohort - Institutions have the option of revising their preloaded cohort if:

there are eligible students who were omitted in the past
students were reported who did not belong in the cohort (e.g., they were not actually first-time, or full-time)
better information regarding race/ethnicity or gender is available for eligible students

Completers within 150% of Normal Time to Completion

Report each student only once.

Report the status of the 2019 cohort of degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students as of 150% of normal time to completion for their program or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers by type of program completed. Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.

Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students. Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.

Count completers only once and indicate the highest award level attained.

Revised Cohort (Column 10) – The data in this column are carried forward from the "Establishing Cohort" screen for your reference.

Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 11) - Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of less than one academic year and of at least one but less than two academic years; or designed for completion in less than 60 semester or trimester credit hours, less than 90 quarter credit hours, or less than 1,800 clock hours.

Completers of programs of at least 2 years but less than 4 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 12) - Enter the number of students who completed programs of at least 2 but less than 4 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of at least two but less than four academic years - or designed for completion in at least 60 but less than 120 semester or trimester credit hours, at least 90 but less than 180 quarter credit hours, or at least 1,800 but less than 3,600 clock hours - and associate's degrees.

Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - This column is the sum of the previous two columns, and is calculated for you by the data collection system.

Non-completers

Report each student only once.

Report the status of the non-completers from the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students as of 150% of the normal time to completion for their program or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier). Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.

Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students. Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.

Revised Cohort (Column 10) – The data in this column are carried forward from the "Establishing Cohort" screen for your reference.

Total completers within 150% (Column 29) - The data in this column are carried forward from the "Completers within 150%" screen for your reference.

The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called up to active duty. (Do NOT include students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the Peace Corps.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.

NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the above reasons, but return prior to the status date of August 31, 2025, may still be subtracted/excluded from the cohort during the calculation of graduation rates.

No longer enrolled (Column 52) - This column represents the difference between the revised cohort (Column 10) and the sum of Columns 29, 30, 45, and 51. This column should include students who graduated from their program after 150% of normal time to completion elapsed.

Completers within 100% of Normal Time to Completion

Report each student only once.

Report the status of the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who completed their program as of 100% of normal time to completion for their program or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers by type of program completed. Note that this should be a subset of the students reported as completers within 150% of normal time reported earlier in this survey.

Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students. Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.

Count completers only once and indicate the highest award level attained.

Revised Cohort (Column 10) – The data in this column are carried forward from the "Establishing Cohort" screen for your reference.

Exclusions - The data in this column are carried forward from Column 45 – Total Exclusions of the “Transfers/Exclusions” screen for your reference.

Cohort students who completed their program within 100% of normal time to completion (Columns 55 and 56)

Completers of programs of less than 2 academic years (or equivalent) (Column 55) - Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years within 100% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of less than one academic year and of at least one but less than two academic years; or designed for completion in less than 60 semester or trimester credit hours, less than 90 quarter credit hours, or less than 1,800 clock hours.

Completed a program of at least 2 years, but less than 4 years within 100% (Column 56) - Enter the number of students who completed programs of at least 2 but less than 4 full-time equivalent academic years within 100% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of at least two but less than four academic years - or designed for completion in at least 60 but less than 120 semester or trimester credit hours, at least 90 but less than 180 quarter credit hours, or at least 1,800 but less than 3,600 clock hours - and associate's degrees.

Total completers within 100% (Column 57) – This column is the sum of the previous two columns and is calculated for you by the data collection system.

Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant

Report each student only once.

Report the status of the 2019 cohort of first-time, full-time degree/certificate-seeking students as of 150% of normal time to completion or August 31, 2024 (whichever was earlier) in terms of the number of completers.

Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students.

Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.

Count completers only once and indicate the highest award level attained.

For the first-time, full-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort, data will be collected on those students who were recipients of a Pell Grant and those students who were recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan that did not receive a Pell Grant.

Number of students in the cohort - The number of students in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort will be preloaded from the GR form. Of those students, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Total exclusions - The number of exclusions in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort will be preloaded from the GR form. Of those students reported as exclusions, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Number of students completing within 150% or normal time - The number of students in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort who completed within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates

Worksheets

Privacy Issue With Disclosure

Before using the worksheets for disclosure, please consider the following:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended (1998) (FERPA) requires that institutions not disclose information where students could be identified.

