IPEDS Web Based Data Collection 2011-12 through 2013-14

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates
date: 12/9/2010

Form: Graduation Rates for 2-year institutions reporting on a fall cohort
(academic reporters)
Screening questions
Does your institution use a website to disclose Student-Right-to-Know student athlete graduation rates?

No.

Yes. Please provide the URL.

Does your institution offer programs of 3 years or longer?

http://

If you answer Yes to this question, a screen will be generated for you to report the number of students still
enrolled in long programs as of August 31, 2010.
No.                                                                                               
Yes.
Based on your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (B3) on the Institutional
Characteristics Header survey from the IPEDS Fall 2010 Data Collection, your institution must report graduation
rates data using a

Fall Cohort (Fall 2007)

A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4, other
academic). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and
operating on a continuous basis.
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You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above. These context notes

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

Cohort Revision
Cohort revision
Number of first-time, full-time undergraduate degree/certificate-seeking students reported Column 1 of the 2007 IPEDS
Enrollment survey. These students make up the Initial Cohort.
Institutions are permitted to make revisions to the initial cohort. The revisions can be either:
1.
2.

An actual change in the number of students in the cohort due to cohort-eligible students that were previously
omitted from the initial cohort
A reclassification of students within gender or racial/ethnic categories with no actual change in the cohort total

No revisions should be made for anyone who dropped out, transferred to another institution, or became a part-time
student.
Does your institution have any revisions to make to your preloaded Initial Cohort?
Yes                                                                                               
No                                                                                               

Section III - Graduation Rate - Completers within 150%
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the Full-time, First-time degree/certificate-seeking students reported in the
cohort in Col 10.
•Those who completed their program within 150% of normal time as of August 31, 2010 should be reported in either Col
11 or 12, depending on the length of the program.
Cohort of Full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students
Screen 1 of 3

Initial
cohort

Revised cohort

Cohort year 2007
Cohort students who completed their program within
Total
150% of normal time to completion
completers
within
Completers of programs of Completers of programs of
150%
<2-yrs
2<4-yrs
(11)
(12)
(29)

(10)
Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and

ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American

Native Hawaiian
or Other Pacific
Islander
White
Two or more
races
OLD categories:
Black, nonHispanic
American
Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and

ethnicity unknown

Total women

Total men +
women

Section III - Graduation Rate - Transfers/exclusions
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the Full-time, First-time degree/certificate-seeking students reported in the
subcohort in Col 10, who did not complete a program as of August 31, 2010.
•Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Col 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed their programs,
you should 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 school. 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 exclusions from the cohort in Col 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
students who died or became 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
•Col 49 [non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% of normal time] will be calculated for you
•If you do not have any values to enter in either column 30 or 45, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this
screen
Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students
Screen 2 of 3

Cohort year 2007
Total
Total transfer-out students
Total exclusions
completers
within 150%
(10)
(29)
(30)
(45)

Cohort

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or

Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian or

Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity

unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:

Non-completers (still
enrolled + not enrolled)
and completers > 150%
(49)

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

American Indian or

Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian or

Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity

unknown

Total women

Total men +
women
Total in prior year

(men and women)

Section III - Graduation Rate - Completers within 100%
•In the columns below, report the status of the Full-time, First-time degree/certificate-seeking students reported in the
cohort in Col 10.
•Those who completed their program within 100% of normal time should be reported in either Col 55 or 56, depending
on the length of the program.
•These data are being requested so that they may be preloaded into next year's Graduation Rate 200% survey form.
Cohort of Full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students

Cohort year 2007
Revised cohort Exclusions Cohort students who completed their program within Total completers
100% of normal time to completion
within 100%
Completers of programs of Completers of programs of
<2-yrs
2<4-yrs

(55)
(56)
(57)

Total men + women

Section III - Graduation Rate - Long Programs
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•Non-completers still enrolled plus non-completers not enrolled as calculated on the previous page are listed in Col 49.
If any of those students were still enrolled in long programs as of August 31, 2010, report them in Col 47; these are the
only double counted students on this survey, as they are counted in both Col 49 and Col 47.
Cohort of Full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students
Screen 3 of 3

Cohort year 2007
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and Still enrolled in programs of 3 years or
completers > 150%
longer
(49)
(47)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women

Total men + women

2010-11 Survey Materials

GRS- 2yr academic year reporters - Full Instructions
date: 12/9/2010

Instruction

Purpose
Changes in Reporting
Reporting Period Covered
Context boxes
Coverage
Where to get help
Where data appears
Screening questions
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - New categories (1997
OMB)
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender -- Old Categories (1977
OMB)
Reporting Students by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - Mixture of New and Old
Categories
Data Reporting Instructions

Purpose of Survey
The purpose of the Graduation Rate component of IPEDS is to track the cohorts of first-time, full-time,
degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates, as well as their completion status at 150% of normal time at
postsecondary institutions. This data is collected to comply with the Student-Right-to-Know Act.
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Changes in Reporting
For 2010-11, there are no changes in reporting for the Graduation Rate component.
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General Instructions

Reporting period covered
This report requests data on a cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates
enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2007 or (2) during the period between September 1,
2007 and August 31, 2008. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2010.
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Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component
items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search
tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness
before posting them on the College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of their
entries.
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Coverage
Who to Include 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 term.
Students must be enrolled in courses creditable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those
enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.
Be sure to include full-time students taking remedial courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for
the purpose of student financial aid determination.
A student who is designated as a member of the 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.

Who to Exclude from the Cohort
DO NOT include students in the cohort who are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a formal award or the completion of a vocational
program (i.e., nondegree seeking).
Taking CEUs unless they are also enrolled full time in courses creditable toward a degree or other
formal award.
Exclusively auditing classes.
Studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at this institution is only an
administrative record and the fee is only nominal.
In any branch campus located in a foreign country.
Part time.
Transfers into the institution.

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Where to Get Help
IPEDS Data Collection Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-225-2568
Email: ipedshelp@rti.org

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

IPEDS Resources Page
In addition, the IPEDS Resources Page contains frequently asked questions, a link to the glossary, data tip
sheets, an archive of survey instruments, information on the new race/ethnicity categories and other relevant
information.
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Where the Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
•
•
•

College Navigator Website
IPEDS Data Center
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
•
•
•
•
•

IPEDS First Looks
IPEDS Table Library
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education

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Reporting Instructions

Screening Questions:
Please read these questions carefully. Your responses will determine whether or not you need to complete the
survey and which sections you should complete. The data collection system will use your answers to these
questions to determine which screens for data entry will follow.

•

Please provide the URL where the Student-Right-to-Know information is disclosed on your
institution's website.

•

Indicate if your institution offers programs of 3 or 3-1/2 years or longer.

•

The method used to establish the cohort reported on this survey has been predetermined by
your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (D1) on the
Institutional Characteristics survey component of the IPEDS Fall 2010 Data Collection,
according to the following rules:

•

1.

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 a census date of October 15, 2007, or the end of the
institution's drop-add period, or another official fall reporting date to determine the cohort.
This should be the same reporting date established for your IPEDS Fall Enrollment report.

2.

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,
2007 and August 31, 2008, 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.

Indicate whether your institution needs to make revisions to the initial cohort.
Institutions can make revisions to their cohort because they have omitted cohort-eligible students
previously, or because some students have been misclassified by race/ethnicity or gender.

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Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category
Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category- New categories (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 data, please see the full Federal Register notice.
Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of
Education using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States
citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.
•

Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:
•
•
•
•
•
•

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

In addition, the following categories may be used:

•
•

Nonresident alien
Race and ethnicity unknown

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

•

•
•
•

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

Other descriptive categories
•

•

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

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Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - Old Categories (1977
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.
Method of collection - The manner of collecting racial/ethnic information is left to the discretion of the
institution provided that the system which is established results in reasonably accurate data, which may be
replicated by others when the same documented system is utilized. One acceptable method is a properly
controlled system of post-enrollment self-identification by students. If a self-identification method is utilized, a
verification procedure to ascertain the completeness and accuracy of student submissions should also be
employed. An employer may acquire the racial/ethnic information necessary for this section either by visual
survey of the work force or from post-employment records.
Assignment to categories - For the purpose of this report, an individual may be included in the group to
which he or she appears to belong, identifies with, or is regarded in the community as belonging. However, no
person may be counted in more than one racial/ethnic category. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only
for United States citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.
Racial/ethnic descriptions - Racial/ethnic designations as used in this survey do not denote scientific
definitions of anthropological origins. The categories are:

• Black, non-Hispanic - A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (except those of
Hispanic origin).
• American Indian/Alaska Native - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America
and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.

• Asian/Pacific Islander - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast
Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or Pacific Islands. This includes people from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine
Islands, American Samoa, India, and Vietnam.
• Hispanic - A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture
or origin, regardless of race.
• White, non-Hispanic - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the
Middle East (except those of Hispanic origin).
Other descriptive categories

• Nonresident alien - A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this
country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. NOTE - Nonresident
aliens are to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of the five racial/ethnic
categories. Resident aliens and other eligible (for financial aid purposes) non-citizens who are not citizens or
nationals of the United States and who have been admitted as legal immigrants for the purpose of obtaining
permanent resident alien status (and who hold either an alien registration card (Form I-551 or I-151), a
Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) with a notation that
conveys legal immigrant status such as Section 207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee
or Cuban-Haitian) are to be reported in the appropriate racial/ethnic categories along with United States
citizens.
• Race/ethnicity unknown - This category is used ONLY if the student did not select a racial/ethnic
designation, AND the postsecondary institution finds it impossible to place the student in one of the
racial/ethnic categories during established enrollment procedures or in any post-enrollment identification or
verification process.
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Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category - Mixture of New and Old Categories
Institutions may choose, during the optional period for each survey component, to report using a mixture of
new and old race/ethnicity categories within the same survey component. In this case, all 14 categories will
show on the data collection screen at the same time.
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Section III - Full-Time, First-Time Degree/certificate-seeking Students
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2007 cohort of degree/certificate-seeking students as of August 31,
2010 in terms of the number of completers within 150% of normal time to award, by length 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 students
who transferred into your institution.
Count completers only once and indicate the highest degree 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.
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. The student receives full credit toward a 5-year bachelor's degree and qualifies the
student for admission into the fourth year of a 5-year bachelor's degree program.

**SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONS WITH 3-YEAR AND LONGER
PROGRAMS**
Institutions with 3-year and longer programs are to report on the same cohort of students that is
being reported by the traditional 2-year institutions. Section III, column 47 requests the number of
students still enrolled in 3-year and longer programs. Be sure to complete the information
requested in this item. NCES will also request that institutions with 3-year and longer programs
report data and calculate a graduation rate after 5-1/4 years. A special supplementary form will be
used in Spring 2013 to collect this information on your 2007 cohort.
Initial Cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information you reported on line 01 of
your 2007 IPEDS Fall Enrollment report 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 (10) - If you have any revisions to the data in the initial cohort column, make
any necessary corrections for omissions or double counting in the revised cohort column. Enter the
data according to student race/ethnicity and gender. If your data do not appear in the initial cohort
column, please provide the enrollment data as requested in the revised cohort column.
Completers within 150% of Normal Time (11, 12)
In order to calculate a graduation rate to comply with Student Right-to-Know regulations,
institutions can count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or
completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of normal program time. See Glossary for
definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students who get their degree
from another institution.
Completed <2-yr within 150% (11) - Enter the number of students who completed programs
of less than 2 years within 150% of normal time. 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.
Completed 2<4 yr within 150% (12) - Indicate the number of students who completed
programs of at least 2 years but less than 4 years within 150% of normal time to completion of
their program. For example, a student who completed a 3-year program in 4-1/2 years or less
should be reported in column 12.
Total completers within 150% (29) - This column is the sum of the previous two columns, and
is calculated by the data collection system.
Total transfer-out students (30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution, report the total number
of students who transferred out of your institution (without a degree/award) within 150% of
normal time to completion. Include students who transferred out of your institution and
subsequently re-enrolled. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you
wish.
Total exclusions (45)- Indicate the total number of students who left your institution (and have
neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) because of one of the following
documented reasons:
1.
2.
3.
4.

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 in b, c, or d above, but return prior to
the status date of August 31, 2010, may be subtracted from the cohort during the calculation of graduation
rates.
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% (49) - This column is
generated by the calculation of Col 10 - (Col 29 + Col 30 + Col 45).
Completers within 100% of Normal Time (55,56)

This data is being collected to be used as preloaded data in next year's Graduation Rate 200%
component. For this section, institutions can count as completers only those students who received their
degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 100% of normal program time. See
Glossary for definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students who get their
degree from another institution.
Completed <2-yr within 100% (55) - Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than
2 years 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.
Completed 2<4 yr within 100% (56) - Indicate the number of students who completed programs of at
least 2 years but less than 4 years within 100% of normal time to completion of their program.

Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates, and 4-Year Average Rates
Worksheets
Worksheets calculating the Student Right-To-Know completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates for the 2007 student cohort are provided as a
convenience to the institution.
Worksheets calculating the overall four-year average completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of fulltime, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates for the student cohort are also provided. Data
previously reported by the institution have been preloaded to use in these calculations.
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.
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Glossary

date: 12/9/2010

Term

Definition

Adjusted cohort

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

American Indian or Alaska
Native (new definition)

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 (new definition)

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.

Associate's degree

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

Black or African American
(new definition)

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

Cohort

A specific group of students established for tracking purposes.

Completers within 150%
of normal time

Students who completed their program within 150% of the normal (or expected) time for completion.

Exclusions

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

First-time student
(undergraduate)

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

Full-time student

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

Full-year cohort

The group of students entering at any time during the 12-month period September 1 through August
31 that is established for tracking and reporting Graduation Rate (GRS) data for institutions that
primarily offer occupational programs of varying lengths. Students must be full-time and first-time to
be considered in the cohort.

Graduation rate

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

Graduation Rates (GRS)

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

Hispanic or Latino (new
definition)

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

Initial cohort

A specific group of individuals established for tracking purposes. For the Graduation Rates component
of IPEDS, the initial cohort is defined as all students who enter an institution as full-time, first-time
degree/certificate-seeking students during either (1) the fall term of a given academic year, or (2)
between September 1st and August 31st of the following year.

Long programs

Undergraduate programs that exceed the usual program length for a specific level. This would include
programs of 5 years or longer for 4-year institutions and programs of 3 years or longer for 2-year
institutions.

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander (new
definition)

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

Nonresident alien

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

Normal time to
completion

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

Race/ethnicity unknown

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

Revised cohort

Initial cohort after revisions are made. Cohorts may be revised if an institution discovers that
incorrect data were reported in an earlier year.
Student Right-to-Know
Act

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

Transfer-out rate

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

Transfer-out student

A student that leaves the reporting institution and enrolls at another institution.

Transfer-preparatory
program

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

White (new definition)

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

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates for 2-year institutions
date: 12/9/2010

FAQs
Click one of the following questions to view the answer.

General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How do I choose
my cohort?
2) My institution does not have any information on the cohort you are requesting. Do I have to do anything this year?
3) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?
4) Do I need to track students every term?

Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?
2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?
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?
4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?
5) How do I report students who are taking ESL (English as a Second Language) or developmental courses?
6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?
7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-seeking student this fall, can I count the
student as "first-time"?
8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?
9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?
10) How do I treat new entrants that get credit for life experience?
11) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?
12) Many of our students take courses during the summer at other schools; should these be considered transfers out?
13) My initial cohort includes all full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled as of October 15 - the same as on my
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. Now what happens to: stop outs, drop outs, students who enroll part time next semester, or students
who switch to another program?
14) If a student in my cohort obtains two undergraduate level degree/awards (certificate in cosmetology and an AA) within the 3year period, can I count both completions?

Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
1) How do I calculate 150% of normal time to completion?
2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count students who complete their program through August 31 of the 3rd year, but
what if the student does not receive the degree until our December graduation? Does this mean I cannot count them as completers?
3) How do I calculate 150% for students who stop out, or drop out, and then return and complete the program?

Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?
2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?
3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I still in
compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

Other
1) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my school. Do I need
to try to track these "leavers"?
2) What is a "transfer-preparatory program"?
3) 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 do I use?
4) 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?
5) My school has mostly 3-year programs. According to the Student Right-to-Know (SRK) regulations, I need not disclose graduation
rates until 4 1 /2 years after the start of my fall 2007 cohort. Do I still need to respond to the IPEDS GRS after 3 years?
6) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?
7) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

Answers:
General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How
do I choose my cohort?

If most programs operate on a term basis (semester, quarter or trimester), you must use a fall cohort;
otherwise, you must use a full-year cohort. The cohort method you must use has been pre-determined by
your answer to the Calendar System question on the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey.
Back to top
2) 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 reporting is mandatory for institutions that did enroll full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students during the cohort year. If you did not enroll this
type of student or your institution was not in operation during the cohort year, please report this information
on the Institutional Characteristics survey.
Back to top
3) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?

There is a difference between revising and adjusting a cohort. Revising a cohort means to change the cohort
by taking into consideration better information that has become available since you first reported your cohort
on the Fall Enrollment survey (e.g., you may now have more complete racial/ethnic information on the
cohort). You can revise a fall cohort by entering new data in the Revised Cohort column on the data
collection screen. Adjusting a cohort means to subtract the Exclusions from the Revised Cohort to establish
a denominator for rate calculation. Both fall and full-year cohorts will be adjusted for you on the worksheet
screens when graduation and transfer-out rates are calculated.
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4) 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 for the longest program, look back to see what happened to those in the cohort. You will need to know
when they completed, but it is not necessary to compare or track from term-to-term.
Back to top
Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?

According to the IPEDS Glossary, a first-time student is "A student attending any institution for the first time
at the level enrolled." By this we mean at the undergraduate level, graduate level, or first-professional level.
Since the GRS is only interested in undergraduates, it means that the student is first time in postsecondary
education (or the student is not known to have attended another postsecondary institution). There are two
exceptions: (1) students who attended any institution 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).
Back to top
2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?

Yes. You need to report the data to NCES regardless of the cohort size. See the questions on disclosure for
further information.
Back to top
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.
Back to top
4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?

The IPEDS GRS does NOT collect information on transfers in. THESE STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED
IN ANY COHORT.
Back to top
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 formal award and if they are not eligible for Title IV Federal financial
aid.
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6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?

Use the same reasoning here that you use to determine who to report as degree/certificate-seeking on your
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. If they are degree/certificate-seeking for purposes of qualifying for student
financial aid, then they must be included in the cohort.
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7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-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 enter with no credit.
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8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?

Neither should be included in your cohort.
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9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?

Even though these students are enrolled for credit, if they are not seeking a degree/certificate, they are not
to be included in your cohort according to the SRK regulations. Be sure to carefully read the definition of
degree-seeking in the Glossary.
Back to top
10) How do I treat new entrants that get credit for life experience?

If the student has never enrolled in a postsecondary institution, they are to be counted as "first-time."
Back to top
11) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?

Since these students must have been enrolled in an institution in order to obtain credit through
correspondence or distance learning, they are not "first-time."
Back to top
12) Many of our students take courses during the summer at other schools; should these be considered transfers out?

No. Keep the students in your cohort since they return in the fall and continue their programs of study.
Back to top
13) My initial cohort includes all full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled as of October 15 - the
same as on my IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. Now what happens to: stop outs, drop outs, students who enroll part time
next semester, or students who switch to another program?

It looks like your cohort is defined correctly. Remember YOUR COHORT NEVER CHANGES. Students who stop
out or drop out do not change the cohort number. They remain in the count; if they complete within 150%
please report them as such. Students who switch to part time or to another program are not given extra time
to complete, nor are they removed from the cohort. Report their status as requested.
Back to top
14) If a student in my cohort obtains two undergraduate level degree/awards (certificate in cosmetology and an AA)
within the 3-year period, can I count both completions?

No, you may only count one. NCES recommends that you report the highest degree attained, but it is your
decision as to which one you prefer to report.
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Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
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. Normal
time is defined as "the time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate
according to an institution’s catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for a bachelor’s degree, 2 years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for an associate’s degree, and the scheduled times for certificate programs." Let’s
look at some examples:
Many bachelor’s degree programs are outlined as 4-year programs - 8 semesters – usually fall and spring.
Extending this to 150% (1.5 x 8) would take 12 semesters or through the end of the spring term of the
sixth year.
Similarly, an associate’s degree that is advertised as a 2-year program - 6 quarters (fall, winter, spring, with
no scheduled summer quarter), would extend to (1.5 x 6) or 9 quarters through the end of the spring
quarter of the third year.
However, the Technical Amendments that redefine the cohort year allow you to count completers through
August 31 of the summer following the sixth year of a 4-year program (or the third year for 2-year
programs).
Certificate programs must be handled somewhat differently. If a 900 contact 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.
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2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count students who complete their program through August 31 of the
3rd 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 (i.e., an award date of, or prior to, August 31 is noted on the student’s record), and just
allow the student to "pick it up" at the December ceremony, then you should be able to count the student in
your completions.
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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 is applied to the 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.
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Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?

The November 1, 2000 regulations state 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 can be calculated. The students to be reported as transfers are those who have
NOT completed a degree, certificate, or transfer preparatory program, so they cannot be counted as
completers. If the institution does not have such a mission, reporting of transfers out is optional.
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2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?