Graduation Rates Instructions for Less-than-2-year Institutions 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections

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

Where the Reported Data Will Appear

Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System

Reporting Directions

Purpose of the Survey

Changes to reporting for 2024-25:

The following changes were implemented for the 2024-25 data collection period:

Removed the Gender Unknown or Another Gender than Provided Categories question.

General Instructions

Reporting Period Covered

This survey component collects data on the cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2019 (or the institution's official fall reporting date) for institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms (e.g., semesters, trimesters, quarters, or 4-1-4 plan); or (2) during the period between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020 for institutions that do not offer a predominant number of programs based on standard academic terms. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2024.

Context Boxes

Coverage

Who to Include in the Cohort

Be sure to include full-time students taking developmental courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for the purpose of student financial aid determination. 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
Obtained a student visa to enroll at a U.S. postsecondary institution

A student who is designated as a member of the cohort remains in the cohort, even if the student:

Becomes a part-time student
Transfers to another institution
Drops out of the institution
Stops out of the institution
Has not fulfilled the institution's requirements to receive a degree or certificate
Went on a study abroad program the first year upon entering the institution

Who to Exclude from the Cohort

Do NOT include students in the cohort who are:

Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a recognized postsecondary credential or the completion of a vocational program (i.e., non-degree/certificate-seeking students)
Exclusively taking CEUs
Exclusively auditing classes
Enrolled part-time
Transfers into the institution
Foreign students who are only taking coursework at a host institution (e.g., an American institution overseas), if these students are not enrolled at a U.S. institution.

Where to Get Help with Reporting

IPEDS Help Desk

Phone: (877) 225-2568

E-mail: [email protected]

Web Tutorials

You can consult the IPEDS website's 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

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 Use the Data portal
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
College Affordability and Transparency Center website

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:

IPEDS Data Explorer
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education

Uploading Files to the IPEDS Data Collection System

Fixed width file
Key value file

Reporting Instructions

Cohort Data

Report the status of the 2019 cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students as of August 31, 2024 in terms of the number of completers within 150% of normal time to completion for their program, the number of transfer-out students, and the number of allowable exclusions to the cohort. Report the combined total of men and women.

Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students. Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.

Initial cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information reported on full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate student enrollment at your institution on the 2019 IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey will be preloaded in this column. If you did not respond to that survey, or if you are reporting on a full-year cohort, the column will be blank.

Revised cohort (Column 10) - Institutions have the option of revising their preloaded cohort if:

there are eligible students who were omitted in the past
students were reported who did not belong in the cohort (e.g., they were not actually first-time, or full-time)

Please review the data in the Initial cohort column (if applicable) and make any necessary corrections for omissions or erroneous reporting in the Revised cohort column. If your data do not appear in the Initial cohort column, please provide the enrollment data as requested in the Revised cohort column.

Total exclusions (Column 45) - Indicate the total number of students who left your institution within 150% of normal time to completion for their program (and have neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) due to one of the following documented reasons:

The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called up to active duty. (Do NOT include students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the Peace Corps.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.

Completed within 150% of normal time to completion (Column 11) - In order to calculate a graduation rate that complies with Student Right-to-Know regulations, institutions may count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate within 150% of the normal time for program completion (normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate according to the institution's catalog). Do not count as completers students who receive their degree/certificate from another institution.

Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years within 150% of normal time to completion. This includes awards, certificates, or diplomas of less than one academic year and of at least one but less than two academic years; or designed for completion in less than 60 semester or trimester credit hours, less than 90 quarter credit hours, or less than 1,800 clock hours. For example, a student who completed a 6-month (or equivalent) program in 9 months or less would be reported in Column 11; those taking longer would not be reported in this column.

Completed within 100% of normal time to completion (Column 55) - Of those students reported in Column 11 who completed their program within 150% of normal time to completion, enter the number who completed their program within 100% of normal time. For example, a student who completed a 6-month (or equivalent) program in 6 months or less would be reported in column 55; those taking longer would not be reported in this column.

The number of students reported in Column 55 should be a subset of those reported in Column 11.

Total transfer-out students (Column 30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution without having completed a program, and your institution has information on students who transfer-out, report the total number of students who transferred out of your institution (without earning a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students who transferred out of your institution and subsequently re-enrolled in another eligible institution. If it is not part of your mission, you may still report transfer-out data if you wish.

Still enrolled (Column 51) - Enter the number of students who are still enrolled at your institution as of the fall census date for the fall term following 150% of normal time to completion of their program.

Report each student in only one outcome category (i.e., as completing a program, as a transfer-out, as an exclusion, or as still enrolled) with the exception of those students reported in Column 55, which are a subset of the students reported in Column 11.

No longer enrolled (Column 52) - This column represents the difference between the revised cohort (Column 10) and the sum of Columns 11, 30, 45, and 51.

Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates

Worksheets

A worksheet calculating the Student Right-To-Know and overall four-year average completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students for the 2019 student cohort is provided as a convenience to the institution. Data previously reported by the institution are preloaded for use in these calculations.

Privacy Issue With Disclosure

Before using the worksheets for disclosure, please consider the following:

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended (1998) (FERPA) requires that institutions not disclose information where students could be identified.

Pell recipients and recipients of a subsidized Direct Loan who did not receive a Pell Grant

Report each student only once.

Report only for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students. Do NOT include part-time students or students who transferred into your institution.

Count completers only once.

Recipients are defined as those students receiving and using their Pell Grant or Subsidized Direct Loan. These students must receive the award upon entry into the institution. If the student is a recipient of an award at a later point after entry, they would not be included in one of the subcohorts.

Number of students in the cohort - The number of students in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort will be preloaded from column 10 of the GR form. Of those students, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Total exclusions - The number of exclusions in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort will be preloaded from column 45 of the GR form. Of those students reported as exclusions, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Number of students completing within 150% or normal time - The number of students in the full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking cohort who completed within 150% of normal time to completion will be preloaded from column 11 of the GR form. Of those students reported as completers, report the number of students who received a Pell Grant and the number of students who received a subsidized Direct Loan but DID NOT receive a Pell Grant. These two categories will be mutually exclusive. The total of these two subcohorts must be less than or equal to the total of all students.