None. All verification requirements were dropped from the November 1, 2000 regulations.
Back to top
3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I
still in compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

As long as your institution does not include the substantial preparation of 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 need to be able to track transfers out and report them.
Back to top
Other
1) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my
school. Do I need to try 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.
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2) 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 "formal award") are to be counted as completers.
Back to top
3) 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 do 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 a 2007
cohort; therefore, you should look at those students who entered your institution between September 1,
2007 and August 31, 2008. Next, assuming the latest possible enrollment date would be August 31, 2008,
150% of 9 months following this date would extend to October 15, 2009 (13 1 /2 months later). In order to
complete the IPEDS GRS, the first status date following this is August 31, 2010 and the report is due in the
Spring 2011 data collection, so you are on track for reporting on this cohort.
Back to top
4) 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.
Back to top
5) My school has mostly 3-year programs. According to the Student Right-to-Know (SRK) regulations, I need not
disclose graduation rates until 4 1 /2 years after the start of my fall 2007 cohort. Do I still need to respond to the
IPEDS GRS after 3 years?

Yes. IPEDS is mandated by a different law and must be completed by institutions that have Program
Participation Agreements (PPA’s) with the Department of Education for Federal student financial assistance.

Each year, you are asked to report on the requested cohort after 3 years on the GRS survey form for 2-year
institutions. There is a specific question in Part C where you are asked to report the number of students still
enrolled in 3-year programs. In addition, institutions will be asked to report on this same cohort after 6 years
has elapsed. At that time you can also calculate the graduation rate and transfer out rate for Student Right-to
-Know disclosure. This additional information will be reported in a supplemental data collection within the
web-based system.
For example:
Survey Year
2010
2011
2012

Report after 3 years on
2007 cohort
2008 cohort
2009 cohort

Report after 6 years on
2004 cohort
2005 cohort
2006 cohort
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6) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?

NO! NO! and NO! The GRS 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
consistency in the way the rates are calculated. SRK requires disclosure of these rates to students and
prospective students. By completing the GRS, you now have the rates you need to disclose. But you need to
make them available. For schools that offer athletically-related student aid, there are additional disclosure
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7) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

The regulations state that beginning with the group of students who enter the institution between September
1, 1999 and August 31, 2000, an institution shall disclose its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out
rate information no later than the July 1 immediately following the point in time that 150% of the normal
time for completion or graduation has elapsed for all of the students in the groups on which the institution
bases its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out rate calculations.
Therefore, at a minimum, you must disclose (July 1) your graduation and transfer-out rates (as of August 31
of the prior year). In addition, institutions for which transfer out is an important part of their mission must
also disclose a transfer-out rate. The Secretary urges institutions to disclose as much additional information
as warranted to help consumers understand institutional mission, etc. Thus you should consider additional
rates as well, such as rates for part-time students and possibly rates 8 or 10 years out, if your students take
longer to complete. The SRK regulations state that if a category of students within an athletic subcohort
contains 5 or fewer students, institutions need not disclose information on the category of students.
Back to top

2010-11 Survey Materials

date: 12/9/2010

Narrative Edits for Graduation Rates for 2-year institutions

Edit specifications for the 2010-11 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection
Graduation Rates (GRS) Component
Applicable to 2-year institutions
Note: The specifications in this document apply to the institutions listed above. Some sections and parts may not
apply to your particular institution. Please read the specifications carefully to determine which sections and/or parts
apply to your institution.
All screens must be completed in order to lock the survey.
Screening Questions, Part 1
Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision
Section III: Cohort Data
Worksheets

Screening Questions, Part 1

You must respond to the following screening questions:
•
•

Does your institution use a website to disclose Student-Right-to-Know student athlete graduation rates?
◦ If you select Yes, the URL must be provided.
Does your institution offer programs of 3 years or longer?
◦ If you select Yes, additional screens will be generated in Section III of this survey for reporting data on
Long Programs.

The above screening questions are critical data items. To lock the survey, both questions must be answered completely.
Top

Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision

Applicable to Academic reporters ONLY
On this screen, you may choose to revise your institution's Initial cohort if eligible students were previously omitted from the
cohort, or the racial or ethnic category of a student was misrepresented.
•

If you select Yes (to indicate that you wish to report changes to the Initial cohort), a Revised Cohort column
will be provided in Section III of this survey for entering the necessary corrections.

Top

Section III: Cohort Data

Use Section III to report the status of the Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate seeking students for Cohort year 2007.
The following screens must be completed:
Completers within 150%

On this screen, you must report the number of students by race/ethnicity and gender who completed programs of less-thantwo years (column 11), and programs of at-least-two but less-than-four years (column 12) within 150% of normal time to
completion.
For each individual program length (columns 11 and 12), the system will calculate the Total men + women to determine the
grand total number of completers by length of time to completion.
In addition, for each row of data, the system will calculate the sum of columns 11 and 12 to determine the number of Total
completers within 150% (column 29).
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•
•

•

The number of Total completers within 150% (column 29) must be greater than 0. Otherwise, a fatal error will
occur to prevent a graduation rate of 0.0% on your institution's College Navigator page.
If the number of Total Completers within 150% is greater than 10; THEN,
This value must be less than:
The cohort (column 10) – the number of Total Exclusions (from the Transfers/Exclusions screen)
Otherwise, a fatal error will occur to prevent a graduation rate of 100% on your institution's College Navigator
page.
If the prior year Adjusted cohort (from the 4-year-average, part 1 worksheet) is greater than 0; AND the
number of Total Exclusions is greater than 0; THEN:

Total Completers within 150% * 100
____________________________________________________________________________
The cohort (column 10) – the number of Total Exclusions
Should be within a 20% range of the following:
PY Total Completers within 150% (from the 4-year-average, part 2 worksheet) * 100
______________________________________________________________________________
The PY Adjusted cohort
Completers within 150%: Revised Cohort
Applicable ONLY to those institutions that indicated that they wished to revise their initial cohort on the Screening
Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen
*The edits outlined below are performed in addition to those listed above
If you selected Yes on the Screening Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen, indicating that you wish to make changes
to your institution's preloaded Initial cohort, then an additional Revised cohort column (column 10) is available on the
Completers within 150% screen for entering the necessary corrections. These revised values will be used to represent the
Cohort on all subsequent screens. If you no longer wish to revise the cohort, return to the Screening Questions, part 2 Cohort revision screen and select No.
In addition to the general edits performed above, the system will perform the following edits relevant to the Revised Cohort:
•
•

The calculated Total men + women in the Revised Cohort (column 10) must be greater than 0.
The Revised Cohort must be within a certain range of the Initial cohort, as outlined below:
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 1 and 25 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 50% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 26 and 100 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 30% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 101 and 500 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 20% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is greater than 500 students, then the Total
men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 10% range of that value.

Transfers/Exclusions

On this screen, you must report the number of Total transfer-out students (column 30) and Total exclusions (column 45)
from the cohort by race/ethnicity and gender for Cohort year 2007.
The system will calculate the Total men + women for each column to determine the grand total number of transfer-out
students and exclusions.
In addition, for each row of data, the sum of columns 30, 45, and 29 (Total completers within 150%) is subtracted from the
cohort (column 10) to determine the total number of Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150%
(column 49).
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•

•

•

The calculated total number of Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150%
(column 49) must be greater than or equal to 0. To correct this value, the sum of Total completers within
150% (column 29), Total transfer-out students (column 30), and Total exclusions (column 45) must be less
than or equal to the cohort (column 10).
If the number of Total exclusions (men + women) (column 45) is greater than 10, then this value is expected to
be less than or equal to 10% of the total number of men and women in the cohort (column 10).
Note: Exclusions should ONLY include students who died or were permanently disabled; or who left school to join
the military, to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government, or to serve on an official church
mission. Do NOT include all non-completers in this column.
If the number of Total Transfer-out students (column 30) is greater than 50; AND,
The Total in prior year (men and women) value is greater than 0 for both Total transfer-out students and
the cohort (column 10); THEN,
The number of Total Transfer-out students in the current year must be within a 25% range of the following:

The cohort (column 10) * the PY number of Total transfer-out students
____________________________________________________________________________
The PY cohort
• An explanation must be provided if your institution reported having 0 Non-completers (column 49); and your institution
reported having more than 100 men and women in the cohort (column 10); and your institution reported having more
than 10 Total transfer-out students (column 30).
Note: Please verify that non-completers were not reported erroneously as transfer-out students (column 30) or exclusions

(column 45).
Completers within 100%
On this screen, you must report the number of students in the cohort who completed programs of less-than-2-years (column
55) and programs of at-least-two but less-than-four years (column 56) within 100% of normal time to completion. The
system will calculate the sum of columns 55 and 56 to determine the number of Total completers within 100% (column 57).
The system will perform the following edit on the data entered:
•

The number of Total completers within 100% (column 57) should be less than or equal to the previously
reported Total completers within 150% (from the Completers within 150% screen).

Long Programs
Applicable to institutions that responded Yes to the question “Does your institution offer bachelor's degree programs
of 3 years or longer?” on the Screening Questions, part 1 screen
On this screen, data must be provided on the number of students from the cohort who are Still enrolled in programs of 3
years or longer (column 47) by race/ethnicity and gender. The system will calculate the Total men + women to determine the
grand total number of students who are Still enrolled in programs of 3 years or longer.
The system will perform the following edit on the data entered:

•

The number of students Still enrolled in programs of 3 years or longer (column 47) must be less than or
equal to the calculated number of Non-completers (still enrolled and not enrolled) and completers >
150% (column 49).

Top

Worksheets

Additional worksheet screens have been included at the end of the survey. These screens provide your institution with a
summary of the data entered, along with prior year data. This includes: Graduation and transfer-out rates, Graduation and
transfer-out rates by length of time to degree, and 4-year average Graduation rates..
Top

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates
date: 12/9/2010

Form: Graduation Rates for 2-year institutions reporting on a full-year cohort
(program reporters)
Screening questions
Does your institution use a website to disclose Student-Right-to-Know student athlete graduation rates?

No.

Yes. Please provide the URL.

Does your institution offer programs of 3 years or longer?

http://

If you answer Yes to this question, a screen will be generated for you to report the number of students still
enrolled in long programs as of August 31, 2010.
No.                                                                                               
Yes.
Based on your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (B3) on the Institutional
Characteristics Header survey from the IPEDS Fall 2010 Data Collection, your institution must report graduation
rates data using a

Full-Year Cohort (September 1, 2007 - August 31, 2008)

A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4, other
academic). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and
operating on a continuous basis.
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description.
These
context
notes
will
be on
posted
the
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Navigator.
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You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above. These context notes

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

Section III - Graduation Rate - Completers within 150%
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the Full-time, First-time degree/certificate-seeking students reported in the
cohort in Col 10.
•Those who completed their program within 150% of normal time as of August 31, 2010 should be reported in either Col
11 or 12, depending on the length of the program.
Cohort of Full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students
Screen 1 of 3

Initial
cohort

Revised cohort

Cohort year 2007
Cohort students who completed their program within
Total
150% of normal time to completion
completers
within
Completers of programs of Completers of programs of
150%
<2-yrs
2<4-yrs
(11)
(12)
(29)

(10)
Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and

ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American

Native Hawaiian
or Other Pacific
Islander
White
Two or more
races
OLD categories:
Black, nonHispanic
American
Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and

ethnicity unknown

Total women

Total men +
women

Section III - Graduation Rate - Transfers/exclusions
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the Full-time, First-time degree/certificate-seeking students reported in the
subcohort in Col 10, who did not complete a program as of August 31, 2010.
•Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Col 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed their programs,
you should 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 school. 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 exclusions from the cohort in Col 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
students who died or became 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
•Col 49 [non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% of normal time] will be calculated for you
•If you do not have any values to enter in either column 30 or 45, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this
screen
Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students
Screen 2 of 3

Cohort year 2007
Total
Total transfer-out students
Total exclusions
completers
within 150%
(10)
(29)
(30)
(45)

Cohort

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or

Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian or

Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity

unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:

Non-completers (still
enrolled + not enrolled)
and completers > 150%
(49)

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

American Indian or

Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian or

Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity

unknown

Total women

Total men +
women
Total in prior year

(men and women)

Section III - Graduation Rate - Completers within 100%
•In the columns below, report the status of the Full-time, First-time degree/certificate-seeking students reported in the
cohort in Col 10.
•Those who completed their program within 100% of normal time should be reported in either Col 55 or 56, depending
on the length of the program.
•These data are being requested so that they may be preloaded into next year's Graduation Rate 200% survey form.
Cohort of Full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students

Cohort year 2007
Revised cohort Exclusions Cohort students who completed their program within Total completers
100% of normal time to completion
within 100%
Completers of programs of Completers of programs of
<2-yrs
2<4-yrs

(55)
(56)
(57)

Total men + women

Section III - Graduation Rate - Long Programs
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•Non-completers still enrolled plus non-completers not enrolled as calculated on the previous page are listed in Col 49.
If any of those students were still enrolled in long programs as of August 31, 2010, report them in Col 47; these are the
only double counted students on this survey, as they are counted in both Col 49 and Col 47.
Cohort of Full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students
Screen 3 of 3

Cohort year 2007
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and Still enrolled in programs of 3 years or
completers > 150%
longer
(49)
(47)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women

Total men + women

2010-11 Survey Materials

GRS- 2yr program reporters - Full Instructions
date: 12/9/2010

Instruction

GRS Purpose
Changes in Reporting
General Instructions Header
Reporting Period Covered
Coverage
Where to get help
Where data appears
Context boxes
Screening questions
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender -- Old Categories (1977
OMB)
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - New categories (1997
OMB)
Reporting Students by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - Mixture of New and Old
Categories
Data Reporting Instructions

Purpose of Survey
The purpose of the Graduation Rate component of IPEDS is to track the cohorts of first-time, full-time,
degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates, as well as their completion status at 150% of normal time at
postsecondary institutions. This data is collected to comply with the Student-Right-to-Know Act.
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Changes in Reporting
For 2010-11, there are no changes in reporting for the Graduation Rate component.
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General Instructions

Reporting period covered
This report requests data on a cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates
enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2007 or (2) during the period between September 1,
2007 and August 31, 2008. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2010.
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Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component
items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search
tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness
before posting them on the College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of their
entries.
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Coverage
Who to Include 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 term.
Students must be enrolled in courses creditable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those
enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.
Be sure to include full-time students taking remedial courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for
the purpose of student financial aid determination.
A student who is designated as a member of the 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.

Who to Exclude from the Cohort
DO NOT include students in the cohort who are:
•
•
•
•
•
•

Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a formal award or the completion of a vocational
program (i.e., nondegree seeking).
Taking CEUs unless they are also enrolled full time in courses creditable toward a degree or other
formal award.
Exclusively auditing classes.
Studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at this institution is only an
administrative record and the fee is only nominal.
In any branch campus located in a foreign country.
Part time.

•

Transfers into the institution.

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Where to Get Help
IPEDS Data Collection Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-225-2568
Email: ipedshelp@rti.org

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

IPEDS Resources Page
In addition, the IPEDS Resources Page contains frequently asked questions, a link to the glossary, data tip
sheets, an archive of survey instruments, information on the new race/ethnicity categories and other relevant
information.
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Where the Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
•
•
•

College Navigator Website
IPEDS Data Center
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
•
•
•
•
•

IPEDS First Looks
IPEDS Table Library
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education

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Reporting Instructions

Screening Questions:

Please read these questions carefully. Your responses will determine whether or not you need to complete the
survey and which sections you should complete. The data collection system will use your answers to these
questions to determine which screens for data entry will follow.
•

Please provide the URL where the Student-Right-to-Know information is disclosed on your
institution's website.

•

Indicate if your institution offers programs of 3 or 3-1/2 years or longer.

•

The method used to establish the cohort reported on this survey has been predetermined by
your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (D1) on the
Institutional Characteristics survey component of the IPEDS Fall 2010 Data Collection,
according to the following rules:
1.

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 a census date of October 15, 2007, or the end of the
institution's drop-add period, or another official fall reporting date to determine the cohort.
This should be the same reporting date established for your IPEDS Fall Enrollment report.

2.

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,
2007 and August 31, 2008, 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.

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Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category
Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category- New categories (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 data, please see the full Federal Register notice.
Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of
Education using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States
citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.
•

Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:
•
•
•
•
•
•

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

In addition, the following categories may be used:

•
•

Nonresident alien
Race and ethnicity unknown

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

•

•
•
•

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

Other descriptive categories
•

•

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

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Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - Old Categories (1977
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.
Method of collection - The manner of collecting racial/ethnic information is left to the discretion of the
institution provided that the system which is established results in reasonably accurate data, which may be
replicated by others when the same documented system is utilized. One acceptable method is a properly
controlled system of post-enrollment self-identification by students. If a self-identification method is utilized, a
verification procedure to ascertain the completeness and accuracy of student submissions should also be
employed. An employer may acquire the racial/ethnic information necessary for this section either by visual
survey of the work force or from post-employment records.
Assignment to categories - For the purpose of this report, an individual may be included in the group to
which he or she appears to belong, identifies with, or is regarded in the community as belonging. However, no
person may be counted in more than one racial/ethnic category. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only
for United States citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.
Racial/ethnic descriptions - Racial/ethnic designations as used in this survey do not denote scientific
definitions of anthropological origins. The categories are:

• Black, non-Hispanic - A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (except those of
Hispanic origin).
• American Indian/Alaska Native - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America
and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.

• Asian/Pacific Islander - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast
Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or Pacific Islands. This includes people from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine
Islands, American Samoa, India, and Vietnam.
• Hispanic - A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture
or origin, regardless of race.
• White, non-Hispanic - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the
Middle East (except those of Hispanic origin).
Other descriptive categories

• Nonresident alien - A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this
country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. NOTE - Nonresident
aliens are to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of the five racial/ethnic
categories. Resident aliens and other eligible (for financial aid purposes) non-citizens who are not citizens or
nationals of the United States and who have been admitted as legal immigrants for the purpose of obtaining
permanent resident alien status (and who hold either an alien registration card (Form I-551 or I-151), a
Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) with a notation that
conveys legal immigrant status such as Section 207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee
or Cuban-Haitian) are to be reported in the appropriate racial/ethnic categories along with United States
citizens.
• Race/ethnicity unknown - This category is used ONLY if the student did not select a racial/ethnic
designation, AND the postsecondary institution finds it impossible to place the student in one of the
racial/ethnic categories during established enrollment procedures or in any post-enrollment identification or
verification process.
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Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category - Mixture of New and Old Categories
Institutions may choose, during the optional period for each survey component, to report using a mixture of
new and old race/ethnicity categories within the same survey component. In this case, all 14 categories will
show on the data collection screen at the same time.
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Section III - Full-Time, First-Time Degree/certificate-seeking Students
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2007 cohort of degree/certificate-seeking students as of August 31,
2010 in terms of the number of completers within 150% of normal time to award, by length 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 students
who transferred into your institution.
Count completers only once and indicate the highest degree 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.
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. The student receives full credit toward a 5-year bachelor's degree and qualifies the
student for admission into the fourth year of a 5-year bachelor's degree program.

**SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONS WITH 3-YEAR AND LONGER
PROGRAMS**
Institutions with 3-year and longer programs are to report on the same cohort of students that is
being reported by the traditional 2-year institutions. Section III, column 47 requests the number of
students still enrolled in 3-year and longer programs. Be sure to complete the information
requested in this item. NCES will also request that institutions with 3-year and longer programs
report data and calculate a graduation rate after 5-1/4 years. A special supplementary form will be
used in Spring 2013 to collect this information on your 2007 cohort.
Initial Cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information you reported on line 01 of
your 2007 IPEDS Fall Enrollment report 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 (10) - If you have any revisions to the data in the initial cohort column, make
any necessary corrections for omissions or double counting in the revised cohort column. Enter the
data according to student race/ethnicity and gender. If your data do not appear in the initial cohort
column, please provide the enrollment data as requested in the revised cohort column.
Completers within 150% of Normal Time (11, 12)
In order to calculate a graduation rate to comply with Student Right-to-Know regulations,
institutions can count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or
completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of normal program time. See Glossary for
definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students who get their degree
from another institution.
Completed <2-yr within 150% (11) - Enter the number of students who completed programs
of less than 2 years within 150% of normal time. 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.
Completed 2<4 yr within 150% (12) - Indicate the number of students who completed
programs of at least 2 years but less than 4 years within 150% of normal time to completion of
their program. For example, a student who completed a 3-year program in 4-1/2 years or less
should be reported in column 12.
Total completers within 150% (29) - This column is the sum of the previous two columns, and
is calculated by the data collection system.
Total transfer-out students (30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution, report the total number
of students who transferred out of your institution (without a degree/award) within 150% of
normal time to completion. Include students who transferred out of your institution and
subsequently re-enrolled. If it is not part of your mission, you may report transfer-out data if you
wish.
Total exclusions (45)- Indicate the total number of students who left your institution (and have
neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) because of one of the following
documented reasons:
1.
2.
3.
4.

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 in b, c, or d above, but return prior to
the status date of August 31, 2010, may be subtracted from the cohort during the calculation of graduation
rates.
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% (49) - This column is
generated by the calculation of Col 10 - (Col 29 + Col 30 + Col 45).
Completers within 100% of Normal Time (55,56)

This data is being collected to be used as preloaded data in next year's Graduation Rate 200%
component. For this section, institutions can count as completers only those students who received their
degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 100% of normal program time. See
Glossary for definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students who get their
degree from another institution.
Completed <2-yr within 100% (55) - Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than
2 years 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.
Completed 2<4 yr within 100% (56) - Indicate the number of students who completed programs of at
least 2 years but less than 4 years within 100% of normal time to completion of their program.

Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates, and 4-Year Average Rates
Worksheets
Worksheets calculating the Student Right-To-Know completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates for the 2007 student cohort are provided as a
convenience to the institution.
Worksheets calculating the overall four-year average completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of fulltime, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates for the student cohort are also provided. Data
previously reported by the institution have been preloaded to use in these calculations.
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.
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Glossary

date: 12/9/2010

Term

Definition

Adjusted cohort

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

American Indian or Alaska
Native (new definition)

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 (new definition)

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.

Associate's degree

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

Black or African American
(new definition)

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

Cohort

A specific group of students established for tracking purposes.

Completers within 150%
of normal time

Students who completed their program within 150% of the normal (or expected) time for completion.

Exclusions

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

First-time student
(undergraduate)

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

Full-time student

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

Full-year cohort

The group of students entering at any time during the 12-month period September 1 through August
31 that is established for tracking and reporting Graduation Rate (GRS) data for institutions that
primarily offer occupational programs of varying lengths. Students must be full-time and first-time to
be considered in the cohort.

Graduation rate

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

Graduation Rates (GRS)

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

Hispanic or Latino (new
definition)

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

Initial cohort

A specific group of individuals established for tracking purposes. For the Graduation Rates component
of IPEDS, the initial cohort is defined as all students who enter an institution as full-time, first-time
degree/certificate-seeking students during either (1) the fall term of a given academic year, or (2)
between September 1st and August 31st of the following year.

Long programs

Undergraduate programs that exceed the usual program length for a specific level. This would include
programs of 5 years or longer for 4-year institutions and programs of 3 years or longer for 2-year
institutions.

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander (new
definition)

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

Nonresident alien

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

Normal time to
completion

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

Race/ethnicity unknown

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

Revised cohort

Initial cohort after revisions are made. Cohorts may be revised if an institution discovers that
incorrect data were reported in an earlier year.
Student Right-to-Know
Act

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

Transfer-out rate

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

Transfer-out student

A student that leaves the reporting institution and enrolls at another institution.

Transfer-preparatory
program

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

White (new definition)

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

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates for 2-year institutions
date: 12/9/2010

FAQs
Click one of the following questions to view the answer.

General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How do I choose
my cohort?
2) My institution does not have any information on the cohort you are requesting. Do I have to do anything this year?
3) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?
4) Do I need to track students every term?

Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?
2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?
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?
4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?
5) How do I report students who are taking ESL (English as a Second Language) or developmental courses?
6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?
7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-seeking student this fall, can I count the
student as "first-time"?
8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?
9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?
10) How do I treat new entrants that get credit for life experience?
11) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?
12) Many of our students take courses during the summer at other schools; should these be considered transfers out?
13) My initial cohort includes all full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled as of October 15 - the same as on my
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. Now what happens to: stop outs, drop outs, students who enroll part time next semester, or students
who switch to another program?
14) If a student in my cohort obtains two undergraduate level degree/awards (certificate in cosmetology and an AA) within the 3year period, can I count both completions?

Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
1) How do I calculate 150% of normal time to completion?
2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count students who complete their program through August 31 of the 3rd year, but
what if the student does not receive the degree until our December graduation? Does this mean I cannot count them as completers?
3) How do I calculate 150% for students who stop out, or drop out, and then return and complete the program?

Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?
2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?
3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I still in
compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

Other
1) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my school. Do I need
to try to track these "leavers"?
2) What is a "transfer-preparatory program"?
3) 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 do I use?
4) 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?
5) My school has mostly 3-year programs. According to the Student Right-to-Know (SRK) regulations, I need not disclose graduation
rates until 4 1 /2 years after the start of my fall 2007 cohort. Do I still need to respond to the IPEDS GRS after 3 years?
6) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?
7) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

Answers:
General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How
do I choose my cohort?

If most programs operate on a term basis (semester, quarter or trimester), you must use a fall cohort;
otherwise, you must use a full-year cohort. The cohort method you must use has been pre-determined by
your answer to the Calendar System question on the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey.
Back to top
2) 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 reporting is mandatory for institutions that did enroll full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students during the cohort year. If you did not enroll this
type of student or your institution was not in operation during the cohort year, please report this information
on the Institutional Characteristics survey.
Back to top
3) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?

There is a difference between revising and adjusting a cohort. Revising a cohort means to change the cohort
by taking into consideration better information that has become available since you first reported your cohort
on the Fall Enrollment survey (e.g., you may now have more complete racial/ethnic information on the
cohort). You can revise a fall cohort by entering new data in the Revised Cohort column on the data
collection screen. Adjusting a cohort means to subtract the Exclusions from the Revised Cohort to establish
a denominator for rate calculation. Both fall and full-year cohorts will be adjusted for you on the worksheet
screens when graduation and transfer-out rates are calculated.
Back to top
4) 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 for the longest program, look back to see what happened to those in the cohort. You will need to know
when they completed, but it is not necessary to compare or track from term-to-term.
Back to top
Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?

According to the IPEDS Glossary, a first-time student is "A student attending any institution for the first time
at the level enrolled." By this we mean at the undergraduate level, graduate level, or first-professional level.
Since the GRS is only interested in undergraduates, it means that the student is first time in postsecondary
education (or the student is not known to have attended another postsecondary institution). There are two
exceptions: (1) students who attended any institution 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).
Back to top
2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?

Yes. You need to report the data to NCES regardless of the cohort size. See the questions on disclosure for
further information.
Back to top
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.
Back to top
4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?

The IPEDS GRS does NOT collect information on transfers in. THESE STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED
IN ANY COHORT.
Back to top
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 formal award and if they are not eligible for Title IV Federal financial
aid.
Back to top
6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?

Use the same reasoning here that you use to determine who to report as degree/certificate-seeking on your
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. If they are degree/certificate-seeking for purposes of qualifying for student
financial aid, then they must be included in the cohort.
Back to top
7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-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 enter with no credit.
Back to top
8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?

Neither should be included in your cohort.
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9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?

Even though these students are enrolled for credit, if they are not seeking a degree/certificate, they are not
to be included in your cohort according to the SRK regulations. Be sure to carefully read the definition of
degree-seeking in the Glossary.
Back to top
10) How do I treat new entrants that get credit for life experience?

If the student has never enrolled in a postsecondary institution, they are to be counted as "first-time."
Back to top
11) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?

Since these students must have been enrolled in an institution in order to obtain credit through
correspondence or distance learning, they are not "first-time."
Back to top
12) Many of our students take courses during the summer at other schools; should these be considered transfers out?

No. Keep the students in your cohort since they return in the fall and continue their programs of study.
Back to top
13) My initial cohort includes all full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled as of October 15 - the
same as on my IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. Now what happens to: stop outs, drop outs, students who enroll part time
next semester, or students who switch to another program?

It looks like your cohort is defined correctly. Remember YOUR COHORT NEVER CHANGES. Students who stop
out or drop out do not change the cohort number. They remain in the count; if they complete within 150%
please report them as such. Students who switch to part time or to another program are not given extra time
to complete, nor are they removed from the cohort. Report their status as requested.
Back to top
14) If a student in my cohort obtains two undergraduate level degree/awards (certificate in cosmetology and an AA)
within the 3-year period, can I count both completions?

No, you may only count one. NCES recommends that you report the highest degree attained, but it is your
decision as to which one you prefer to report.
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Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
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. Normal
time is defined as "the time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate
according to an institution’s catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for a bachelor’s degree, 2 years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for an associate’s degree, and the scheduled times for certificate programs." Let’s
look at some examples:
Many bachelor’s degree programs are outlined as 4-year programs - 8 semesters – usually fall and spring.
Extending this to 150% (1.5 x 8) would take 12 semesters or through the end of the spring term of the
sixth year.
Similarly, an associate’s degree that is advertised as a 2-year program - 6 quarters (fall, winter, spring, with
no scheduled summer quarter), would extend to (1.5 x 6) or 9 quarters through the end of the spring
quarter of the third year.
However, the Technical Amendments that redefine the cohort year allow you to count completers through
August 31 of the summer following the sixth year of a 4-year program (or the third year for 2-year
programs).
Certificate programs must be handled somewhat differently. If a 900 contact 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.
Back to top

2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count students who complete their program through August 31 of the
3rd 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 (i.e., an award date of, or prior to, August 31 is noted on the student’s record), and just
allow the student to "pick it up" at the December ceremony, then you should be able to count the student in
your completions.
Back to top
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 is applied to the 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.
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Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?

The November 1, 2000 regulations state 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 can be calculated. The students to be reported as transfers are those who have
NOT completed a degree, certificate, or transfer preparatory program, so they cannot be counted as
completers. If the institution does not have such a mission, reporting of transfers out is optional.
Back to top
2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?

None. All verification requirements were dropped from the November 1, 2000 regulations.
Back to top
3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I
still in compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

As long as your institution does not include the substantial preparation of 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 need to be able to track transfers out and report them.
Back to top
Other
1) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my
school. Do I need to try 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.
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2) 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 "formal award") are to be counted as completers.
Back to top
3) 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 do 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 a 2007
cohort; therefore, you should look at those students who entered your institution between September 1,
2007 and August 31, 2008. Next, assuming the latest possible enrollment date would be August 31, 2008,
150% of 9 months following this date would extend to October 15, 2009 (13 1 /2 months later). In order to
complete the IPEDS GRS, the first status date following this is August 31, 2010 and the report is due in the
Spring 2011 data collection, so you are on track for reporting on this cohort.
Back to top
4) 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.
Back to top
5) My school has mostly 3-year programs. According to the Student Right-to-Know (SRK) regulations, I need not
disclose graduation rates until 4 1 /2 years after the start of my fall 2007 cohort. Do I still need to respond to the
IPEDS GRS after 3 years?

Yes. IPEDS is mandated by a different law and must be completed by institutions that have Program
Participation Agreements (PPA’s) with the Department of Education for Federal student financial assistance.

Each year, you are asked to report on the requested cohort after 3 years on the GRS survey form for 2-year
institutions. There is a specific question in Part C where you are asked to report the number of students still
enrolled in 3-year programs. In addition, institutions will be asked to report on this same cohort after 6 years
has elapsed. At that time you can also calculate the graduation rate and transfer out rate for Student Right-to
-Know disclosure. This additional information will be reported in a supplemental data collection within the
web-based system.
For example:
Survey Year
2010
2011
2012

Report after 3 years on
2007 cohort
2008 cohort
2009 cohort

Report after 6 years on
2004 cohort
2005 cohort
2006 cohort
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6) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?

NO! NO! and NO! The GRS 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
consistency in the way the rates are calculated. SRK requires disclosure of these rates to students and
prospective students. By completing the GRS, you now have the rates you need to disclose. But you need to
make them available. For schools that offer athletically-related student aid, there are additional disclosure
Back to top
7) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

The regulations state that beginning with the group of students who enter the institution between September
1, 1999 and August 31, 2000, an institution shall disclose its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out
rate information no later than the July 1 immediately following the point in time that 150% of the normal
time for completion or graduation has elapsed for all of the students in the groups on which the institution
bases its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out rate calculations.
Therefore, at a minimum, you must disclose (July 1) your graduation and transfer-out rates (as of August 31
of the prior year). In addition, institutions for which transfer out is an important part of their mission must
also disclose a transfer-out rate. The Secretary urges institutions to disclose as much additional information
as warranted to help consumers understand institutional mission, etc. Thus you should consider additional
rates as well, such as rates for part-time students and possibly rates 8 or 10 years out, if your students take
longer to complete. The SRK regulations state that if a category of students within an athletic subcohort
contains 5 or fewer students, institutions need not disclose information on the category of students.
Back to top

2010-11 Survey Materials

date: 12/9/2010

Narrative Edits for Graduation Rates for 2-year institutions

Edit specifications for the 2010-11 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection
Graduation Rates (GRS) Component
Applicable to 2-year institutions
Note: The specifications in this document apply to the institutions listed above. Some sections and parts may not
apply to your particular institution. Please read the specifications carefully to determine which sections and/or parts
apply to your institution.
All screens must be completed in order to lock the survey.
Screening Questions, Part 1
Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision
Section III: Cohort Data
Worksheets

Screening Questions, Part 1

You must respond to the following screening questions:
•
•

Does your institution use a website to disclose Student-Right-to-Know student athlete graduation rates?
◦ If you select Yes, the URL must be provided.
Does your institution offer programs of 3 years or longer?
◦ If you select Yes, additional screens will be generated in Section III of this survey for reporting data on
Long Programs.

The above screening questions are critical data items. To lock the survey, both questions must be answered completely.
Top

Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision

Applicable to Academic reporters ONLY
On this screen, you may choose to revise your institution's Initial cohort if eligible students were previously omitted from the
cohort, or the racial or ethnic category of a student was misrepresented.
•

If you select Yes (to indicate that you wish to report changes to the Initial cohort), a Revised Cohort column
will be provided in Section III of this survey for entering the necessary corrections.

Top

Section III: Cohort Data

Use Section III to report the status of the Cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate seeking students for Cohort year 2007.
The following screens must be completed:
Completers within 150%

On this screen, you must report the number of students by race/ethnicity and gender who completed programs of less-thantwo years (column 11), and programs of at-least-two but less-than-four years (column 12) within 150% of normal time to
completion.
For each individual program length (columns 11 and 12), the system will calculate the Total men + women to determine the
grand total number of completers by length of time to completion.
In addition, for each row of data, the system will calculate the sum of columns 11 and 12 to determine the number of Total
completers within 150% (column 29).
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•
•

•

The number of Total completers within 150% (column 29) must be greater than 0. Otherwise, a fatal error will
occur to prevent a graduation rate of 0.0% on your institution's College Navigator page.
If the number of Total Completers within 150% is greater than 10; THEN,
This value must be less than:
The cohort (column 10) – the number of Total Exclusions (from the Transfers/Exclusions screen)
Otherwise, a fatal error will occur to prevent a graduation rate of 100% on your institution's College Navigator
page.
If the prior year Adjusted cohort (from the 4-year-average, part 1 worksheet) is greater than 0; AND the
number of Total Exclusions is greater than 0; THEN:

Total Completers within 150% * 100
____________________________________________________________________________
The cohort (column 10) – the number of Total Exclusions
Should be within a 20% range of the following:
PY Total Completers within 150% (from the 4-year-average, part 2 worksheet) * 100
______________________________________________________________________________
The PY Adjusted cohort
Completers within 150%: Revised Cohort
Applicable ONLY to those institutions that indicated that they wished to revise their initial cohort on the Screening
Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen
*The edits outlined below are performed in addition to those listed above
If you selected Yes on the Screening Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen, indicating that you wish to make changes
to your institution's preloaded Initial cohort, then an additional Revised cohort column (column 10) is available on the
Completers within 150% screen for entering the necessary corrections. These revised values will be used to represent the
Cohort on all subsequent screens. If you no longer wish to revise the cohort, return to the Screening Questions, part 2 Cohort revision screen and select No.
In addition to the general edits performed above, the system will perform the following edits relevant to the Revised Cohort:
•
•

The calculated Total men + women in the Revised Cohort (column 10) must be greater than 0.
The Revised Cohort must be within a certain range of the Initial cohort, as outlined below:
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 1 and 25 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 50% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 26 and 100 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 30% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 101 and 500 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 20% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is greater than 500 students, then the Total
men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 10% range of that value.

Transfers/Exclusions

On this screen, you must report the number of Total transfer-out students (column 30) and Total exclusions (column 45)
from the cohort by race/ethnicity and gender for Cohort year 2007.
The system will calculate the Total men + women for each column to determine the grand total number of transfer-out
students and exclusions.
In addition, for each row of data, the sum of columns 30, 45, and 29 (Total completers within 150%) is subtracted from the
cohort (column 10) to determine the total number of Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150%
(column 49).
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•

•

•

The calculated total number of Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150%
(column 49) must be greater than or equal to 0. To correct this value, the sum of Total completers within
150% (column 29), Total transfer-out students (column 30), and Total exclusions (column 45) must be less
than or equal to the cohort (column 10).
If the number of Total exclusions (men + women) (column 45) is greater than 10, then this value is expected to
be less than or equal to 10% of the total number of men and women in the cohort (column 10).
Note: Exclusions should ONLY include students who died or were permanently disabled; or who left school to join
the military, to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government, or to serve on an official church
mission. Do NOT include all non-completers in this column.
If the number of Total Transfer-out students (column 30) is greater than 50; AND,
The Total in prior year (men and women) value is greater than 0 for both Total transfer-out students and
the cohort (column 10); THEN,
The number of Total Transfer-out students in the current year must be within a 25% range of the following:

The cohort (column 10) * the PY number of Total transfer-out students
____________________________________________________________________________
The PY cohort
• An explanation must be provided if your institution reported having 0 Non-completers (column 49); and your institution
reported having more than 100 men and women in the cohort (column 10); and your institution reported having more
than 10 Total transfer-out students (column 30).
Note: Please verify that non-completers were not reported erroneously as transfer-out students (column 30) or exclusions

(column 45).
Completers within 100%
On this screen, you must report the number of students in the cohort who completed programs of less-than-2-years (column
55) and programs of at-least-two but less-than-four years (column 56) within 100% of normal time to completion. The
system will calculate the sum of columns 55 and 56 to determine the number of Total completers within 100% (column 57).
The system will perform the following edit on the data entered:
•

The number of Total completers within 100% (column 57) should be less than or equal to the previously
reported Total completers within 150% (from the Completers within 150% screen).

Long Programs
Applicable to institutions that responded Yes to the question “Does your institution offer bachelor's degree programs
of 3 years or longer?” on the Screening Questions, part 1 screen
On this screen, data must be provided on the number of students from the cohort who are Still enrolled in programs of 3
years or longer (column 47) by race/ethnicity and gender. The system will calculate the Total men + women to determine the
grand total number of students who are Still enrolled in programs of 3 years or longer.
The system will perform the following edit on the data entered:

•

The number of students Still enrolled in programs of 3 years or longer (column 47) must be less than or
equal to the calculated number of Non-completers (still enrolled and not enrolled) and completers >
150% (column 49).

Top

Worksheets

Additional worksheet screens have been included at the end of the survey. These screens provide your institution with a
summary of the data entered, along with prior year data. This includes: Graduation and transfer-out rates, Graduation and
transfer-out rates by length of time to degree, and 4-year average Graduation rates..
Top

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates
date: 12/9/2010
Form: Graduation Rates for 4-year institutions reporting on a fall cohort (academic
reporters)
Screening questions
Does your institution use a website to disclose Student-Right-to-Know student athlete graduation rates?

No.

Yes. Please provide the URL.
http://

Does your institution offer bachelor's degree programs of 5 years or longer?
If you answer Yes to this question, a screen will be generated for you to report the number of students still
enrolled in long programs as of August 31, 2010
No.                                                                                                
Yes.
Based on your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (B3) on the Institutional
Characteristics Header survey from the IPEDS Fall 2010 Data Collection, your institution must report graduation
rates data using a

Fall Cohort (Fall 2004)

A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4, other
academic). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and
operating on a continuous basis.
Image
description.
These
context
notes
will
be on
posted
the
College
Navigator.
End
of image
description.

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

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

Section I - Graduation Rate - Establishing Cohorts
Cohort revision
The Initial Cohort is comprised of the number of first-time, full-time undergraduate degree/certificate-seeking students,
as they were reported in Column 1 of the 2004 IPEDS Enrollment survey
Institutions are permitted to make revisions to the initial cohort. The revisions can be either:
1.
2.