Graduation Rates FAQs 2024-25 through 2026-27 Data Collections

Numbering/ Applicability			FAQs
4-year	2-year	Less-than-2-year	FAQs
General
1	1	1	My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How do I choose which cohort to use for Graduation Rates (GR) reporting? Student Right-to-Know legislation states that institutions that offer a predominant number of programs based on a term basis (semester, quarter, or trimester) must calculate graduation and transfer-out rates using a fall cohort; otherwise, you must use a full-year cohort. The cohort used to report your institution's GR data is predetermined based on your response to the Calendar System question on the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey component.
2	N/A	N/A	Why is it necessary for 4-year institutions to separate their entering cohort into two groups? NCES requests that 4-year institutions that offer undergraduate awards other than a bachelor’s degree define two distinct subcohorts: (1) students who upon entry intend to complete a bachelor’s or equivalent degree, and (2) students who upon entry intend to complete an undergraduate award other than a bachelor’s or equivalent degree. Students whose intent is unknown should be reported in the subcohort with those seeking a bachelor’s or equivalent degree. By separating the cohort in this way, the graduation and transfer rates of the first group can be compared with those at like institutions, as well as with those at institutions offering only a bachelor’s degree. Similarly, the rates of the second group can more easily be compared with those at 2-year institutions.
3	3	3	My institution does not have any information on the cohort you are requesting. Do I have to do anything this year? Student Right-to-Know legislation states that graduation rates reporting is mandatory for institutions that enrolled full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students during the relevant cohort year. If you did not enroll this type of student, or your institution was not in operation during the relevant cohort year, please report this information on the Institutional Characteristics survey component.
4	4	4	When can I revise or adjust my cohort? There is a difference between revising and adjusting a cohort. Revising a cohort means modifying the cohort data to reflect better information that has become available since the cohort was first reported in the relevant Fall Enrollment survey (e.g., you may now have more complete racial/ethnic information on the cohort). Fall cohorts may be revised by entering new data in the Revised cohort column on the data collection screen. Adjusting a cohort means subtracting any allowable exclusions from the revised cohort to establish a denominator for graduation rate calculation. Both fall and full-year cohorts are adjusted for you on the worksheet screens when calculating graduation and transfer-out rates.
5	5	5	Do I need to track students every term? No. You can set up your system to identify your cohort upon entry, and then, at the end of 150% of normal time to complete all requirements of the longest program, look back to see the status of those in the cohort. You will need to know when students in the cohort completed, but it is not necessary to compare or track these students from term-to-term.
6	6	6	Should my institution, which is participating as an U.S. Department of Education experimental site, include experimental site participants in IPEDS reporting? No, exclude experimental site participants from reporting.
7	7	N/A	In which race/ethnicity category do I report undocumented and DACA students? Undocumented and DACA students who completed high school or a GED equivalency within the United States are considered eligible non-citizens and their race/ethnicity should be reported using the seven race/ethnicity categories provided: 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 If a student’s race/ethnicity is unknown, you can include them in the race/ethnicity unknown category.
8	8	7	Should awards in GR be consistent with those reported in the IPEDS Completions survey? Yes. Awards must be recognized postsecondary credentials conferred as the result of completion of an academic or occupational/vocational program of study and should be consistent with awards reported in the IPEDS Completions survey. Refer to the Completions instructions for relevant inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Cohort
1	1	1	What is a "first-time" student? According to the IPEDS Glossary, a first-time student is "A student who has no prior postsecondary experience attending any institution for the first time at the undergraduate level." This means that the student is first-time in terms of postsecondary education (or the student is not known to have attended another postsecondary institution). There are two exceptions: (1) students who attended any institution for the first time the summer prior to entering your institution in the fall term are to be counted as "first-time", as are (2) students who entered with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduation from high school).
2	2	2	My institution has a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to complete the GR survey? Yes. You must report the data to NCES regardless of the cohort size. See the questions related to disclosure requirements under Other below for additional information.
3	3	3	How do I count a student who started in my original cohort, transferred to another institution (for which I have a confirmation of transfer), and then returned to my institution and is still enrolled? You should report the student as a transfer-out. For the purposes of the full-time, first-time cohort used for IPEDS graduation rates reporting, this action closes out their status in the cohort. Upon re-enrolling at your institution, the student would then be included in a subsequent, non-first-time cohort not collected through the IPEDS GR survey.
4	4	4	Where do I place transfers INTO my institution? The IPEDS GR survey does NOT collect information on transfers in. THESE STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN ANY GR COHORT.