An actual change in the number of students in the cohort due to cohort-eligible students that were previously
omitted from the initial cohort
A reclassification of students within gender or racial/ethnic categories with no actual change in the cohort total

No revisions should be made for anyone who dropped out, transferred to another institution, or became a part-time
student.
Does your institution have any revisions to make to your preloaded Initial Cohort?
Yes                                                                                               
No                                                                                               

Section I - Graduation Rate - Establishing cohorts
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
Establishing cohorts
Screen 1 of 2

Cohort year 2004
Revised cohort
(01)

Initial cohort

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women

Total men + women

Section I - Graduation Rate - Establishing cohorts
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•Incoming students that are seeking a bachelors degree should be reported in column 02. While column 3 will then be
generated, it is meant to include any first-time, full-time entering students who are seeking an associates degree or
undergraduate certificates.
•If you have no changes to the preloaded data on this screen, you must click the "Save and Next" button to generate
screens to report completers and transfers.
Establishing cohorts
Screen 2 of 2

Cohort

Cohort year 2004
Bachelor's or equivalent
Other degree-seeking
degree-seeking subcohort
subcohort
(Revised cohort – Bachelor’s or equivalent
degree-seeking subcohort)
(02)
(03)

(01)
Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska

Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other

Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska

Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women
Total men + women

Section II - Graduation Rate - Completers within 150%
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the Bachelor's degree-seeking students reported in the subcohort in Col 10.
•Those undergraduate students who attained OTHER THAN A BACHELOR'S DEGREE within 150% of normal time as
of August 31, 2010 should be reported in either Col 11 or 12, depending on the length of the program.
•Those who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% or normal time should be reported in Col 18.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Screen 1 of 4

Cohort year 2004
Bachelor's or Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to
Total
equivalent
completion
completers
degree-seeking Completers of programs of Completers of programs of Completers of bachelor's
within
subcohort
150%
<2-yrs
2<4-yrs
or equivalent degrees
(10)
(11)
(12)
(18)
(29)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American

Indian or
Alaska Native
Asian

Black or

African
American
Native

Hawaiian or
Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American
Indian or
Alaska Native
Asian
Black or
African
American
Native
Hawaiian or
Other Pacific
Islander
White
Two or more
races
OLD categories:
Black, nonHispanic
American
Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total women
Total men +
women

Section II - Graduation Rate - Bachelor's completers by length of time to degree
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•The students who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent as reported on the previous page are listed in Col 18. For
the other columns below, report these completers according to how long it took them to complete the program.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Screen 2 of 4

Cohort year 2004
Bachelor's or
Subcohort students who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent Completed
equivalent degree- Completed the program in Completed the program in Completed bachelor's
seeking subcohort
degree
4 yrs or less
5 yrs
the program
or equivalent
in
within 150%
6 yrs
(10)
(19)
(20)
(21)
(18)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity

unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American

Native Hawaiian
or Other Pacific
Islander
White
Two or more
races
OLD categories:
Black, nonHispanic
American
Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity

unknown

Total women
Total men +
women

Section II - Graduation Rate - Transfers/exclusions
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the BACHELOR'S DEGREE-SEEKING STUDENTS reported in the
subcohort in Col 10, who did not complete a program as of August 31, 2010.
•Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Col 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed their programs,
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 school. 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 exclusions from the cohort in Col 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
students who died or became 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
•Col 49 [non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% of normal time] will be calculated for you
•If you do not have any values to enter in either column 30 or 45, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this
screen
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Screen 3 of 4

Cohort year 2004
Bachelor's or
Total
Total transfer-out students
Total exclusions
equivalent
completers
degree-seeking
within
subcohort
150%
(10)
(29)
(30)
(45)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total men
Women

Non-completers
(still enrolled + not
enrolled) and
completers > 150%
(49)

NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total women
Total men +
women

Section II - Graduation Rate - Long programs
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•Non-completers still enrolled plus non-completers not enrolled as calculated on the previous page are listed in Col 49. If
any of those students were still enrolled in long programs as of August 31, 2010, report them in Col 46; these are the
only double counted students on this survey, as they are counted in both Col 49 and Col 46.
•If you do not have any values to enter into column 46, you must enter at least one zero into that column.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Screen 4 of 4

Cohort year 2004
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and Still enrolled in programs of 5 years or
completers > 150%
longer
(49)
(46)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women

Total men + women

Section III - Graduation Rate - Completers within 150%
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the other undergraduate degree or certificate-seeking students reported in
the subcohort in Col 10.
•Those undergraduate students who attained OTHER THAN A BACHELOR'S DEGREE within 150% of normal time as
of August 31, 2010 should be reported in either Col 11 or 12, depending on the length of the program.
•Those who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% or normal time should be reported in Col 18.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree
Screen 1 of 3

Cohort year 2004
Other degree- Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to
Total
seeking
completion
completers
subcohort Completers of programs of Completers of programs of Completers of bachelor's
within
150%
<2-yrs
2<4-yrs
or equivalent degrees
(10)
(11)
(12)
(18)
(29)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American

Indian or
Alaska Native
Asian

Black or

African
American
Native

Hawaiian or
Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American
Indian or
Alaska Native
Asian
Black or
African
American
Native
Hawaiian or
Other Pacific
Islander
White
Two or more
races
OLD categories:
Black, nonHispanic
American
Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total women
Total men +
women

Section III - Graduation Rate - Transfers/exclusions
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the OTHER THAN A BACHELOR'S DEGREE-SEEKING STUDENTS
reported in the subcohort in Col 10, who did not complete a program as of August 31, 2010.
•Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Col 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed their programs,
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 school. 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 exclusions from the cohort in Col 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
students who died or became 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
•Col 49 [non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% of normal time] will be calculated for you
•If you do not have any values to enter in either column 30 or 45, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this
screen
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree
Screen 2 of 3

Cohort year 2004
Other degreeTotal
Total transfer-out students
Total exclusions
seeking
completers
subcohort
within 150%

(10)
(29)
(30)
Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total men
Women

Non-completers
(still enrolled + not
enrolled) and
completers >
150%
(49)

(45)

NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total women
Total men +
women

Section III - Graduation Rate - Long programs
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree
Screen 3 of 3

Cohort year 2004
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and Still enrolled in programs of 5 years or
completers > 150%
longer
(49)
(46)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:

Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women

Total men + women

2010-11 Survey Materials

GRS - 4yr academic year reporters - full instructions
date: 12/9/2010

Instruction

Purpose
Change in Reporting
Reporting Period Covered
Context boxes
Coverage
Where to get help
Where data appears
Screening questions
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - New categories (1997
OMB)
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender -- Old Categories (1977
OMB)
Reporting Students by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - Mixture of New and Old
Categories
Data Reporting Instructions

Purpose of Survey
The purpose of the Graduation Rate component of IPEDS is to track the cohorts of first-time, full-time,
degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates, as well as their completion status at 150% of normal time at
postsecondary institutions. This data is collected to comply with the Student-Right-to-Know Act.
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Changes in Reporting
There are no changes for the 2010-11 Graduation Rate component for 4-year institutions.
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General Instructions

Reporting Period Covered
This report requests data on a cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates
enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2004 or (2) during the period between September 1,
2004 and August 31, 2005. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2010.
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Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component
items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search
tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness
before posting them on the College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of their
entries.
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Coverage
Who to Include 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 term.
Students must be enrolled in courses creditable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those
enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.
Be sure to include full-time students taking remedial courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for
the purpose of student financial aid determination.
A student who is designated as a member of the 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.

Who to Exclude from the Cohort
DO NOT include students in the cohort who are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a formal award or the completion of a vocational
program (i.e., nondegree seeking).
Taking CEUs unless they are also enrolled full time in courses creditable toward a degree or other
formal award.
Exclusively auditing classes.
Studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at this institution is only an
administrative record and the fee is only nominal.
In any branch campus located in a foreign country.
Part time.
Transfers into the institution.

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Where to Get Help
IPEDS Data Collection Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-225-2568
Email: ipedshelp@rti.org

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

IPEDS Resources Page
In addition, the IPEDS Resources Page contains frequently asked questions, a link to the glossary, data tip
sheets, an archive of survey instruments, information on the new race/ethnicity categories and other relevant
information.
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Where the Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
•
•
•

College Navigator Website
IPEDS Data Center
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
•
•
•
•
•

IPEDS First Looks
IPEDS Table Library
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education

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Reporting Instructions

Screening Questions
Please read these questions carefully. Your responses will determine whether or not you need to complete the
survey and which sections you should complete. The data collection system will use your answers to these
questions to determine which screens for data entry will follow.

•

Please provide the URL where the Student-Right-to-Know information is disclosed on your
institution's website.

•

Indicate if your institution offers bachelor's degree programs of 5 years or longer.

•

The method used to establish the cohort reported on this survey has been predetermined by
your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (D1) on the
Institutional Characteristics survey component of the IPEDS Fall 2010 Data Collection,
according to the following rules:

•

1.

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 a census date of October 15, 2004, or the end of the
institution's drop-add period, or another official fall reporting date to determine the cohort.
This should be the same reporting date established for your IPEDS Fall Enrollment report.

2.

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,
2004 and August 31, 2005, 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.

Indicate whether your institution needs to make revisions to the initial cohort.

Institutions can make revisions to their cohort because they have omitted cohort-eligible students previously,
or because some students have been misclassified by race/ethnicity or gender.
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Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category
Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category- New categories (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 data, please see the full Federal Register notice.
Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of
Education using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States
citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.
•

Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:
•
•
•
•
•
•

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

In addition, the following categories may be used:

•
•

Nonresident alien
Race and ethnicity unknown

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

•

•
•
•

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

Other descriptive categories
•

•

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

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Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - Old Categories (1977
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.
Method of collection - The manner of collecting racial/ethnic information is left to the discretion of the
institution provided that the system which is established results in reasonably accurate data, which may be
replicated by others when the same documented system is utilized. One acceptable method is a properly
controlled system of post-enrollment self-identification by students. If a self-identification method is utilized, a
verification procedure to ascertain the completeness and accuracy of student submissions should also be
employed. An employer may acquire the racial/ethnic information necessary for this section either by visual
survey of the work force or from post-employment records.
Assignment to categories - For the purpose of this report, an individual may be included in the group to
which he or she appears to belong, identifies with, or is regarded in the community as belonging. However, no
person may be counted in more than one racial/ethnic category. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only
for United States citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.
Racial/ethnic descriptions - Racial/ethnic designations as used in this survey do not denote scientific
definitions of anthropological origins. The categories are:

• Black, non-Hispanic - A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (except those of
Hispanic origin).
• American Indian/Alaska Native - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America
and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.

• Asian/Pacific Islander - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast
Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or Pacific Islands. This includes people from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine
Islands, American Samoa, India, and Vietnam.
• Hispanic - A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture
or origin, regardless of race.
• White, non-Hispanic - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the
Middle East (except those of Hispanic origin).
Other descriptive categories

• Nonresident alien - A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this
country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. NOTE - Nonresident
aliens are to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of the five racial/ethnic
categories. Resident aliens and other eligible (for financial aid purposes) non-citizens who are not citizens or
nationals of the United States and who have been admitted as legal immigrants for the purpose of obtaining
permanent resident alien status (and who hold either an alien registration card (Form I-551 or I-151), a
Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) with a notation that
conveys legal immigrant status such as Section 207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee
or Cuban-Haitian) are to be reported in the appropriate racial/ethnic categories along with United States
citizens.
• Race/ethnicity unknown - This category is used ONLY if the student did not select a racial/ethnic
designation, AND the postsecondary institution finds it impossible to place the student in one of the
racial/ethnic categories during established enrollment procedures or in any post-enrollment identification or
verification process.
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Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category - Mixture of New and Old Categories
Institutions may choose, during the optional period for each survey component, to report using a mixture of
new and old race/ethnicity categories within the same survey component. In this case, all 14 categories will
show on the data collection screen at the same time.
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Section I - Graduation Rate - Establishing Cohorts
Report each student only once.
If your institution determines degree intent upon entry, students in your revised initial cohort are
to be separated into two groups or subcohorts: (1) students entering bachelor's or equivalent
degree programs and (2) students seeking other than a bachelor's degree (associate's degree,
certificates, etc.).
Institutions that do not determine degree intent upon entry should report all students as if they are
bachelor's degree-seeking.
Please complete all of Section I; screens for Sections II and III will be generated based on the data
you report in Section I.
Initial cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information you reported on line 01 of
your 2004 IPEDS Fall Enrollment report 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 (01) - If revisions are needed to the data in the initial cohort column, make any
necessary corrections for omissions or double counting in the revised cohort column. Enter the data
according to student race/ethnicity and gender. If your data do not appear in the initial cohort
column, please provide the enrollment data as requested in the revised cohort column.

Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (02) - Of the revised cohort, indicate how
many students declared intent to seek the bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry. As indicated
above, this should also include any students whose intent was not known. These data are brought
forward to Section II.
Other degree-seeking subcohort (03) - The difference between the revised cohort and the
bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort is calculated for you. This indicates how many
students declared intent to seek other than a bachelor's level degree (i.e., associate's degree or
other formal award) upon entry. These data are brought forward to Section III.

Section II - Full-Time, First-Time Students Seeking a Bachelor's or Equivalent Degree
Report the status of the 2004 subcohort of bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking students as of
August 31, 2010 in terms of the number of completers within 150% of normal time to award, by
length of program completed. Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report only for full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree.
DO NOT include students who transferred into your institution.
Count completers only once and indicate the highest degree 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.
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. The student receives full credit toward a 5-year bachelor's degree and qualifies the
student for admission into the fourth year of a 5-year bachelor's degree program.
**SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONS WITH 5-YEAR PROGRAMS**
Institutions with 5-year undergraduate programs are to report on the same cohort of students that
is being reported by the traditional 4-year institutions. Section II, column 46 requests the number
of students still enrolled in 5-year programs. Be sure to complete the information requested in this
item. NCES will also request that institutions with 5-year programs report data and calculate a
graduation rate after 7-1/2 years. A special supplementary form will be used in Spring 2013 to
collect this information on your 2004 cohort.
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (10) - These are the data as reported in
Section I.
Completers within 150% of Normal Time (11, 12, 18)
In order to calculate a graduation rate to comply with Student Right-to-Know regulations,
institutions can count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or
completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of normal program time. See Glossary for
definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students who get their degree
from another institution.
Completed <2-yr within 150% (11) - Enter the number of students who completed programs
of less than 2 years within 150% of normal time. 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.
Completed 2<4 yr within 150% (12) - Indicate the number of students who completed
programs of at least 2 years but less than 4 years within 150% of normal time to completion of
their program. For example, a student who completed a 3-year program in 4-1/2 years or less
should be reported in column 12.

Completed Bachelor's degree within 150% (18) - Enter the number of students who
completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent program within 150% of normal time. Note: Include
completers of 3-year bachelor's degree programs only if they completed within 4-1/2 years.
Total completers within 150% (29) - This column is the sum of the previous three columns,
and is calculated by the data collection system.
Time to Degree
Report the status of the 2004 subcohort of bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking students as of
August 31, 2010 in terms of the number of completers by length of time to degree. Report all
students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report completers of bachelor's degrees or equivalent according to how long it took them to
complete their program. Include all baccalaureate level degrees, including 5-year bachelor's
(including 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 you reported (18), provide the following breakout:
Completed the program in 4 yrs or less (19) - Report all students who completed a bachelor's
degree or equivalent in 4 years or less in this column. Include all students who completed a
bachelor's degree or equivalent by August 31, 2008.
Completed the program in 5 yrs (20) - Report all students who completed a bachelor's degree
or equivalent in 5 years in this column. Include all students who completed a bachelor's degree or
equivalent in the period from September 1, 2008 through August 31, 2009. Do NOT include
students who completed their program in 4 years or less in this column.
Completed the program in 6 yrs (21) - This column is the difference between the completers of
bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time (18) and the sum of those who
completed the program in 4 years or less (19) and those who completed the program in 5 years
(20). Included are all students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent in the period from
September 1, 2009 through August 31, 20010. This column will be calculated by the data collection
system.
Total completers within 150% (29) - These are the data as reported on the first page of
Section II.
Total transfer-out students (30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution without having
completed their program, report the total number of students who transferred out of your
institution (without a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students
who transferred out of your institution and subsequently re-enrolled. If it is not part of your
mission, you may still report transfer-out data if you wish.
Total exclusions (45) - Indicate the total number of students who left your institution (and have
neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) because of one of the following
documented reasons:
1.
2.
3.
4.

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 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 in b, c, or d above, but
return prior to the status date of August 31, 2010, may be subtracted from the cohort during the
calculation of graduation rates.
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% (49) - This column
is generated by the calculation of Col 10 - (Col 29 + Col 30 + Col 45).

Section III - Full-Time, First-Time Students Seeking Other than a Bachelor's Degree,
Completers within 150% of Normal Time

Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2004 subcohort of students seeking other than a bachelor's degree as of
August 31, 2010 in terms of the number of completers within 150% of normal time to award, by
length of program completed. Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report only for full-time, first-time students seeking undergraduate degrees or
certificates other than a bachelor's degree. DO NOT include students who transferred into
your institution.
Count completers only once and indicate the highest degree 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.
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. The student receives full credit toward a 5-year bachelor's degree and qualifies the
student for admission into the fourth year of a 5-year bachelor's degree program.
**SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONS WITH 5-YEAR PROGRAMS**
Institutions with 5-year undergraduate programs are to report on the same cohort of students that
is being reported by the traditional 4-year institutions. Section III, column 46 requests the number
of students still enrolled in 5-year programs. Be sure to complete the information requested in this
item. NCES will also request that institutions with 5-year programs report data and calculate a
graduation rate after 7-1/2 years. A special supplementary form will be used in Spring 2013 to
collect this information on your 2004 cohort.
Other degree-seeking subcohort (10) - These are the data as reflected in Section I.
Completers within 150% of Normal Time (11, 12, 18)
In order to calculate a graduation rate to comply with Student Right-to-Know regulations,
institutions can count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or
completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of normal program time. See Glossary for
definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students who get their degree
from another institution.
Completed <2-yr within 150% (11) - Enter the number of students who completed programs
of less than 2 years within 150% of normal time. 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.
Completed 2<4 yr within 150% (12) - Indicate the number of students who completed
programs of at least 2 years but less than 4 years within 150% of normal time to completion of
their program. For example, a student who completed a 3-year program in 4-1/2 years or less
should be reported in column 12.

Completed Bachelor's degree within 150% (18) - Enter the number of students who
completed a bachelor's degree program within 150% of normal time. Note: Include completers of 3
-year bachelor's degree programs only if they completed within 4-1/2 years.
Total completers within 150% (29) - This column is the sum of the previous three columns,
and is calculated by the data collection system.

Total transfer-out students (30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution without having
completed their program, report the total number of students who transferred out of your
institution (without a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students
who transferred out of your institution and subsequently re-enrolled. If it is not part of your
mission, you may still report transfer-out data if you wish.
Total exclusions (45)- Indicate the total number of students who left your institution (and have
neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) because of one of the following
documented reasons:
1.
2.
3.
4.

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 in b, c, or d above, but return prior to
the status date of August 31, 2010, may be subtracted from the cohort during the calculation of graduation
rates.
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% (49) - This column is
generated by the calculation of Col 10 - (Col 29 + Col 30 + Col 45).

Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates
Worksheets
Worksheets calculating the Student Right-To-Know completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking students for the 2004 student cohort are provided as a convenience to
the institution. A worksheet calculating 4-year, 5-year, and 6-year graduation rates for the 2004 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.
Worksheets calculating the overall four-year average completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of fulltime, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students for the student cohort are also provided. Data previously
reported by the institution have been preloaded to use in these calculations.
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.

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Glossary

date: 12/9/2010

Term

Definition

Adjusted cohort

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

American Indian or Alaska
Native (new definition)

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 (new definition)

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.

Associate's degree

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

Bachelor's degree

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

Bachelor's or equivalent
degree-seeking subcohort

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

Black or African American
(new definition)

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

Cohort

A specific group of students established for tracking purposes.

Completers within 150%
of normal time

Students who completed their program within 150% of the normal (or expected) time for completion.

Exclusions

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

First-time student
(undergraduate)

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

Full-time student

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

Full-year cohort

The group of students entering at any time during the 12-month period September 1 through August
31 that is established for tracking and reporting Graduation Rate (GRS) data for institutions that
primarily offer occupational programs of varying lengths. Students must be full-time and first-time to
be considered in the cohort.

Graduation rate

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

Graduation Rates (GRS)

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

Hispanic or Latino (new
definition)

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

Initial cohort

A specific group of individuals established for tracking purposes. For the Graduation Rates component
of IPEDS, the initial cohort is defined as all students who enter an institution as full-time, first-time
degree/certificate-seeking students during either (1) the fall term of a given academic year, or (2)
between September 1st and August 31st of the following year.

Long programs

Undergraduate programs that exceed the usual program length for a specific level. This would include
programs of 5 years or longer for 4-year institutions and programs of 3 years or longer for 2-year
institutions.

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander (new
definition)

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

Nonresident alien

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

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

Other degree-seeking
subcohort

A subset of students belonging to a GRS cohort who were seeking a degree or certificate other than
bachelor's degree upon entry.

Race/ethnicity unknown

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

Revised cohort

Initial cohort after revisions are made. Cohorts may be revised if an institution discovers that
incorrect data were reported in an earlier year.

Student Right-to-Know
Act

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

Subcohort

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

Transfer-out rate

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

Transfer-out student

A student that leaves the reporting institution and enrolls at another institution.

Transfer-preparatory
program

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

White (new definition)

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

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates for 4-year institutions
date: 12/9/2010

FAQs
Click one of the following questions to view the answer.

General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How do I choose
my cohort?
2) Why do 4-year institutions need to separate their entering cohort into two groups?
3) My institution does not have any information on the cohort you are requesting. Do I have to do anything this year?
4) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?
5) Do I need to track students every term?

Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?
2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?
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?
4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?
5) How do I report students who are taking ESL (English as a Second Language) or developmental courses?
6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?
7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-seeking student this fall, can I count the
student as "first-time"?
8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?
9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?
10) How do I treat new entrants that get credit for life experience?
11) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?
12) Many of our students take courses during the summer at other schools; should these be considered transfers out?
13) My initial cohort includes all full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled as of October 15 - the same as on my
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. Now what happens to: stop outs, drop outs, students who enroll part time next semester, or students
who switch to another program?
14) If a student in my cohort obtains two undergraduate level degrees (AA and BA) within the 6-year period, can I count both
completions?
15) I have a student that intends to get a bachelor’s degree so he is in my Section II cohort. He does not complete his BA within the
6-year period BUT he did get an associate’s degree along the way and it was completed within 3 years. Where do I report him?

Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
1) How do I calculate 150% of normal time to completion?
2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count 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?
3) How do I calculate 150% for students who stop out, or drop out, and then return and complete the program?

Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?
2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?
3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I still in
compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

Other
1) My institution belongs to the NCAA; do I have to report GRS data to IPEDS? Do I also need to report to the Secretary of
Education?
2) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my school. Do I need
to try to track these "leavers"?
3) How do I deal with "3/2" programs? My institution provides the first 3 years of an engineering program and our students go on to
another university for the last 2 years of study to attain their degree. Can we count them as completers when they get their degree
from the second institution?
4) My institution offers pre-med and pre-vet programs, but formal awards are not given. What happens to these students?
5) My institution offers a PharmD program where a student is accepted into the program after completing a 2 or 3 year program of
undergraduate studies. What happens to these students?
6) 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?
7) My school has mostly 5-year programs. According to the Student Right-to-Know (SRK) regulations, I need not disclose graduation
rates until 7 ½ years after the start of my fall 2001 cohort. Do I still need to respond to the IPEDS GRS after 6 years?
8) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?

9) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

Answers:
General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How
do I choose my cohort?

If most programs operate on a term basis (semester, quarter or trimester), you must use a fall cohort;
otherwise, you must use a full-year cohort. The cohort method you must use has been pre-determined by
your answer to the Calendar System question on the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey.
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2) Why do 4-year institutions need to separate their entering cohort into two groups?

NCES is asking 4-year schools that offer undergraduate awards other than the bachelor’s degree to define
two subcohorts: (1) students who enter with the intent to complete a bachelor’s degree, and (2) students
who intend to complete other than a bachelor’s degree program. Students whose intent is unknown are to be
placed in the subcohort with those seeking a bachelor’s degree. By separating the cohort this way, the
graduation and transfer rates of the first group can be compared to those at like institutions as well as those
at institutions offering only a bachelor’s degree. Likewise, the rates of the second group can also be
compared to rates at 2-year institutions.
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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 reporting is mandatory for institutions that did enroll full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students during the cohort year. If you did not enroll this
type of student or your institution was not in operation during the cohort year, please report this information
on the Institutional Characteristics survey.
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4) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?

There is a difference between revising and adjusting a cohort. Revising a cohort means to change the cohort
by taking into consideration better information that has become available since you first reported your cohort
on the Fall Enrollment survey (e.g., you may now have more complete racial/ethnic information on the
cohort). You can revise a fall cohort by entering new data in the Revised Cohort column on the data
collection screen. Adjusting a cohort means to subtract the Exclusions from the Revised Cohort to establish
a denominator for rate calculation. Both fall and full-year cohorts will be adjusted for you on the worksheet
screens when graduation and transfer-out rates are calculated.
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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 for the longest program, look back to see what happened to those in the cohort. You will need to know
when they completed, but it is not necessary to compare or track from term-to-term.
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Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?

According to the IPEDS Glossary, a first-time student is "A student attending any institution for the first time
at the level enrolled." By this we mean at the undergraduate level, graduate level, or first-professional level.
Since the GRS is only interested in undergraduates, it means that the student is first time in postsecondary
education (or the student is not known to have attended another postsecondary institution). There are two
exceptions: (1) students who attended any institution 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).
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2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?

Yes. You need to report the data to NCES regardless of the cohort size. See the questions on disclosure for
further information.
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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.
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4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?

The IPEDS GRS does NOT collect information on transfers in. THESE STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED
IN ANY COHORT.
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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 formal award and if they are not eligible for Title IV Federal financial
aid.
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6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?

Use the same reasoning here that you use to determine who to report as degree/certificate-seeking on your
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. If they are degree/certificate-seeking for purposes of qualifying for student
financial aid, then they must be included in the cohort.
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7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-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 enter with no credit.
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8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?

Neither should be included in your cohort.
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9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?

Even though these students are enrolled for credit, if they are not seeking a degree/certificate, they are not
to be included in your cohort according to the SRK regulations. Be sure to carefully read the definition of
degree-seeking in the Glossary.
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10) How do I treat new entrants that get credit for life experience?

If the student has never enrolled in a postsecondary institution, they are to be counted as "first-time."
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11) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?

Since these students must have been enrolled in an institution in order to obtain credit through
correspondence or distance learning, they are not "first-time."
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12) Many of our students take courses during the summer at other schools; should these be considered transfers out?

No. Keep the students in your cohort since they return in the fall and continue their programs of study.
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13) My initial cohort includes all full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled as of October 15 - the
same as on my IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. Now what happens to: stop outs, drop outs, students who enroll part time
next semester, or students who switch to another program?

It looks like your cohort is defined correctly. Remember YOUR COHORT NEVER CHANGES. Students who stop
out or drop out do not change the cohort number. They remain in the count; if they complete within 150%
please report them as such. Students who switch to part time or to another program are not given extra time
to complete, nor are they removed from the cohort. Report their status as requested.
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14) If a student in my cohort obtains two undergraduate level degrees (AA and BA) within the 6-year period, can I
count both completions?

No, you may only count one. NCES recommends that you report the highest degree attained, but it is your
decision as to which one you prefer to report.
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15) I have a student that intends to get a bachelor’s degree so he is in my Section II cohort. He does not complete his
BA within the 6-year period BUT he did get an associate’s degree along the way and it was completed within 3 years.
Where do I report him?

By all means count him as a completer of the associate’s degree (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.
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Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
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. Normal
time is defined as "the time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate
according to an institution’s catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for a bachelor’s degree, 2 years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for an associate’s degree, and the scheduled times for certificate programs." Let’s
look at some examples:
Many bachelor’s degree programs are outlined as 4-year programs - 8 semesters – usually fall and spring.
Extending this to 150% (1.5 x 8) would take 12 semesters or through the end of the spring term of the
sixth year.
Similarly, an associate’s degree that is advertised as a 2-year program - 6 quarters (fall, winter, spring, with
no scheduled summer quarter), would extend to (1.5 x 6) or 9 quarters through the end of the spring
quarter of the third year.
However, the Technical Amendments that redefine the cohort year allow you to count completers through
August 31 of the summer following the sixth year of a 4-year program (or the third year for 2-year
programs).
Certificate programs must be handled somewhat differently. If a 900 contact 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.
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2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count 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 (i.e., an award date of, or prior to, August 31 is noted in the student’s record) and just allow
the student to "pick it up" at the December ceremony, then you should be able to count the student in your
completions.
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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 is applied to the 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.
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Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?

The November 1, 2000 regulations state 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 can be calculated. The students to be reported as transfers are those who have
NOT completed a degree, certificate, or transfer preparatory program, so they cannot be counted as
completers. If the institution does not have such a mission, reporting of transfers out is optional.
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2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?

None. All verification requirements were dropped from the November 1, 2000 regulations.
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3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I
still in compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

As long as your institution does not include the substantial preparation of 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 need to be able to track transfers out and report them.
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Other
1) My institution belongs to the NCAA; do I have to report GRS data to IPEDS? Do I also need to report to the Secretary
of Education?

Completing the IPEDS GRS form through the web-based data collection system satisfies all your reporting
requirements to the Secretary of Education. However, the NCAA is now collecting their own data on
graduation rates themselves, separately from IPEDS. You will still need to report data to the NCAA. If you
have any questions, you should contact the NCAA directly.
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2) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my
school. Do I need to try 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.
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3) How do I deal with "3/2" programs? My institution provides the first 3 years of an engineering program and our
students go on to another university for the last 2 years of study to attain their degree. Can we count them as
completers when they get their degree from the second institution?

No, you should NEVER count a student as a completer when they get 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 a "2- but less than 4-year
program." This works the same way as the "transfer-preparatory program" described above.
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4) My institution offers pre-med and pre-vet programs, but formal awards are not given. What happens to these
students?

Assuming these are 2- or 3-year programs, count the students as completers of a "2- but less than 4-year
program" if they complete within 150% of normal time.
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5) My institution offers a PharmD program where a student is 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 within 150% of normal time should be counted in the
other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Section III) as completers of a "2- but less than 4-year program".
However, do not track their progress any further towards the PharmD, since it is a first-professional degree,
and thus is not part of the Graduation Rates Survey.
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6) 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.
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7) My school has mostly 5-year programs. According to the Student Right-to-Know (SRK) regulations, I need not
disclose graduation rates until 7 ½ years after the start of my fall 2001 cohort. Do I still need to respond to the IPEDS
GRS after 6 years?

Yes. IPEDS is mandated by a different law and must be completed by institutions that have Program
Participation Agreements (PPA’s) with the Department of Education for Federal student financial assistance.
Each year, you are asked to report on the requested cohort after 6 years on the GRS survey form for 4-year
institutions. There is a specific question where you are asked to report the number of students still enrolled in
5-year programs. In addition, you will be asked to report on this same cohort after 7 ½ years has elapsed
(150% of normal time) so that you can calculate the graduation rate and transfer out rate for Student Rightto-Know disclosure. This additional information will be reported in a supplemental data collection within the
web-based system.
For example:
Survey Year
2010
2011
2012

Report after 6 years on
2004 cohort
2005 cohort
2006 cohort

Report after 7 ½ years on
2002 cohort
2003 cohort
2004 cohort
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8) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?

NO! NO! and NO! The GRS 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
consistency in the way the rates are calculated. SRK requires disclosure of these rates to students and
prospective students. By completing the GRS, you now have the rates you need to disclose. But you need to
make them available. For schools that offer athletically-related student aid, there are additional disclosure
and reporting requirements. The GRS satisfies the reporting requirements only.
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9) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

The regulations state that beginning with the group of students who enter the institution between September
1, 2000 and August 31, 2001, an institution shall disclose its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out
rate information no later than the July 1 immediately following the point in time that 150% of the normal
time for completion or graduation has elapsed for all of the students in the groups on which the institution
bases its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out rate calculations.
Therefore, at a minimum, you must disclose (July 1) your graduation and transfer-out rates (as of August 31
of the prior year). In addition, institutions for which transfer out is an important part of their mission must
also disclose a transfer-out rate. The Secretary urges institutions to disclose as much additional information
as warranted to help consumers understand institutional mission, etc. Thus you should consider additional
rates as well, such as rates for part-time students and possibly rates 8 or 10 years out, if your students take
longer to complete. The SRK regulations state that if a category of students within an athletic subcohort
contains 5 or fewer students, institutions need not disclose information on the category of students.
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2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates
date: 12/9/2010

Narrative Edits for Graduation Rates for 4-year institutions

Edit specifications for the 2010-11 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection
Graduation Rates (GRS) Component
Applicable to 4-year institutions
Note: The specifications in this document apply to the institutions listed above. Some sections and parts may not
apply to your particular institution. Please read the specifications carefully to determine which sections and/or parts
apply to your institution.
All screens must be completed in order to lock the survey.
Screening Questions, Part 1
Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision
Section I: Establishing Cohorts
Sections II and III: Subcohort Data
Worksheets

Screening Questions, Part 1

You must respond to the following screening questions:
•
•

Does your institution use a website to disclose Student-Right-to-Know student athlete graduation rates?
◦ If you select Yes, the URL must be provided.
Does your institution offer bachelor's degree programs of 5 years or longer?
◦ If you select Yes, additional screens will be generated in Section II and Section III of this survey for
reporting data on Long Programs.

The above screening questions are critical data items. To lock the survey, both questions must be answered completely.
Top

Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision

Applicable to Academic reporters ONLY
On this screen, you may choose to revise your institution's preloaded Initial cohort if eligible students were previously omitted
from the cohort, or the racial or ethnic category of a student was misrepresented.
•

If you select Yes (to indicate that you wish to report changes to the Initial cohort), the Establishing cohorts,
part 1 screen will be provided in Section I of this survey for entering the necessary corrections.

Top

Section I: Establishing Cohorts

Part 1 Applicable ONLY to those institutions that indicated that they wished to revise their initial cohort on the
Screening Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen

Use this screen to enter Revised cohort values for each applicable race/ethnicity and gender category. These revised values
will be used to represent the Cohort on all subsequent screens. If you no longer wish to revise the cohort, return to the
Screening Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen and select No.
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•
•

The calculated Total men + women in the Revised cohort (column 01) must be greater than 0.
The Revised cohort must be within a certain range of the Initial cohort, as outlined below:
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 1 and 25 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised cohort must be within a 50% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 26 and 100 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised cohort must be within a 30% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 101 and 500 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised cohort must be within a 20% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is greater than 500 students, then the Total
men + women in the Revised cohort must be within a 10% range of that value.

Part 2
On this screen, enter the number of Men and Women who belong to the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking
subcohort (column 02) for each applicable race/ethnicity category.
The system will calculate the Other degree-seeking subcohort (column 03) by subtracting the Bachelor's or equivalent
degree-seeking subcohort (column 02) from the Cohort (column 01) for each row of data.
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•
•

•

For each race/ethnicity and gender category, the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (column 02)
cannot be greater than the Cohort (column 01).
If your institution reported offering bachelor's degrees in the Institutional Characteristics survey, then the sum of
Men plus Woman seeking a Bachelor's or equivalent degree (column 02) is expected to be greater than 0;
otherwise, an explanation is required.
If your institution reported offering award levels other than bachelor's degrees in the Institutional Characteristics
survey, the sum of Men plus Woman seeking an Other degree (column 03) is expected to be greater than 0;
otherwise, an explanation is required.

Top

Section II and Section III: Subcohort Data

Use Sections II and III to report data on the specified student subcohorts at the institution based on the descriptions below:
•
•

Section II: Report the status of the Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or
equivalent degree for Cohort year 2004.
Section III: Report the status of the Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a
bachelor's or equivalent degree for Cohort year 2004.
Note: Section III is only applicable if you reported students seeking a degree other than a bachelor's or
equivalent degree on the Establishing Cohorts, Part 2 screen.

The following screens must be completed for Section II and Section III (if applicable to your institution):
Completers within 150%
On this screen, you must report the number of students by race/ethnicity and gender who completed programs of less-thantwo years (column 11), programs of at-least-two but less-than-four years (column 12), and bachelor's or equivalent
degrees (column 18) within 150% of normal time to completion.
For each individual program length (columns 11, 12, and 18), the system will calculate the Total men + women to determine
the grand total number of completers by length of time to completion.

In addition, for each row of data, the system will calculate the sum of columns 11, 12, and 18 to determine the number of Total
completers within 150% (column 29).
The system will perform the following General edits on the data entered in Section II and Section III:
•

•

The sum of Total completers within 150% (column 29) from Sections II and III must be greater than 0.
Otherwise, a fatal error will occur to prevent a graduation rate of 0.0% on your institution's College Navigator
page.
If the sum of Total completers within 150% from Sections II and III is greater than 10; THEN,
This value must be less than:
The Cohort (column 01) – the sum of Total Exclusions from Sections II and III (found on the
Transfers/Exclusions screen)

•

Otherwise, a fatal error will occur to prevent a graduation rate of 100% on your institution's College Navigator
page.
If the prior year Adjusted cohort (from the 4-year-average, part 1 worksheet) is greater than 0; AND the sum of
Total Exclusions from Sections II and III is greater than 0; THEN:

The sum of Total Completers within 150% from Sections II and III * 100
____________________________________________________________________________
The Cohort (column 01) – the sum of Total Exclusions from Sections II and III
Should be within a 20% range of the following:
PY Total Completers within 150% (from the 4-year-average, part 2 worksheet) * 100
______________________________________________________________________________
The PY Adjusted cohort
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered in Section II:
•
•

For each race/ethnicity and gender category, Total completers within 150% (column 29) must be less than or
equal to the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (column 10).
An explanation must be provided if your institution reported offering bachelor's degrees in the Institutional
Characteristics survey, but did not report any bachelor's degree completers here.

The system will perform the following edit on the data entered in Section III:
•

For each race/ethnicity and gender category, the sum of Total completers within 150% (column 29) must be
less than or equal to the Other degree-seeking subcohort (column 10).

Bachelor's completers by length of time to degree
Applicable to Section II ONLY
On this screen, you must report the number of students in the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who
Completed the program in four years or less (column 19) and Completed the program in five years (column 20) by
race/ethnicity and gender. The system will then subtract these values from the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking
subcohort (column 10) to determine the number of students who Completed the program in six years (column 21).
For each individual program length (columns 19, 20, and 21), the system will calculate the Total men + women to determine
the grand total number of completers by length of time to completion.
In addition, for each row of data, the system will calculate the sum of columns 19, 20, and 21 to determine the total number of
students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time (column 18).
The system will perform the following edit on the data entered:

•

The number of students who Completed the program in 6 years should be greater than or equal to 0. To
correct this value, you must adjust the number of students who Completed the program in 4 years or less
and/or Completed the program in 5 years, so that the sum of these values is less than or equal to the number
of students in the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort.

Transfers/Exclusions
On this screen, you must report the number of Total transfer-out students (column 30) and Total exclusions (column 45) in
the subcohort by race/ethnicity and gender for Cohort year 2004.
The system will calculate the Total men + women for each column to determine the grand total number of transfer-out
students and exclusions.
In addition, for each row of data, the sum of columns 30, 45, and Total completers within 150% (column 29) is subtracted
from the subcohort (column 10) to determine the total number of Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and
completers > 150% (column 49).
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•

•

•

•

The total number of Non-completers (column 49) must be greater than or equal to 0. To correct this value, the
sum of Total completers within 150% (column 29), Total transfer-out students (column 30), and Total
exclusions (column 45) must be less or equal to the subcohort (column 10).
If the number of Total transfer-out students (men + women) (column 30) is greater than 10, then this value is
expected to be less than or equal to 40% of the total number of men and women in the subcohort (column 10).
Note: Transfer-out students should ONLY include students who transferred out to another eligible institution. Do
NOT include all non-completers here.
If the number of Total exclusions (men + women) (column 45) is greater than 10, then this value is expected to
be less than or equal to 10% of the total number of men and women in the subcohort (column 10).
Note: Exclusions should ONLY include students who died or were permanently disabled; or who left school to join
the military, to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government, or to serve on an official church
mission. Do NOT include all non-completers here.
An explanation must be provided if your institution reported having 0 Non-completers (column 49); and your
institution reported having more than 100 men and women in the subcohort (column 10); and your institution
reported having more than 10 Total transfer-out students (column 30).
Note: Please verify that non-completers were not reported erroneously as transfer-out students (column 30) or
exclusions (column 45).

Long Programs
Applicable to institutions that responded Yes to the question “Does your institution offer bachelor's degree programs
of 5 years or longer?” on the Screening Questions, part 1 screen
On this screen, data must be provided on the number of students from the subcohort who are Still enrolled in programs of 5
years or longer (column 46) by race/ethnicity and gender. The system will calculate the Total men + women to determine the
grand total number of students who are Still enrolled in programs of 5 years or longer.
The system will perform the following edit on the data entered:
•

The number of students Still enrolled in programs of 5 years or longer (column 46) must be less than or
equal to the calculated number of Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150%
(column 49).

Top

Worksheets

Additional worksheet screens have been included at the end of the survey. These screens provide your institution with a
summary of the data entered, along with prior year data. This includes: Graduation and transfer-out rates, Graduation and
transfer-out rates by length of time to degree, and 4-year average Graduation rates.
Top

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates
date: 12/9/2010

Form: Graduation Rates for 4-year institutions reporting on a full-year cohort
(program reporters)
Screening questions
Does your institution use a website to disclose Student-Right-to-Know student athlete graduation rates?

No.

Yes. Please provide the URL.
http://

Does your institution offer bachelor's degree programs of 5 years or longer?
If you answer Yes to this question, a screen will be generated for you to report the number of students still
enrolled in long programs as of August 31, 2010
No.                                                                                                
Yes.
Based on your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (B3) on the Institutional
Characteristics Header survey from the IPEDS Fall 2010 Data Collection, your institution must report graduation
rates data using a

Full-Year Cohort (September 1, 2004 - August 31, 2005)

A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4, other
academic). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and
operating on a continuous basis.
Image
description.
These
context
notes
will
be on
posted
the
College
Navigator.
End
of image
description.