5	5	5	How do I report students who are taking ESL (English as a Second Language) or developmental courses? These students are not included in the cohort if their courses are not part of a program of study that leads to a degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential, and if they are not eligible for Title IV federal financial aid.
6	6	6	Are students in developmental courses included in the cohort? Use the same reasoning here that you use to determine who to report as degree/certificate-seeking in the IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey. If a student is degree/certificate-seeking for the purposes of qualifying for student financial aid, then they must be included in the GR cohort.
7	7	7	If a student took only developmental courses last year and applies as a full-time degree/certificate-seeking student this fall, can I count the student as "first-time"? No. The student does not qualify as "first-time" because they are known to have previously attended a postsecondary institution (yours or another school) even though they are entering with no credit.
8	8	8	What about noncredit enrollment, or students taking CEUs? Neither should be included in the cohort for graduation rates reporting.
9	9	9	Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included? Even though these students are enrolled for credit, if they are not seeking a degree/certificate, they should not be included in the cohort according to Student Right-to-Know regulations. Be sure to carefully review the definition of degree/certificate-seeking in the IPEDS Glossary.
10	10	10	How do I treat new entrants that receive credit for life experience? If the student has never enrolled in a postsecondary institution, they should be counted as "first-time."
11	11	11	Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"? Since these students must have been previously enrolled in a postsecondary institution in order to obtain credit through correspondence or distance learning, they are not considered "first-time."
12	12	12	How do I report students studying in consortium agreements? Use the same reasoning here that you use to determine who to report in the IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey. For additional information on this topic, please refer to the IPEDS Data Tip Sheet related to Reporting Students for Institutions in Consortia.
13	13	N/A	Many of our students take courses during the summer at other schools; should these be considered transfers-out? No. Keep the students in the cohort since they return in the fall and continue their programs of study.
14	14	14	My initial cohort includes all full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students enrolled as of October 15 - the same as on my IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey. Now what happens to: stop outs, drop outs, students who enroll part-time after the first semester, or students who change programs? It looks like your cohort is defined correctly. Remember YOUR COHORT NEVER CHANGES. Students who stop out or drop out do not leave the cohort. They remain in the count; and if they complete their most recent program within 150% of normal time they should be reported accordingly. Students who switch to part-time status or to another program are not given extra time to complete, nor are they removed from the cohort. Report their status as requested.
15	N/A	N/A	If a student in my cohort obtains two undergraduate level degrees (e.g., AA and BA) within the 6-year period, can I count both completions? No, you may only count one. Please report the highest degree attained.
16	N/A	N/A	I have a student who intended upon entry to complete a bachelor’s degree, so he is included in my Section II - Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort. However, he does not complete his BA within the 6-year period, and instead completes an associate’s degree along the way, and it was completed within 3 years. Where should I report him? Count this student as a completer of an associate’s degree (at least 2 but less than 4 year program) since that degree was completed within 150% of normal time. Remember, intent is not important when reporting your completers; what is important is whether or not they finished any program within 150% of normal time.
N/A	17	N/A	If a student in my cohort obtains two undergraduate level awards (e.g., certificate in cosmetology and an AA) within the 3-year period, can I count both completions? No, you may only count one. Please report the highest level award attained.
N/A	N/A	18	If a student in my cohort obtains two awards (e.g., certificate in cosmetology and certificate in word processing) within the 150% of normal time for the longest program (cosmetology), can I count both completions? No, you may only count one. Please report the award with the highest level attained. If they are the same award level, again just report this as one completer.
17	18	19	Should incarcerated students be included in GR cohorts? Yes. Include all incarcerated students who meet the cohort inclusion criteria listed in the survey instructions.
Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
1	1	1	How do I calculate 150% of normal time to completion? In order to calculate this, we must first define "normal time to completion". IPEDS has adopted the definition developed by the Joint Commission on Accountability Reporting (JCAR) as a definition of normal time. As such, "normal time to completion" is defined as "the amount of time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate according to the institution’s catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12 quarters, excluding summer sessions) for a bachelor’s degree in a standard term-based institution; 2 years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters, excluding summer sessions) for an associate’s degree in a standard term-based institution; and the various scheduled times for certificate programs." Let’s look at some examples: Many bachelor’s degree programs are outlined as 4-year programs (8 semesters – typically fall and spring). Extending this to 150% (1.5 x 8) would be 12 semesters or through the end of the spring term of the sixth year. Similarly, an associate’s degree program that is advertised as a 2-year program (6 quarters - fall, winter, and spring, with no scheduled summer quarter) would extend to 9 quarters (1.5 x 6) or through the end of the spring quarter of the third year. However, the Technical Amendment to the Student Right-to-Know Act redefined the cohort year to allow you to count completers through August 31 of the summer following the sixth year of a 4-year program (or the third year of a 2-year program). Certificate programs must be handled somewhat differently. If a 900 clock hour course is advertised as taking 30 weeks to complete, the calculation of 1.5 x 30 equals 45 weeks after the start date. If the student completes within that 45-week period, they are within 150% of normal time.
2	2	2	How do I report a student who has switched programs since entering the cohort? If a student has switched programs, you will calculate 150% of normal time to completion based on his or her most recent program for reporting outcomes. However, the student's "clock" does not reset once they switch programs. He or she must still graduate, transfer, or qualify as an exclusion within 150% of normal time to completion starting from the date he or she first entered the cohort.
3	3	3	How do I calculate 150% for students who stop out, or drop out, and then return and complete the program? There is no difference in the calculation. The 150% of normal time calculation should be applied as of the student's initial start date, and is the same regardless of stop-out time. Some students may stop out for a term or two and still complete within 150% of normal time.
4	4	4	According to the Technical Amendment to the SRK, I can count as completers within 150% of normal time students who complete their program through August 31 of the 6th year; but what if the student does not receive the degree until our December graduation? Does this mean I cannot count them as completers? Technically you cannot count the completion until the degree has been conferred. If you "award" the degree upon completion of the program (i.e., an award date of, or prior to, August 31 is noted in the student’s record) and simply allow the student to "pick up" their degree at the December ceremony, then you should be able to count the student as having completed within 150% of normal time.
Transfers-Out
1	1	1	Does my institution need to report transfers-out? The Student Right-to-Know legislation states that "An institution that determines that its mission includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution" must report transfers-out so that a transfer-out rate may be calculated for its full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students. Students to be reported as transfers are those who have NOT completed a program or graduated, so they cannot be counted as completers, but have subsequently enrolled in any program of an eligible institution for which the institution provided substantial preparation. If the institution does not have such a mission, reporting of transfers-out is optional.
2	2	2	What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer-out? None. All verification requirements were dropped from the regulations.
3	3	3	My school does not track transfers-out, and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do so. Am I still in compliance with the requirements of the Student Right-to-Know Act, and am I still responsive to the GR survey, if I don’t report transfers-out? As long as your institution does not include providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution as part of its mission, you do not need to set up a system to track transfers-out. However, if your institution does have such a mission, you must be able to track and report on transfers-out. (Applicable to Graduation Rates and Graduation Rates 200 only; requirements for Outcome Measures are different. Please review the Outcome Measures requirements separately.)
4	4	4	My institution is part of a coordinated system of institutions. If a student transfers out of my institution and goes to another institution within the coordinated system, can I count that student at my institution as a completer? No. Your institution may not count that student as completer because that student is considered a transfer-out student. Each reporting entity that has an IPEDS UnitID is recognized as an individual reporting institution for Graduation Rates purposes and can only report completers if that campus confers the award or degree.
Other
1	1	1	Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with the Student Right-to-Know Act? Student Right-to-Know Act regulations state that an institution must annually prepare the completion or graduation rates of its full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students; and for institutions that determine that their mission includes providing substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution, the transfer-out rate of these students. In calculating these rates, an institution must count any students who have completed or graduated by the end of the 12-month period ending August 31 during which 150% of the normal time for completion or graduation from their program has lapsed. Therefore, at a minimum, you must report and disclose your graduation and transfer-out rates (as of August 31 of the prior year). The Secretary urges institutions to disclose as much additional information as warranted to help consumers understand institutional mission, etc. Thus you should consider disclosing additional rates as well, such as rates for part-time students and possibly rates 8 or 10 years out, if your students typically take longer to complete.
2	2	2	Will completing the IPEDS Graduation Rates survey satisfy all of my requirements for the Student Right-to-Know Act? No. The IPEDS GR survey provides institutions with instructions, definitions, and a format for calculating graduation rates and transfer-out rates. It also provides institutions with a methodology so that there is some level of consistency in the way the rates are calculated. However, the SRK requires disclosure of these rates to students and prospective students. In addition, for schools that offer athletically-related student aid there are additional disclosure and reporting requirements. By completing the GR survey, you will have the rates you need to disclose, but you still need to make them available. The GR survey satisfies the reporting requirements ONLY.