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

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

Section I - Graduation Rate - Establishing cohorts
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
Establishing cohorts
Screen 1 of 2

Cohort year 2004
Revised cohort
(01)

Initial cohort

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women

Total men + women

Section I - Graduation Rate - Establishing cohorts
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•Incoming students that are seeking a bachelors degree should be reported in column 02. While column 3 will then be
generated, it is meant to include any first-time, full-time entering students who are seeking an associates degree or
undergraduate certificates.
•If you have no changes to the preloaded data on this screen, you must click the "Save and Next" button to generate
screens to report completers and transfers.
Establishing cohorts
Screen 2 of 2

Cohort

Cohort year 2004
Bachelor's or equivalent
Other degree-seeking
degree-seeking subcohort
subcohort
(Revised cohort – Bachelor’s or equivalent
degree-seeking subcohort)
(02)
(03)

(01)
Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska

Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other

Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska

Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women
Total men + women

Section II - Graduation Rate - Completers within 150%
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the Bachelor's degree-seeking students reported in the subcohort in Col 10.
•Those undergraduate students who attained OTHER THAN A BACHELOR'S DEGREE within 150% of normal time as
of August 31, 2010 should be reported in either Col 11 or 12, depending on the length of the program.
•Those who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% or normal time should be reported in Col 18.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Screen 1 of 4

Cohort year 2004
Bachelor's or Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to
Total
equivalent
completion
completers
degree-seeking Completers of programs of Completers of programs of Completers of bachelor's
within
subcohort
150%
<2-yrs
2<4-yrs
or equivalent degrees
(10)
(11)
(12)
(18)
(29)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American

Indian or
Alaska Native
Asian

Black or

African
American
Native

Hawaiian or
Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American
Indian or
Alaska Native
Asian
Black or
African
American
Native
Hawaiian or
Other Pacific
Islander
White
Two or more
races
OLD categories:
Black, nonHispanic
American
Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total women
Total men +
women

Section II - Graduation Rate - Bachelor's completers by length of time to degree
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•The students who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent as reported on the previous page are listed in Col 18. For
the other columns below, report these completers according to how long it took them to complete the program.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Screen 2 of 4

Cohort year 2004
Bachelor's or
Subcohort students who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent Completed
equivalent degree- Completed the program in Completed the program in Completed bachelor's
seeking subcohort
degree
4 yrs or less
5 yrs
the program
or equivalent
in
within 150%
6 yrs
(10)
(19)
(20)
(21)
(18)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity

unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American

Native Hawaiian
or Other Pacific
Islander
White
Two or more
races
OLD categories:
Black, nonHispanic
American
Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity

unknown

Total women
Total men +
women

Section II - Graduation Rate - Transfers/exclusions
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the BACHELOR'S DEGREE-SEEKING STUDENTS reported in the
subcohort in Col 10, who did not complete a program as of August 31, 2010.
•Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Col 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed their programs,
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 school. 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 exclusions from the cohort in Col 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
students who died or became 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
•Col 49 [non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% of normal time] will be calculated for you
•If you do not have any values to enter in either column 30 or 45, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this
screen
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Screen 3 of 4

Cohort year 2004
Bachelor's or
Total
Total transfer-out students
Total exclusions
equivalent
completers
degree-seeking
within
subcohort
150%
(10)
(29)
(30)
(45)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total men
Women

Non-completers
(still enrolled + not
enrolled) and
completers > 150%
(49)

NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total women
Total men +
women

Section II - Graduation Rate - Long programs
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•Non-completers still enrolled plus non-completers not enrolled as calculated on the previous page are listed in Col 49. If
any of those students were still enrolled in long programs as of August 31, 2010, report them in Col 46; these are the
only double counted students on this survey, as they are counted in both Col 49 and Col 46.
•If you do not have any values to enter into column 46, you must enter at least one zero into that column.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree
Screen 4 of 4

Cohort year 2004
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and Still enrolled in programs of 5 years or
completers > 150%
longer
(49)
(46)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women

Total men + women

Section III - Graduation Rate - Completers within 150%
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the other undergraduate degree or certificate-seeking students reported in
the subcohort in Col 10.
•Those undergraduate students who attained OTHER THAN A BACHELOR'S DEGREE within 150% of normal time as
of August 31, 2010 should be reported in either Col 11 or 12, depending on the length of the program.
•Those who attained a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% or normal time should be reported in Col 18.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree
Screen 1 of 3

Cohort year 2004
Other degree- Subcohort students who completed their program within 150% of normal time to
Total
seeking
completion
completers
subcohort Completers of programs of Completers of programs of Completers of bachelor's
within
150%
<2-yrs
2<4-yrs
or equivalent degrees
(10)
(11)
(12)
(18)
(29)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American

Indian or
Alaska Native
Asian

Black or

African
American
Native

Hawaiian or
Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American
Indian or
Alaska Native
Asian
Black or
African
American
Native
Hawaiian or
Other Pacific
Islander
White
Two or more
races
OLD categories:
Black, nonHispanic
American
Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific
Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total women
Total men +
women

Section III - Graduation Rate - Transfers/exclusions
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
•In the columns below, report the status of the OTHER THAN A BACHELOR'S DEGREE-SEEKING STUDENTS
reported in the subcohort in Col 10, who did not complete a program as of August 31, 2010.
•Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Col 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed their programs,
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 school. 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 exclusions from the cohort in Col 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
students who died or became 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
•Col 49 [non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% of normal time] will be calculated for you
•If you do not have any values to enter in either column 30 or 45, you must enter at least one zero in a field on this
screen
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree
Screen 2 of 3

Cohort year 2004
Other degreeTotal
Total transfer-out students
Total exclusions
seeking
completers
subcohort
within 150%

(10)
(29)
(30)
Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total men
Women

Non-completers
(still enrolled + not
enrolled) and
completers >
150%
(49)

(45)

NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian

or Alaska Native
Asian

Black or African

American
Native Hawaiian

or Other Pacific
Islander
White

Two or more

races
OLD categories:
Black, non 

Hispanic
American

Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian/Pacific

Islander
Hispanic

White, non 

Hispanic
Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident

alien
Race and

ethnicity
unknown

Total women
Total men +
women

Section III - Graduation Rate - Long programs
REMINDER: 
This screen contains both NEW and OLD race/ethnicity categories.
Report each individual only ONCE, in either a new category OR an old category.
Do NOT double count individuals!
Report ALL Nonresident aliens and Race and ethnicity unknown in the 'Categories used in BOTH New
and Old' section.
Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a bachelor's degree
Screen 3 of 3

Cohort year 2004
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and Still enrolled in programs of 5 years or
completers > 150%
longer
(49)
(46)

Men
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:
Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total men
Women
NEW categories:
Notes for NEW categories:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska
Native
Asian

Black or African American

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White

Two or more races

OLD categories:

Black, non-Hispanic

American Indian/Alaska Native

Asian/Pacific Islander

Hispanic

White, non-Hispanic

Categories used in BOTH New and Old:
Nonresident alien

Race and ethnicity unknown

Total women

Total men + women

2010-11 Survey Materials

GRS - 4yr program reporters - full instructions
date: 12/9/2010

Instruction

Purpose
Change in Reporting
Reporting Period Covered
Context boxes
Coverage
Where to get help
Where data appears
Screening questions
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - New categories (1997
OMB)
Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender -- Old Categories (1977
OMB)
Reporting Students by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - Mixture of New and Old
Categories
Data Reporting Instructions

Purpose of Survey
The purpose of the Graduation Rate component of IPEDS is to track the cohorts of first-time, full-time,
degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates, as well as their completion status at 150% of normal time at
postsecondary institutions. This data is collected to comply with the Student-Right-to-Know Act.
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Changes in Reporting
There are no changes for the 2010-11 Graduation Rate component for 4-year institutions.
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General Instructions

Reporting Period Covered
This report requests data on a cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates
enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2004 or (2) during the period between September 1,
2004 and August 31, 2005. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2010.
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Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component
items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search
tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness
before posting them on the College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of their
entries.
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Coverage
Who to Include 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 term.
Students must be enrolled in courses creditable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those
enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.
Be sure to include full-time students taking remedial courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for
the purpose of student financial aid determination.
A student who is designated as a member of the 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.

Who to Exclude from the Cohort
DO NOT include students in the cohort who are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a formal award or the completion of a vocational
program (i.e., nondegree seeking).
Taking CEUs unless they are also enrolled full time in courses creditable toward a degree or other
formal award.
Exclusively auditing classes.
Studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at this institution is only an
administrative record and the fee is only nominal.
In any branch campus located in a foreign country.
Part time.
Transfers into the institution.

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Where to Get Help
IPEDS Data Collection Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-225-2568
Email: ipedshelp@rti.org

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

IPEDS Resources Page
In addition, the IPEDS Resources Page contains frequently asked questions, a link to the glossary, data tip
sheets, an archive of survey instruments, information on the new race/ethnicity categories and other relevant
information.
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Where the Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
•
•
•

College Navigator Website
IPEDS Data Center
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
•
•
•
•
•

IPEDS First Looks
IPEDS Table Library
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education

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Reporting Instructions

Screening Questions
Please read these questions carefully. Your responses will determine whether or not you need to complete the
survey and which sections you should complete. The data collection system will use your answers to these
questions to determine which screens for data entry will follow.

•

Please provide the URL where the Student-Right-to-Know information is disclosed on your
institution's website.

•

Indicate if your institution offers bachelor's degree programs of 5 years or longer.

•

The method used to establish the cohort reported on this survey has been predetermined by
your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (D1) on the
Institutional Characteristics survey component of the IPEDS Fall 2010 Data Collection,
according to the following rules:
1.

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 a census date of October 15, 2004, or the end of the
institution's drop-add period, or another official fall reporting date to determine the cohort.
This should be the same reporting date established for your IPEDS Fall Enrollment report.

2.

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,
2004 and August 31, 2005, 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.

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Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category
Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category- New categories (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 data, please see the full Federal Register notice.
Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of
Education using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States
citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.
•

Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:
•
•
•
•
•
•

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

In addition, the following categories may be used:
•
•

Nonresident alien
Race and ethnicity unknown

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

•
•

•

•
•
•

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

Other descriptive categories
•

•

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

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Reporting Individuals by Racial/Ethnic Category and Gender - Old Categories (1977
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.
Method of collection - The manner of collecting racial/ethnic information is left to the discretion of the
institution provided that the system which is established results in reasonably accurate data, which may be
replicated by others when the same documented system is utilized. One acceptable method is a properly
controlled system of post-enrollment self-identification by students. If a self-identification method is utilized, a
verification procedure to ascertain the completeness and accuracy of student submissions should also be
employed. An employer may acquire the racial/ethnic information necessary for this section either by visual
survey of the work force or from post-employment records.
Assignment to categories - For the purpose of this report, an individual may be included in the group to
which he or she appears to belong, identifies with, or is regarded in the community as belonging. However, no
person may be counted in more than one racial/ethnic category. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only
for United States citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.
Racial/ethnic descriptions - Racial/ethnic designations as used in this survey do not denote scientific
definitions of anthropological origins. The categories are:

• Black, non-Hispanic - A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (except those of
Hispanic origin).
• American Indian/Alaska Native - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America
and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition.
• Asian/Pacific Islander - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast
Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or Pacific Islands. This includes people from China, Japan, Korea, the Philippine
Islands, American Samoa, India, and Vietnam.
• Hispanic - A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture
or origin, regardless of race.
• White, non-Hispanic - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the
Middle East (except those of Hispanic origin).

Other descriptive categories

• Nonresident alien - A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this
country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. NOTE - Nonresident
aliens are to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of the five racial/ethnic
categories. Resident aliens and other eligible (for financial aid purposes) non-citizens who are not citizens or
nationals of the United States and who have been admitted as legal immigrants for the purpose of obtaining
permanent resident alien status (and who hold either an alien registration card (Form I-551 or I-151), a
Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) with a notation that
conveys legal immigrant status such as Section 207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, Conditional Entrant Parolee
or Cuban-Haitian) are to be reported in the appropriate racial/ethnic categories along with United States
citizens.
• Race/ethnicity unknown - This category is used ONLY if the student did not select a racial/ethnic
designation, AND the postsecondary institution finds it impossible to place the student in one of the
racial/ethnic categories during established enrollment procedures or in any post-enrollment identification or
verification process.
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Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category - Mixture of New and Old Categories
Institutions may choose, during the optional period for each survey component, to report using a mixture of
new and old race/ethnicity categories within the same survey component. In this case, all 14 categories will
show on the data collection screen at the same time.
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Section I - Graduation Rate - Establishing Cohorts
Report each student only once.
If your institution determines degree intent upon entry, students in your revised initial cohort are
to be separated into two groups or subcohorts: (1) students entering bachelor's or equivalent
degree programs and (2) students seeking other than a bachelor's degree (associate's degree,
certificates, etc.).
Institutions that do not determine degree intent upon entry should report all students as if they are
bachelor's degree-seeking.
Please complete all of Section I; screens for Sections II and III will be generated based on the data
you report in Section I.
Initial cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information you reported on line 01 of
your 2004 IPEDS Fall Enrollment report 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 (01) - If revisions are needed to the data in the initial cohort column, make any
necessary corrections for omissions or double counting in the revised cohort column. Enter the data
according to student race/ethnicity and gender. If your data do not appear in the initial cohort
column, please provide the enrollment data as requested in the revised cohort column.
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (02) - Of the revised cohort, indicate how
many students declared intent to seek the bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry. As indicated
above, this should also include any students whose intent was not known. These data are brought
forward to Section II.
Other degree-seeking subcohort (03) - The difference between the revised cohort and the
bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort is calculated for you. This indicates how many
students declared intent to seek other than a bachelor's level degree (i.e., associate's degree or
other formal award) upon entry. These data are brought forward to Section III.

Section II - Full-Time, First-Time Students Seeking a Bachelor's or Equivalent Degree
Report the status of the 2004 subcohort of bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking students as of
August 31, 2010 in terms of the number of completers within 150% of normal time to award, by
length of program completed. Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report only for full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree.
DO NOT include students who transferred into your institution.
Count completers only once and indicate the highest degree 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.
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. The student receives full credit toward a 5-year bachelor's degree and qualifies the
student for admission into the fourth year of a 5-year bachelor's degree program.
**SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONS WITH 5-YEAR PROGRAMS**
Institutions with 5-year undergraduate programs are to report on the same cohort of students that
is being reported by the traditional 4-year institutions. Section II, column 46 requests the number
of students still enrolled in 5-year programs. Be sure to complete the information requested in this
item. NCES will also request that institutions with 5-year programs report data and calculate a
graduation rate after 7-1/2 years. A special supplementary form will be used in Spring 2013 to
collect this information on your 2004 cohort.
Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (10) - These are the data as reported in
Section I.
Completers within 150% of Normal Time (11, 12, 18)
In order to calculate a graduation rate to comply with Student Right-to-Know regulations,
institutions can count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or
completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of normal program time. See Glossary for
definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students who get their degree
from another institution.
Completed <2-yr within 150% (11) - Enter the number of students who completed programs
of less than 2 years within 150% of normal time. 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.
Completed 2<4 yr within 150% (12) - Indicate the number of students who completed
programs of at least 2 years but less than 4 years within 150% of normal time to completion of
their program. For example, a student who completed a 3-year program in 4-1/2 years or less
should be reported in column 12.
Completed Bachelor's degree within 150% (18) - Enter the number of students who
completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent program within 150% of normal time. Note: Include
completers of 3-year bachelor's degree programs only if they completed within 4-1/2 years.
Total completers within 150% (29) - This column is the sum of the previous three columns,
and is calculated by the data collection system.
Time to Degree

Report the status of the 2004 subcohort of bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking students as of
August 31, 2010 in terms of the number of completers by length of time to degree. Report all
students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report completers of bachelor's degrees or equivalent according to how long it took them to
complete their program. Include all baccalaureate level degrees, including 5-year bachelor's
(including 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 you reported (18), provide the following breakout:
Completed the program in 4 yrs or less (19) - Report all students who completed a bachelor's
degree or equivalent in 4 years or less in this column. Include all students who completed a
bachelor's degree or equivalent by August 31, 2008.
Completed the program in 5 yrs (20) - Report all students who completed a bachelor's degree
or equivalent in 5 years in this column. Include all students who completed a bachelor's degree or
equivalent in the period from September 1, 2008 through August 31, 2009. Do NOT include
students who completed their program in 4 years or less in this column.
Completed the program in 6 yrs (21) - This column is the difference between the completers of
bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time (18) and the sum of those who
completed the program in 4 years or less (19) and those who completed the program in 5 years
(20). Included are all students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent in the period from
September 1, 2009 through August 31, 20010. This column will be calculated by the data collection
system.
Total completers within 150% (29) - These are the data as reported on the first page of
Section II.
Total transfer-out students (30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution without having
completed their program, report the total number of students who transferred out of your
institution (without a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students
who transferred out of your institution and subsequently re-enrolled. If it is not part of your
mission, you may still report transfer-out data if you wish.
Total exclusions (45) - Indicate the total number of students who left your institution (and have
neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) because of one of the following
documented reasons:
1.
2.
3.
4.

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 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 in b, c, or d above, but
return prior to the status date of August 31, 2010, may be subtracted from the cohort during the
calculation of graduation rates.
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% (49) - This column
is generated by the calculation of Col 10 - (Col 29 + Col 30 + Col 45).

Section III - Full-Time, First-Time Students Seeking Other than a Bachelor's Degree,
Completers within 150% of Normal Time

Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2004 subcohort of students seeking other than a bachelor's degree as of
August 31, 2010 in terms of the number of completers within 150% of normal time to award, by
length of program completed. Report all students by race/ethnicity and gender.
Report only for full-time, first-time students seeking undergraduate degrees or
certificates other than a bachelor's degree. DO NOT include students who transferred into
your institution.
Count completers only once and indicate the highest degree 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.
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. The student receives full credit toward a 5-year bachelor's degree and qualifies the
student for admission into the fourth year of a 5-year bachelor's degree program.
**SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONS WITH 5-YEAR PROGRAMS**
Institutions with 5-year undergraduate programs are to report on the same cohort of students that
is being reported by the traditional 4-year institutions. Section III, column 46 requests the number
of students still enrolled in 5-year programs. Be sure to complete the information requested in this
item. NCES will also request that institutions with 5-year programs report data and calculate a
graduation rate after 7-1/2 years. A special supplementary form will be used in Spring 2013 to
collect this information on your 2004 cohort.
Other degree-seeking subcohort (10) - These are the data as reflected in Section I.
Completers within 150% of Normal Time (11, 12, 18)
In order to calculate a graduation rate to comply with Student Right-to-Know regulations,
institutions can count as completers only those students who received their degree/certificate (or
completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of normal program time. See Glossary for
definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students who get their degree
from another institution.
Completed <2-yr within 150% (11) - Enter the number of students who completed programs
of less than 2 years within 150% of normal time. 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.
Completed 2<4 yr within 150% (12) - Indicate the number of students who completed
programs of at least 2 years but less than 4 years within 150% of normal time to completion of
their program. For example, a student who completed a 3-year program in 4-1/2 years or less
should be reported in column 12.
Completed Bachelor's degree within 150% (18) - Enter the number of students who
completed a bachelor's degree program within 150% of normal time. Note: Include completers of 3
-year bachelor's degree programs only if they completed within 4-1/2 years.
Total completers within 150% (29) - This column is the sum of the previous three columns,
and is calculated by the data collection system.

Total transfer-out students (30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution without having
completed their program, report the total number of students who transferred out of your
institution (without a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students
who transferred out of your institution and subsequently re-enrolled. If it is not part of your
mission, you may still report transfer-out data if you wish.
Total exclusions (45)- Indicate the total number of students who left your institution (and have
neither graduated nor transferred to another institution) because of one of the following
documented reasons:
1.
2.
3.
4.

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 in b, c, or d above, but return prior to
the status date of August 31, 2010, may be subtracted from the cohort during the calculation of graduation
rates.
Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% (49) - This column is
generated by the calculation of Col 10 - (Col 29 + Col 30 + Col 45).

Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates
Worksheets
Worksheets calculating the Student Right-To-Know completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking students for the 2004 student cohort are provided as a convenience to
the institution. A worksheet calculating 4-year, 5-year, and 6-year graduation rates for the 2004 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.
Worksheets calculating the overall four-year average completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of fulltime, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students for the student cohort are also provided. Data previously
reported by the institution have been preloaded to use in these calculations.
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.

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Glossary

date: 12/9/2010

Term

Definition

Adjusted cohort

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

American Indian or Alaska
Native (new definition)

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 (new definition)

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.

Associate's degree

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

Bachelor's degree

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

Bachelor's or equivalent
degree-seeking subcohort

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

Black or African American
(new definition)

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

Cohort

A specific group of students established for tracking purposes.

Completers within 150%
of normal time

Students who completed their program within 150% of the normal (or expected) time for completion.

Exclusions

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

First-time student
(undergraduate)

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

Full-time student

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

Full-year cohort

The group of students entering at any time during the 12-month period September 1 through August
31 that is established for tracking and reporting Graduation Rate (GRS) data for institutions that
primarily offer occupational programs of varying lengths. Students must be full-time and first-time to
be considered in the cohort.

Graduation rate

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

Graduation Rates (GRS)

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

Hispanic or Latino (new
definition)

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

Initial cohort

A specific group of individuals established for tracking purposes. For the Graduation Rates component
of IPEDS, the initial cohort is defined as all students who enter an institution as full-time, first-time
degree/certificate-seeking students during either (1) the fall term of a given academic year, or (2)
between September 1st and August 31st of the following year.

Long programs

Undergraduate programs that exceed the usual program length for a specific level. This would include
programs of 5 years or longer for 4-year institutions and programs of 3 years or longer for 2-year
institutions.

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander (new
definition)

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

Nonresident alien

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

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

Other degree-seeking
subcohort

A subset of students belonging to a GRS cohort who were seeking a degree or certificate other than
bachelor's degree upon entry.

Race/ethnicity unknown

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

Revised cohort

Initial cohort after revisions are made. Cohorts may be revised if an institution discovers that
incorrect data were reported in an earlier year.

Student Right-to-Know
Act

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

Subcohort

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

Transfer-out rate

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

Transfer-out student

A student that leaves the reporting institution and enrolls at another institution.

Transfer-preparatory
program

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

White (new definition)

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

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates for 4-year institutions
date: 12/9/2010

FAQs
Click one of the following questions to view the answer.

General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How do I choose
my cohort?
2) Why do 4-year institutions need to separate their entering cohort into two groups?
3) My institution does not have any information on the cohort you are requesting. Do I have to do anything this year?
4) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?
5) Do I need to track students every term?

Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?
2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?
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?
4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?
5) How do I report students who are taking ESL (English as a Second Language) or developmental courses?
6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?
7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-seeking student this fall, can I count the
student as "first-time"?
8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?
9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?
10) How do I treat new entrants that get credit for life experience?
11) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?
12) Many of our students take courses during the summer at other schools; should these be considered transfers out?
13) My initial cohort includes all full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled as of October 15 - the same as on my
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. Now what happens to: stop outs, drop outs, students who enroll part time next semester, or students
who switch to another program?
14) If a student in my cohort obtains two undergraduate level degrees (AA and BA) within the 6-year period, can I count both
completions?
15) I have a student that intends to get a bachelor’s degree so he is in my Section II cohort. He does not complete his BA within the
6-year period BUT he did get an associate’s degree along the way and it was completed within 3 years. Where do I report him?

Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
1) How do I calculate 150% of normal time to completion?
2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count 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?
3) How do I calculate 150% for students who stop out, or drop out, and then return and complete the program?

Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?
2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?
3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I still in
compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

Other
1) My institution belongs to the NCAA; do I have to report GRS data to IPEDS? Do I also need to report to the Secretary of
Education?
2) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my school. Do I need
to try to track these "leavers"?
3) How do I deal with "3/2" programs? My institution provides the first 3 years of an engineering program and our students go on to
another university for the last 2 years of study to attain their degree. Can we count them as completers when they get their degree
from the second institution?
4) My institution offers pre-med and pre-vet programs, but formal awards are not given. What happens to these students?
5) My institution offers a PharmD program where a student is accepted into the program after completing a 2 or 3 year program of
undergraduate studies. What happens to these students?
6) 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?
7) My school has mostly 5-year programs. According to the Student Right-to-Know (SRK) regulations, I need not disclose graduation
rates until 7 ½ years after the start of my fall 2001 cohort. Do I still need to respond to the IPEDS GRS after 6 years?
8) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?

9) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

Answers:
General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How
do I choose my cohort?

If most programs operate on a term basis (semester, quarter or trimester), you must use a fall cohort;
otherwise, you must use a full-year cohort. The cohort method you must use has been pre-determined by
your answer to the Calendar System question on the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey.
Back to top
2) Why do 4-year institutions need to separate their entering cohort into two groups?

NCES is asking 4-year schools that offer undergraduate awards other than the bachelor’s degree to define
two subcohorts: (1) students who enter with the intent to complete a bachelor’s degree, and (2) students
who intend to complete other than a bachelor’s degree program. Students whose intent is unknown are to be
placed in the subcohort with those seeking a bachelor’s degree. By separating the cohort this way, the
graduation and transfer rates of the first group can be compared to those at like institutions as well as those
at institutions offering only a bachelor’s degree. Likewise, the rates of the second group can also be
compared to rates at 2-year institutions.
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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 reporting is mandatory for institutions that did enroll full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students during the cohort year. If you did not enroll this
type of student or your institution was not in operation during the cohort year, please report this information
on the Institutional Characteristics survey.
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4) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?

There is a difference between revising and adjusting a cohort. Revising a cohort means to change the cohort
by taking into consideration better information that has become available since you first reported your cohort
on the Fall Enrollment survey (e.g., you may now have more complete racial/ethnic information on the
cohort). You can revise a fall cohort by entering new data in the Revised Cohort column on the data
collection screen. Adjusting a cohort means to subtract the Exclusions from the Revised Cohort to establish
a denominator for rate calculation. Both fall and full-year cohorts will be adjusted for you on the worksheet
screens when graduation and transfer-out rates are calculated.
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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 for the longest program, look back to see what happened to those in the cohort. You will need to know
when they completed, but it is not necessary to compare or track from term-to-term.
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Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?

According to the IPEDS Glossary, a first-time student is "A student attending any institution for the first time
at the level enrolled." By this we mean at the undergraduate level, graduate level, or first-professional level.
Since the GRS is only interested in undergraduates, it means that the student is first time in postsecondary
education (or the student is not known to have attended another postsecondary institution). There are two
exceptions: (1) students who attended any institution 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).
Back to top
2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?

Yes. You need to report the data to NCES regardless of the cohort size. See the questions on disclosure for
further information.
Back to top
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.
Back to top
4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?

The IPEDS GRS does NOT collect information on transfers in. THESE STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED
IN ANY COHORT.
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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 formal award and if they are not eligible for Title IV Federal financial
aid.
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6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?

Use the same reasoning here that you use to determine who to report as degree/certificate-seeking on your
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. If they are degree/certificate-seeking for purposes of qualifying for student
financial aid, then they must be included in the cohort.
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7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-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 enter with no credit.
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8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?

Neither should be included in your cohort.
Back to top
9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?

Even though these students are enrolled for credit, if they are not seeking a degree/certificate, they are not
to be included in your cohort according to the SRK regulations. Be sure to carefully read the definition of
degree-seeking in the Glossary.
Back to top
10) How do I treat new entrants that get credit for life experience?

If the student has never enrolled in a postsecondary institution, they are to be counted as "first-time."
Back to top
11) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?

Since these students must have been enrolled in an institution in order to obtain credit through
correspondence or distance learning, they are not "first-time."
Back to top
12) Many of our students take courses during the summer at other schools; should these be considered transfers out?

No. Keep the students in your cohort since they return in the fall and continue their programs of study.
Back to top
13) My initial cohort includes all full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates enrolled as of October 15 - the
same as on my IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. Now what happens to: stop outs, drop outs, students who enroll part time
next semester, or students who switch to another program?

It looks like your cohort is defined correctly. Remember YOUR COHORT NEVER CHANGES. Students who stop
out or drop out do not change the cohort number. They remain in the count; if they complete within 150%
please report them as such. Students who switch to part time or to another program are not given extra time
to complete, nor are they removed from the cohort. Report their status as requested.
Back to top
14) If a student in my cohort obtains two undergraduate level degrees (AA and BA) within the 6-year period, can I
count both completions?

No, you may only count one. NCES recommends that you report the highest degree attained, but it is your
decision as to which one you prefer to report.
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15) I have a student that intends to get a bachelor’s degree so he is in my Section II cohort. He does not complete his
BA within the 6-year period BUT he did get an associate’s degree along the way and it was completed within 3 years.
Where do I report him?

By all means count him as a completer of the associate’s degree (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.
Back to top
Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
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. Normal
time is defined as "the time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate
according to an institution’s catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for a bachelor’s degree, 2 years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for an associate’s degree, and the scheduled times for certificate programs." Let’s
look at some examples:
Many bachelor’s degree programs are outlined as 4-year programs - 8 semesters – usually fall and spring.
Extending this to 150% (1.5 x 8) would take 12 semesters or through the end of the spring term of the
sixth year.
Similarly, an associate’s degree that is advertised as a 2-year program - 6 quarters (fall, winter, spring, with
no scheduled summer quarter), would extend to (1.5 x 6) or 9 quarters through the end of the spring
quarter of the third year.
However, the Technical Amendments that redefine the cohort year allow you to count completers through
August 31 of the summer following the sixth year of a 4-year program (or the third year for 2-year
programs).
Certificate programs must be handled somewhat differently. If a 900 contact 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.
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2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count 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 (i.e., an award date of, or prior to, August 31 is noted in the student’s record) and just allow
the student to "pick it up" at the December ceremony, then you should be able to count the student in your
completions.
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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 is applied to the 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.
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Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?

The November 1, 2000 regulations state 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 can be calculated. The students to be reported as transfers are those who have
NOT completed a degree, certificate, or transfer preparatory program, so they cannot be counted as
completers. If the institution does not have such a mission, reporting of transfers out is optional.
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2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?

None. All verification requirements were dropped from the November 1, 2000 regulations.
Back to top
3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I
still in compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

As long as your institution does not include the substantial preparation of 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 need to be able to track transfers out and report them.
Back to top
Other
1) My institution belongs to the NCAA; do I have to report GRS data to IPEDS? Do I also need to report to the Secretary
of Education?

Completing the IPEDS GRS form through the web-based data collection system satisfies all your reporting
requirements to the Secretary of Education. However, the NCAA is now collecting their own data on
graduation rates themselves, separately from IPEDS. You will still need to report data to the NCAA. If you
have any questions, you should contact the NCAA directly.
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2) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my
school. Do I need to try 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.
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3) How do I deal with "3/2" programs? My institution provides the first 3 years of an engineering program and our
students go on to another university for the last 2 years of study to attain their degree. Can we count them as
completers when they get their degree from the second institution?

No, you should NEVER count a student as a completer when they get 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 a "2- but less than 4-year
program." This works the same way as the "transfer-preparatory program" described above.
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4) My institution offers pre-med and pre-vet programs, but formal awards are not given. What happens to these
students?

Assuming these are 2- or 3-year programs, count the students as completers of a "2- but less than 4-year
program" if they complete within 150% of normal time.
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5) My institution offers a PharmD program where a student is 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 within 150% of normal time should be counted in the
other degree/certificate-seeking subcohort (Section III) as completers of a "2- but less than 4-year program".
However, do not track their progress any further towards the PharmD, since it is a first-professional degree,
and thus is not part of the Graduation Rates Survey.
Back to top
6) 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.
Back to top
7) My school has mostly 5-year programs. According to the Student Right-to-Know (SRK) regulations, I need not
disclose graduation rates until 7 ½ years after the start of my fall 2001 cohort. Do I still need to respond to the IPEDS
GRS after 6 years?

Yes. IPEDS is mandated by a different law and must be completed by institutions that have Program
Participation Agreements (PPA’s) with the Department of Education for Federal student financial assistance.
Each year, you are asked to report on the requested cohort after 6 years on the GRS survey form for 4-year
institutions. There is a specific question where you are asked to report the number of students still enrolled in
5-year programs. In addition, you will be asked to report on this same cohort after 7 ½ years has elapsed
(150% of normal time) so that you can calculate the graduation rate and transfer out rate for Student Rightto-Know disclosure. This additional information will be reported in a supplemental data collection within the
web-based system.
For example:
Survey Year
2010
2011
2012

Report after 6 years on
2004 cohort
2005 cohort
2006 cohort

Report after 7 ½ years on
2002 cohort
2003 cohort
2004 cohort
Back to top

8) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?

NO! NO! and NO! The GRS 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
consistency in the way the rates are calculated. SRK requires disclosure of these rates to students and
prospective students. By completing the GRS, you now have the rates you need to disclose. But you need to
make them available. For schools that offer athletically-related student aid, there are additional disclosure
and reporting requirements. The GRS satisfies the reporting requirements only.
Back to top
9) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

The regulations state that beginning with the group of students who enter the institution between September
1, 2000 and August 31, 2001, an institution shall disclose its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out
rate information no later than the July 1 immediately following the point in time that 150% of the normal
time for completion or graduation has elapsed for all of the students in the groups on which the institution
bases its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out rate calculations.
Therefore, at a minimum, you must disclose (July 1) your graduation and transfer-out rates (as of August 31
of the prior year). In addition, institutions for which transfer out is an important part of their mission must
also disclose a transfer-out rate. The Secretary urges institutions to disclose as much additional information
as warranted to help consumers understand institutional mission, etc. Thus you should consider additional
rates as well, such as rates for part-time students and possibly rates 8 or 10 years out, if your students take
longer to complete. The SRK regulations state that if a category of students within an athletic subcohort
contains 5 or fewer students, institutions need not disclose information on the category of students.
Back to top

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates
date: 12/9/2010

Narrative Edits for Graduation Rates for 4-year institutions

Edit specifications for the 2010-11 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection
Graduation Rates (GRS) Component
Applicable to 4-year institutions
Note: The specifications in this document apply to the institutions listed above. Some sections and parts may not
apply to your particular institution. Please read the specifications carefully to determine which sections and/or parts
apply to your institution.
All screens must be completed in order to lock the survey.
Screening Questions, Part 1
Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision
Section I: Establishing Cohorts
Sections II and III: Subcohort Data
Worksheets

Screening Questions, Part 1

You must respond to the following screening questions:
•
•

Does your institution use a website to disclose Student-Right-to-Know student athlete graduation rates?
◦ If you select Yes, the URL must be provided.
Does your institution offer bachelor's degree programs of 5 years or longer?
◦ If you select Yes, additional screens will be generated in Section II and Section III of this survey for
reporting data on Long Programs.

The above screening questions are critical data items. To lock the survey, both questions must be answered completely.
Top

Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision

Applicable to Academic reporters ONLY
On this screen, you may choose to revise your institution's preloaded Initial cohort if eligible students were previously omitted
from the cohort, or the racial or ethnic category of a student was misrepresented.
•

If you select Yes (to indicate that you wish to report changes to the Initial cohort), the Establishing cohorts,
part 1 screen will be provided in Section I of this survey for entering the necessary corrections.

Top

Section I: Establishing Cohorts

Part 1 Applicable ONLY to those institutions that indicated that they wished to revise their initial cohort on the
Screening Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen

Use this screen to enter Revised cohort values for each applicable race/ethnicity and gender category. These revised values
will be used to represent the Cohort on all subsequent screens. If you no longer wish to revise the cohort, return to the
Screening Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen and select No.
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•
•

The calculated Total men + women in the Revised cohort (column 01) must be greater than 0.
The Revised cohort must be within a certain range of the Initial cohort, as outlined below:
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 1 and 25 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised cohort must be within a 50% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 26 and 100 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised cohort must be within a 30% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 101 and 500 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised cohort must be within a 20% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is greater than 500 students, then the Total
men + women in the Revised cohort must be within a 10% range of that value.

Part 2
On this screen, enter the number of Men and Women who belong to the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking
subcohort (column 02) for each applicable race/ethnicity category.
The system will calculate the Other degree-seeking subcohort (column 03) by subtracting the Bachelor's or equivalent
degree-seeking subcohort (column 02) from the Cohort (column 01) for each row of data.
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•
•

•

For each race/ethnicity and gender category, the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (column 02)
cannot be greater than the Cohort (column 01).
If your institution reported offering bachelor's degrees in the Institutional Characteristics survey, then the sum of
Men plus Woman seeking a Bachelor's or equivalent degree (column 02) is expected to be greater than 0;
otherwise, an explanation is required.
If your institution reported offering award levels other than bachelor's degrees in the Institutional Characteristics
survey, the sum of Men plus Woman seeking an Other degree (column 03) is expected to be greater than 0;
otherwise, an explanation is required.

Top

Section II and Section III: Subcohort Data

Use Sections II and III to report data on the specified student subcohorts at the institution based on the descriptions below:
•
•

Section II: Report the status of the Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking a bachelor's or
equivalent degree for Cohort year 2004.
Section III: Report the status of the Subcohort of full-time, first-time students seeking other than a
bachelor's or equivalent degree for Cohort year 2004.
Note: Section III is only applicable if you reported students seeking a degree other than a bachelor's or
equivalent degree on the Establishing Cohorts, Part 2 screen.

The following screens must be completed for Section II and Section III (if applicable to your institution):
Completers within 150%
On this screen, you must report the number of students by race/ethnicity and gender who completed programs of less-thantwo years (column 11), programs of at-least-two but less-than-four years (column 12), and bachelor's or equivalent
degrees (column 18) within 150% of normal time to completion.
For each individual program length (columns 11, 12, and 18), the system will calculate the Total men + women to determine
the grand total number of completers by length of time to completion.

In addition, for each row of data, the system will calculate the sum of columns 11, 12, and 18 to determine the number of Total
completers within 150% (column 29).
The system will perform the following General edits on the data entered in Section II and Section III:
•

•

The sum of Total completers within 150% (column 29) from Sections II and III must be greater than 0.
Otherwise, a fatal error will occur to prevent a graduation rate of 0.0% on your institution's College Navigator
page.
If the sum of Total completers within 150% from Sections II and III is greater than 10; THEN,
This value must be less than:
The Cohort (column 01) – the sum of Total Exclusions from Sections II and III (found on the
Transfers/Exclusions screen)

•

Otherwise, a fatal error will occur to prevent a graduation rate of 100% on your institution's College Navigator
page.
If the prior year Adjusted cohort (from the 4-year-average, part 1 worksheet) is greater than 0; AND the sum of
Total Exclusions from Sections II and III is greater than 0; THEN:

The sum of Total Completers within 150% from Sections II and III * 100
____________________________________________________________________________
The Cohort (column 01) – the sum of Total Exclusions from Sections II and III
Should be within a 20% range of the following:
PY Total Completers within 150% (from the 4-year-average, part 2 worksheet) * 100
______________________________________________________________________________
The PY Adjusted cohort
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered in Section II:
•
•

For each race/ethnicity and gender category, Total completers within 150% (column 29) must be less than or
equal to the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort (column 10).
An explanation must be provided if your institution reported offering bachelor's degrees in the Institutional
Characteristics survey, but did not report any bachelor's degree completers here.

The system will perform the following edit on the data entered in Section III:
•

For each race/ethnicity and gender category, the sum of Total completers within 150% (column 29) must be
less than or equal to the Other degree-seeking subcohort (column 10).

Bachelor's completers by length of time to degree
Applicable to Section II ONLY
On this screen, you must report the number of students in the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort who
Completed the program in four years or less (column 19) and Completed the program in five years (column 20) by
race/ethnicity and gender. The system will then subtract these values from the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking
subcohort (column 10) to determine the number of students who Completed the program in six years (column 21).
For each individual program length (columns 19, 20, and 21), the system will calculate the Total men + women to determine
the grand total number of completers by length of time to completion.
In addition, for each row of data, the system will calculate the sum of columns 19, 20, and 21 to determine the total number of
students who completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent within 150% of normal time (column 18).
The system will perform the following edit on the data entered:

•

The number of students who Completed the program in 6 years should be greater than or equal to 0. To
correct this value, you must adjust the number of students who Completed the program in 4 years or less
and/or Completed the program in 5 years, so that the sum of these values is less than or equal to the number
of students in the Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort.

Transfers/Exclusions
On this screen, you must report the number of Total transfer-out students (column 30) and Total exclusions (column 45) in
the subcohort by race/ethnicity and gender for Cohort year 2004.
The system will calculate the Total men + women for each column to determine the grand total number of transfer-out
students and exclusions.
In addition, for each row of data, the sum of columns 30, 45, and Total completers within 150% (column 29) is subtracted
from the subcohort (column 10) to determine the total number of Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and
completers > 150% (column 49).
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•

•

•

•

The total number of Non-completers (column 49) must be greater than or equal to 0. To correct this value, the
sum of Total completers within 150% (column 29), Total transfer-out students (column 30), and Total
exclusions (column 45) must be less or equal to the subcohort (column 10).
If the number of Total transfer-out students (men + women) (column 30) is greater than 10, then this value is
expected to be less than or equal to 40% of the total number of men and women in the subcohort (column 10).
Note: Transfer-out students should ONLY include students who transferred out to another eligible institution. Do
NOT include all non-completers here.
If the number of Total exclusions (men + women) (column 45) is greater than 10, then this value is expected to
be less than or equal to 10% of the total number of men and women in the subcohort (column 10).
Note: Exclusions should ONLY include students who died or were permanently disabled; or who left school to join
the military, to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government, or to serve on an official church
mission. Do NOT include all non-completers here.
An explanation must be provided if your institution reported having 0 Non-completers (column 49); and your
institution reported having more than 100 men and women in the subcohort (column 10); and your institution
reported having more than 10 Total transfer-out students (column 30).
Note: Please verify that non-completers were not reported erroneously as transfer-out students (column 30) or
exclusions (column 45).

Long Programs
Applicable to institutions that responded Yes to the question “Does your institution offer bachelor's degree programs
of 5 years or longer?” on the Screening Questions, part 1 screen
On this screen, data must be provided on the number of students from the subcohort who are Still enrolled in programs of 5
years or longer (column 46) by race/ethnicity and gender. The system will calculate the Total men + women to determine the
grand total number of students who are Still enrolled in programs of 5 years or longer.
The system will perform the following edit on the data entered:
•

The number of students Still enrolled in programs of 5 years or longer (column 46) must be less than or
equal to the calculated number of Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150%
(column 49).

Top

Worksheets

Additional worksheet screens have been included at the end of the survey. These screens provide your institution with a
summary of the data entered, along with prior year data. This includes: Graduation and transfer-out rates, Graduation and
transfer-out rates by length of time to degree, and 4-year average Graduation rates.
Top

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates
date: 12/9/2010

Form: Graduation Rates for less-than-2-year institutions reporting on a fall cohort (academic reporters)
Cohort Revision
Cohort revision
Number of first-time, full-time undergraduate degree/certificate-seeking students reported Column 1 of the 2007 IPEDS
Enrollment survey. These students make up the Initial Cohort.
Institutions are permitted to make revisions to the initial cohort. The revisions can be either:
1.

An actual change in the number of students in the cohort due to cohort-eligible students that were previously
omitted from the initial cohort
A reclassification of students within gender or racial/ethnic categories with no actual change in the cohort total

2.

No revisions should be made for anyone who dropped out, transferred to another institution, or became a part-time
student.
Does your institution have any revisions to make to your preloaded Initial Cohort?
Yes
No

Section III - Graduation rates
Based on your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (B3) on the Institutional
Characteristics Header survey from the IPEDS Fall 2010 Data Collection, your institution must report graduation
rates data using a
Fall Cohort (Fall 2007)
A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4, other
academic). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and
operating on a continuous basis.
•In the columns below, report the status of the Full-time, First-time students reported in the cohort in Col 10.
•The cumulative number of those students who completed their program within 150% of normal time as of August 31,
2010 should be reported in Col 11.
•Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Col 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed their programs,
you should 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 school. 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 exclusions from the cohort in Col 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
students who died or became 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
•Col 49 [non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% of normal time] will be calculated for you
•Col 55 - Completers within 100% - this is a subset of column 11 (completers within 150%). These data are being
requested so they can be preloaded into next year's Graduation Rate 200% survey form
Cohort of full-time, first-time students
Screen
1 of 1

Cohort year 2007
Initial
cohort

Revised cohort

Total exclusions

(10)

(45)

Adjusted Completed program within Completed program within Total transfer-out students Non-completers
cohort
100% of normal time to
150% of normal time to
(still enrolled +
(10 - 45)
completion
completion
not enrolled)
and completers
> 150%
(50)
(55)
(11)
(30)
(49)

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

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

2010-11 Survey Materials

GRS - Less than 2yr academic year reporters - Full Instructions
date: 12/9/2010

Instruction

Purpose
Reporting Period Covered
Context boxes
Where to get help
Where data appears
Screening questions
Data Reporting Instructions

Purpose of Survey
The purpose of the Graduation Rate component of IPEDS is to track the cohorts of first-time, full-time,
degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates, as well as their completion status at 150% of normal time at
postsecondary institutions. This data is collected to comply with the Student-Right-to-Know Act.
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General Instructions

Reporting period covered
This report requests data on a cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates
enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2007 or (2) during the period between September 1,
2007 and August 31, 2008. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2010.
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Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component
items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search
tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness
before posting them on the College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of their
entries.
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Where to Get Help
IPEDS Data Collection Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-225-2568
Email: ipedshelp@rti.org

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

IPEDS Resources Page
In addition, the IPEDS Resources Page contains frequently asked questions, a link to the glossary, data tip
sheets, an archive of survey instruments, information on the new race/ethnicity categories and other relevant
information.
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Where the Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
•
•
•

College Navigator Website
IPEDS Data Center
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
•
•
•
•
•

IPEDS First Looks
IPEDS Table Library
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education

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Screening Question:
Indicate whether your institution needs to make revisions to the initial cohort.
•

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Institutions can make revisions to their cohort because they have omitted cohort-eligible students
previously, or because some students have been misclassified by race/ethnicity or gender.