3	N/A	N/A	My institution belongs to the NCAA; do I have to report graduation rates data to IPEDS? Do I also need to report to the Secretary of Education? Completing the IPEDS Graduation Rates survey through the web-based data collection system satisfies all of your reporting requirements to the Secretary of Education. However, the NCAA is now collecting their own data on graduation rates, separately from IPEDS. You will still need to report data to the NCAA. If you have any questions about these reporting requirements, you should contact the NCAA directly.
4	4	4	The number of students who could be considered for the adjustments to the cohort (allowable exclusions) at my institution is very small. Do I need to track these "leavers"? No. The allowable exclusions are provided for those institutions that may have a significant number of students who require longer to (or cannot) complete their programs for the reasons stated.
5	9	9	What is a "transfer-preparatory program?" This term is defined in 34 CFR Student Assistance General Provisions, Section 668.8(b)(1)(ii) as "the successful completion of at least a 2-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree and qualifies a student for admission into the third year of a bachelor’s degree program." The Secretary considers this the equivalent of an associate’s degree, thus completers of transfer-preparatory programs (although they do not receive a "recognized postsecondary credential") should be counted as completers.
6	N/A	N/A	My institution offers pre-med and pre-vet programs, but recognized postsecondary credentials are not given. What happens to these students? Assuming that these are 2- or 3-year programs, count the students as completers of an "at least 2 but less than 4 year program" provided they complete within 150% of normal time.
7	N/A	N/A	My institution offers a PharmD program where students are accepted into the program after completing a 2 or 3 year program of undergraduate studies. What happens to these students? Students who complete the undergraduate portion of the program within 150% of normal time should be counted in the other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Section III) as completers of an "at least 2 but less than 4 year program". However, do not track their progress any further towards the PharmD since this is a first-professional degree, and thus not part of IPEDS GR reporting.
8	N/A	N/A	How do I deal with "3/2" programs? My institution provides the first 3 years of an engineering program and our students matriculate to another university for the last 2 years of study and to attain their degree. Can we count these students as completers when they receive their degree from the second institution? No, you should NEVER count a student as a completer when they receive their degree from another institution. Your job is done when they leave your school. If the student completed the first 3 years of a 3/2 program (within 150% of normal time) so that they are now ready to "transfer" in order to complete the remaining 2 years at another institution, then you should count the student as a completer of an "at least 2 but less than 4 year program." This works the same way as the "transfer-preparatory program" described above.
N/A	10	10	My school enrolls students on a monthly basis, so we will be using a full-year cohort. If my longest program is 9 months, how do I calculate 150% of normal time; and which cohort should I use? Let's look at this one step at a time. First, schools with programs of less than 4 years are to report on the 2019 cohort. Therefore, you should look at those students who entered your institution between September 1, 2019 and August 31, 2020. Next, assuming the latest possible enrollment date would be August 31, 2019, 150% of 9 months following this date would extend to October 15, 2021 (13 1/2 months later). In order to complete the IPEDS GR survey, the first status date following this is August 31, 2024 and the report is due during the Winter 2023-24 data collection. So you are on track for reporting this cohort.
N/A	11	11	Can I report students as completers if they left the institution to get a job in their field of study, but did not finish their program? No, you may not report these students as completers since they left the institution prior to completing their program.
9	12	12	There is a provision for excluding students who leave the institution to join the Armed Forces. Is there a similar provision for excluding students who are already in the military but are transferred to another duty station? No, there is no such provision.
Pell Grants/Subsidized Direct Loans
1	1	1	Who is considered a "recipient" of a Pell Grant or Subsidized Direct Loan? For the purposes of the GR component, a recipient of a Pell Grant or Subsidized Direct Loan is a student who receives and uses that award (i.e., award is partially or fully disbursed) within their first year at the institution (July 1 - June 30).
2	2	2	If a student received their Pell Grant or Subsidized Direct Loan after their first year at the institution (July 1 - June 30), would they be counted as part of these subgroups? They would only be counted if they received and used their award within their first year at the institution (July 1 - June 30). If they received and used it at any later time, they would not be part of these subgroups. They would be part of the calculated row - "Did not receive either a Pell Grant or Subsidized Direct Loan".
3	3	3	If a student receives and uses their Pell Grant or Subsidized Direct Loan within their first year at the institution (July 1 - June 30), do they have to continue to receive this aid throughout their time at the institution to be counted as part of these subgroups? As long as the student receives and uses their aid within their first year at the institution (July 1 - June 30), they do not have to continue to be awarded that aid during their time at the institution to be counted as part of these subgroups.

File Type	application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
Author	Aida Ali Akreyi
File Modified	0000-00-00
File Created	2024-09-10

Graduation Rates Package 2024-25 thru 2026-27

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2024-25 through 2026-27