Reporting Instructions

Section III - Full-Time, First-Time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Students
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2007 cohort of degree/certificate-seeking students as of August 31, 2010 in terms
of the number of completers within 150% of normal time to award, number of transfer-out students (noncompleters), and 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 students
who transferred into your institution.
Initial cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information you reported on line 01 of your 2007
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report 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.
Institutions are permitted to make revisions to the initial cohort for the following reasons:
•
Cohort-eligible students were previously omitted from the initial cohort
•
Students were misclassified in the wrong gender or racial/ethnic category

A screening question allows a school to make revisions to their intial cohort, or they may skip past
this step and just accept their initial cohort with no revisions.
Revised cohort (10) -If revisions are needed, please make any necessary corrections for omissions or
double counting. If your data do not appear in the initial cohort column, please provide the enrollment data as
requested in the revised cohort column.
Completed within 100% (55) - In order to gather additional information that will be preloaded into next
year's Graduation Rate 200% component, institutions are asked to count as completers only those students
who received their degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 100% of normal
program time. See Glossary for definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students
who get their degree/certificate from another institution.
Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than 2 years 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.
Completed within 150% (11) - In order to calculate a graduation rate to comply with Student Right-toKnow regulations, institutions can count as completers, only those students who received their
degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of normal program time. See
Glossary for definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students who get their
degree/certificate from another institution.
Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than 2 years within 150% of normal time. 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.
Total transfer-out students (30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial
preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution, and your institution has information on
students who transfer out, report the total number of students who transferred out of your institution (without
a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students who transferred out of your
institution and subsequently re-enrolled. If it is not part of your mission, you may still report transfer-out data
if you wish.
Total exclusions (45) -- Indicate the total number of students who left your institution (and have neither
graduated nor transferred to another institution) because of one of the following documented reasons:
1.
The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
2.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called up to active duty. (DO NOT include
students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
3.
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the
Peace Corps.
4.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.

NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the reasons noted in b, c, or d above, but return prior to
the status date of August 31, 2010, may be subtracted from the cohort during the calculation of graduation
rates.

Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% (49) - This column is
generated by the calculation of Col 10 - (Col 11 Col 30 Col 45).

Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates
Worksheets
A worksheet calculating the Student Right-To-Know completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking students for the 2007 student cohort is provided as a convenience to the
institution.
Worksheets calculating the overall four-year average completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of fulltime, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students for the student cohort are also provided. Data previously
reported by the institution have been preloaded to 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.
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Glossary

date: 12/9/2010

Term

Definition

Adjusted cohort

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

Cohort

A specific group of students established for tracking purposes.

Completers within 150%
of normal time

Students who completed their program within 150% of the normal (or expected) time for completion.

Exclusions

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

First-time student
(undergraduate)

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

Full-time student

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

Full-year cohort

The group of students entering at any time during the 12-month period September 1 through August
31 that is established for tracking and reporting Graduation Rate (GRS) data for institutions that
primarily offer occupational programs of varying lengths. Students must be full-time and first-time to
be considered in the cohort.

Graduation rate

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

Graduation Rates (GRS)

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

Initial cohort

A specific group of individuals established for tracking purposes. For the Graduation Rates component
of IPEDS, the initial cohort is defined as all students who enter an institution as full-time, first-time
degree/certificate-seeking students during either (1) the fall term of a given academic year, or (2)
between September 1st and August 31st of the following year.

Less than 2-year
institution

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

Nonresident alien

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

Normal time to
completion

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

Revised cohort

Initial cohort after revisions are made. Cohorts may be revised if an institution discovers that
incorrect data were reported in an earlier year.

Student Right-to-Know
Act

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

Transfer-out rate

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

Transfer-out student

A student that leaves the reporting institution and enrolls at another institution.

Transfer-preparatory
program

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

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates for Less than 2-year institutions
date: 12/9/2010

FAQs
Click one of the following questions to view the answer.

General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How do I choose
my cohort?
2) My institution does not have any information on the cohort you are requesting. Do I have to do anything this year?
3) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?
4) Do I need to track students every term?

Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?
2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?
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?
4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?
5) How do I report students who are taking ESL (English as a Second Language) or developmental courses?
6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?
7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-seeking student this fall, can I count the
student as "first-time"?
8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?
9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?
10) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?
11) If a student in my cohort obtains two awards (certificate in cosmetology and certificate in word processing) within the 150% of
normal time for the longest program (cosmetology), can I count both completions?

Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
1) How do I calculate 150% of normal time to completion?
2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count students who complete their program through August 31 of the 3rd year, but
what if the student does not receive the degree until our December graduation? Does this mean I cannot count them as completers?
3) How do I calculate 150% for students who stop out, or drop out, and then return and complete the program?

Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?
2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?
3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I still in
compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

Other
1) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my school. Do I need
to try to track these "leavers"?
2) What is a "transfer-preparatory program"?
3) 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?
4) 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 do I use?
5) 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?
6) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?
7) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

Answers:
General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How
do I choose my cohort?

If most programs operate on a term basis (semester, quarter or trimester), you must use a fall cohort;
otherwise, you must use a full-year cohort. The cohort method you must use has been pre-determined by
your answer to the Calendar System question on the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey.
Back to top
2) 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 reporting is mandatory for institutions that did enroll full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students during the cohort year. If you did not enroll this
type of student or your institution was not in operation during the cohort year, please report this information
on the Institutional Characteristics survey.
Back to top
3) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?

There is a difference between revising and adjusting a cohort. Revising a cohort means to change the cohort
by taking into consideration better information that has become available since you first reported your cohort
on the Fall Enrollment survey (e.g., you may now have more complete racial/ethnic information on the
cohort). You can revise a fall cohort by entering new data in the Revised Cohort column on the data
collection screen. Adjusting a cohort means to subtract the Exclusions from the Revised Cohort to establish
a denominator for rate calculation. Both fall and full-year cohorts will be adjusted for you on the worksheet
screens when graduation and transfer-out rates are calculated.
Back to top
4) 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 for the longest program, look back to see what happened to those in the cohort. You will need to know
when they completed, but it is not necessary to compare or track from term-to-term.
Back to top
Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?

According to the IPEDS Glossary, a first-time student is "A student attending any institution for the first time
at the level enrolled." By this we mean at the undergraduate level, graduate level, or first-professional level.
Since the GRS is only interested in undergraduates, it means that the student is first time in postsecondary
education (or the student is not known to have attended another postsecondary institution). There are two
exceptions: (1) students who attended any institution 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).
Back to top
2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?

Yes. You need to report the data to NCES regardless of the cohort size. See the questions on disclosure for
further information.
Back to top
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.
Back to top
4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?

The IPEDS GRS does NOT collect information on transfers in. THESE STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED
IN ANY COHORT.
Back to top
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 formal award and if they are not eligible for Title IV Federal financial
aid.
Back to top
6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?

Use the same reasoning here that you use to determine who to report as degree/certificate-seeking on your
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. If they are degree/certificate-seeking for purposes of qualifying for student
financial aid, then they must be included in the cohort.
Back to top
7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-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 enter with no credit.
Back to top
8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?

Neither should be included in your cohort.
Back to top

9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?

Even though these students are enrolled for credit, if they are not seeking a degree/certificate, they are not
to be included in your cohort according to the SRK regulations. Be sure to carefully read the definition of
degree-seeking in the Glossary.
Back to top
10) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?

Since these students must have been enrolled in an institution in order to obtain credit through
correspondence or distance learning, they are not "first-time."
Back to top
11) If a student in my cohort obtains two awards (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. NCES recommends that you report the highest degree attained, but it is your
decision as to which one you prefer to report.
Back to top
Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
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. Normal
time is defined as "the time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate
according to an institution’s catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for a bachelor’s degree, 2 years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for an associate’s degree, and the scheduled times for certificate programs." Let’s
look at some examples:
Many bachelor’s degree programs are outlined as 4-year programs - 8 semesters – usually fall and spring.
Extending this to 150% (1.5 x 8) would take 12 semesters or through the end of the spring term of the
sixth year.
Similarly, an associate’s degree that is advertised as a 2-year program - 6 quarters (fall, winter, spring, with
no scheduled summer quarter), would extend to (1.5 x 6) or 9 quarters through the end of the spring
quarter of the third year.
However, the Technical Amendments that redefine the cohort year allow you to count completers through
August 31 of the summer following the sixth year of a 4-year program (or the third year for 2-year
programs).
Certificate programs must be handled somewhat differently. If a 900 contact 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.
Back to top
2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count students who complete their program through August 31 of the
3rd 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 (i.e., an award date of, or prior to, August 31 is noted on the student’s record), and just
allow the student to "pick it up" at the December ceremony, then you should be able to count the student in
your completions.
Back to top
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 is applied to the 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.
Back to top
Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?

The November 1, 2000 regulations state 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 can be calculated. The students to be reported as transfers are those who have
NOT completed a degree, certificate, or transfer preparatory program, so they cannot be counted as
completers. If the institution does not have such a mission, reporting of transfers out is optional.
Back to top

2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?

None. All verification requirements were dropped from the November 1, 2000 regulations.
Back to top
3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I
still in compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

As long as your institution does not include the substantial preparation of 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 need to be able to track transfers out and report them.
Back to top
Other
1) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my
school. Do I need to try 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.
Back to top
2) 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 "formal award") are to be counted as completers.
Back to top
3) 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 completion of
their program.
Back to top
4) 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 do 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 a 2007
cohort; therefore, you should look at those students who entered your institution between September 1,
2007 and August 31, 2008. Next, assuming the latest possible enrollment date would be August 31, 2008,
150% of 9 months following this date would extend to October 15, 2009 (13 1 /2 months later). In order to
complete the IPEDS GRS, the first status date following this is August 31, 2010 and the report is due in the
Spring 2011 data collection, so you are on track for reporting on this cohort.
Back to top
5) 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.
Back to top
6) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?

NO! NO! and NO! The GRS 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
consistency in the way the rates are calculated. SRK requires disclosure of these rates to students and
prospective students. By completing the GRS, you now have the rates you need to disclose. But you need to
make them available. For schools that offer athletically-related student aid, there are additional disclosure
and reporting requirements. The GRS satisfies the reporting requirements only.
Back to top
7) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

The regulations state that beginning with the group of students who enter the institution between September
1, 1999 and August 31, 2000, an institution shall disclose its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out
rate information no later than the July 1 immediately following the point in time that 150% of the normal
time for completion or graduation has elapsed for all of the students in the groups on which the institution
bases its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out rate calculations.
Therefore, at a minimum, you must disclose (July 1) your graduation and transfer-out rates (as of August 31
of the prior year). In addition, institutions for which transfer out is an important part of their mission must
also disclose a transfer-out rate. The Secretary urges institutions to disclose as much additional information
as warranted to help consumers understand institutional mission, etc. Thus you should consider additional
rates as well, such as rates for part-time students and possibly rates 8 or 10 years out, if your students take
longer to complete. The SRK regulations state that if a category of students within an athletic subcohort
contains 5 or fewer students, institutions need not disclose information on the category of students.

Back to top

2010-11 Survey Materials

date: 12/9/2010

Narrative Edits for Graduation Rates for less-than-2-year institutions

Edit specifications for the 2010-11 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection
Graduation Rates (GRS) Component
Applicable to less-than-2 year institutions
Note: The specifications in this document apply to the institutions listed above. Some sections and parts may not
apply to your particular institution. Please read the specifications carefully to determine which sections and/or parts
apply to your institution.
All screens must be completed in order to lock the survey.
Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision
Section III: Cohort Data
Worksheet

Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision

Applicable to Academic reporters ONLY
On this screen, you may choose to revise your institution's Initial cohort if eligible students were previously omitted from the
cohort, or the racial or ethnic category of a student was misrepresented.
•

If you select Yes (to indicate that you wish to report changes to the Initial cohort), a Revised Cohort column
will be provided in Section III of this survey for entering the necessary corrections.

Top

Section III: Cohort Data

On this screen, report the status of the Cohort of full-time, first-time students for Cohort year 2007. This includes the
number of Total exclusions (column 45), the number of students who Completed program within 100% of normal time to
completion (column 55), the number of students who Completed program within 150% of normal time to completion
(column 11), and the Total transfer-out students (column 30).
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•

•

•

•

If the cohort (column 10) is greater than 20, then the number of Total completers within 150% (column 11)
must be greater than 0. Otherwise, a fatal error will occur to prevent a graduation rate of 0.0% on your
institution's College Navigator page.
If the cohort (column 10) is greater than 10, then the number of Total completers within 150% (column 11)
must be less than the Adjusted Cohort (column 50). Otherwise, a fatal error will occur to prevent a graduation
rate of 100% on your institution's College Navigator page.
If the number of Total exclusions (men + women) (column 45) is greater than 10, then this value is expected to
be less than or equal to 10% of the total number of men and women in the cohort (column 10).
Note: Exclusions should ONLY include students who died or were permanently disabled; or who left school to join
the military, to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government, or to serve on an official church
mission. Do NOT include all non-completers in this column.
If the prior year Adjusted Cohort (found on the Worksheet screen) is greater than 0; AND the current year
Adjusted Cohort (column 50) is greater than 0; THEN:

The number who Completed program within 150% of normal time to completion * 100

____________________________________________________________________________
The Adjusted cohort
Should be within a 20% range of the following:
The PY Total Completers within 150% (found on the Worksheet screen) * 100
______________________________________________________________________________
The PY Adjusted cohort
• The calculated total number of Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% (column
49) must be greater than or equal to 0. To correct this value, the sum of Total completers within 150% (column 29),
Total transfer-out students (column 30), and Total exclusions (column 45) must be less than or equal to the cohort
(column 10).
• An explanation must be provided if your institution reported having 0 Non-completers (column 49); and your institution
reported having more than 100 men and women in the cohort (column 10); and your institution reported having more
than 10 Total transfer-out students (column 30).
Note: Please verify that non-completers were not reported erroneously as transfer-out students (column 30) or exclusions

(column 45).
• The number of Total completers within 100% (column 55) should be less than or equal to the number of Total
completers within 150% (column 11).

Revised Cohort
Applicable ONLY to those institutions that indicated that they wished to revise their initial cohort on the Screening
Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen
*The edits outlined below are performed in addition to those listed above
If you selected Yes on the Screening Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen, indicating that you wish to make changes
to your institution's preloaded Initial cohort, then an additional Revised cohort column (column 10) is available on the
Completers within 150% screen for entering the necessary corrections. If you no longer wish to revise the cohort, return to
the Screening Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen and select No.
In addition to the general edits performed above, the system will perform the following edits relevant to the Revised Cohort:
•
•

The calculated Total men + women in the Revised Cohort (column 10) must be greater than 0.
The Revised Cohort must be within a certain range of the Initial cohort, as outlined below:
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 1 and 25 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 50% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 26 and 100 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 30% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 101 and 500 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 20% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is greater than 500 students, then the Total
men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 10% range of that value.

Top

Worksheet

Additional worksheet screens have been included at the end of the survey. These screens provide your institution with a
summary of the data entered, along with prior year data. This includes: Calculation of graduation and transfer-out rates
and Calculation of 4-year average rates tables.
Top

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates
date: 12/9/2010
Form: Graduation Rates for less-than-2-year institutions reporting on a full-year cohort (program reporters)
Section III - Graduation rates
Based on your institution's response to the predominant calendar system question (B3) on the Institutional
Characteristics Header survey from the IPEDS Fall 2010 Data Collection, your institution must report graduation
rates data using a

Full-Year Cohort (September 1, 2007 - August 31, 2008)

A fall cohort is used by institutions with standard academic terms (semester, trimester, quarter, 4-1-4, other
academic). A full-year cohort is used by institutions offering primarily occupational/vocational programs and
operating on a continuous basis.
•In the columns below, report the status of the Full-time, First-time students reported in the cohort in Col 10.
•The cumulative number of those students who completed their program within 150% of normal time as of August 31,
2010 should be reported in Col 11.
•Report transfers-out who did not complete a program in Col 30. If the mission of your institution includes providing
substantial preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution WITHOUT having completed their programs,
you should 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 school. 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 exclusions from the cohort in Col 45. The ONLY allowable categories for this column are:
students who died or became 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
•Col 49 [non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% of normal time] will be calculated for you
•Col 55 - Completers within 100% - this is a subset of column 11 (completers within 150%). These data are being
requested so they can be preloaded into next year's Graduation Rate 200% survey form
Cohort of full-time, first-time students
Screen
1 of 1

Initial
cohort

Total
men +
women

Cohort year 2007
Revised cohort

Total exclusions

(10)

(45)

Adjusted Completed program within Completed program within Total transfer-out students Non-completers
cohort
100% of normal time to
150% of normal time to
(still enrolled +
(10 - 45)
completion
completion
not enrolled)
and completers
> 150%
(50)
(55)
(11)
(30)
(49)

Image
description.
These
context
notes
will
be on
posted
the
College
Navigator.
End of image
description.

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

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

2010-11 Survey Materials

GRS - Less than 2yr program reporters - Full Instructions
date: 12/9/2010

Instruction

Purpose
Coverage
Reporting Period Covered
Context boxes
Where to get help
Where data appears
Data Reporting Instructions

Purpose of Survey
The purpose of the Graduation Rate component of IPEDS is to track the cohorts of first-time, full-time,
degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates, as well as their completion status at 150% of normal time at
postsecondary institutions. This data is collected to comply with the Student-Right-to-Know Act.
Image
description.
Top of Page
End
of image
description.

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 term.
Students must be enrolled in courses creditable toward a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.
Include students enrolled in courses that are part of a vocational or occupational program, INCLUDING those
enrolled in off-campus centers and those enrolled in distance learning/home study programs.
Be sure to include full-time students taking remedial courses if the student is considered degree-seeking for
the purpose of student financial aid determination.
A student who is designated as a member of the 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.

Who to Exclude from the Cohort

DO NOT include students in the cohort who are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Enrolled exclusively in courses not creditable toward a formal award or the completion of a vocational
program (i.e., nondegree seeking).
Taking CEUs unless they are also enrolled full time in courses creditable toward a degree or other
formal award.
Exclusively auditing classes.
Studying abroad (e.g., at a foreign university) if their enrollment at this institution is only an
administrative record and the fee is only nominal.
In any branch campus located in a foreign country.
Part time.
Transfers into the institution.

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General Instructions

Reporting period covered
This report requests data on a cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates
enrolled in your institution either (1) as of October 15, 2007 or (2) during the period between September 1,
2007 and August 31, 2008. Institutions are to report the status of these students as of August 31, 2010.
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Context Boxes
Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component
items. Note that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search
tool offered by NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness
before posting them on the College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of their
entries.
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Where to Get Help
IPEDS Data Collection Help Desk
Phone: 1-877-225-2568
Email: ipedshelp@rti.org

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

IPEDS Resources Page

In addition, the IPEDS Resources Page contains frequently asked questions, a link to the glossary, data tip
sheets, an archive of survey instruments, information on the new race/ethnicity categories and other relevant
information.
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Where the Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:
•
•
•

College Navigator Website
IPEDS Data Center
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:
•
•
•
•
•

IPEDS First Looks
IPEDS Table Library
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
The Digest of Education Statistics
The Condition of Education

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Reporting Instructions

Section III - Full-Time, First-Time Degree/Certificate-Seeking Students
Report each student only once.
Report the status of the 2007 cohort of degree/certificate-seeking students as of August 31, 2010 in terms
of the number of completers within 150% of normal time to award, number of transfer-out students (noncompleters), and 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 students
who transferred into your institution.
Initial cohort - If you are reporting on a fall cohort, the information you reported on line 01 of your 2007
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report 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.
Institutions are permitted to make revisions to the initial cohort for the following reasons:
•
Cohort-eligible students were previously omitted from the initial cohort
•
Students were misclassified in the wrong gender or racial/ethnic category

A screening question allows a school to make revisions to their intial cohort, or they may skip past
this step and just accept their initial cohort with no revisions.
Revised cohort (10) -If revisions are needed, please make any necessary corrections for omissions or
double counting. If your data do not appear in the initial cohort column, please provide the enrollment data as
requested in the revised cohort column.

Completed within 100% (55) - In order to gather additional information that will be preloaded into next
year's Graduation Rate 200% component, institutions are asked to count as completers only those students
who received their degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 100% of normal
program time. See Glossary for definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students
who get their degree/certificate from another institution.
Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than 2 years 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.
Completed within 150% (11) - In order to calculate a graduation rate to comply with Student Right-toKnow regulations, institutions can count as completers, only those students who received their
degree/certificate (or completed a transfer-preparatory program) within 150% of normal program time. See
Glossary for definition of normal time to completion. Do not count as completers students who get their
degree/certificate from another institution.
Enter the number of students who completed programs of less than 2 years within 150% of normal time. 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.
Total transfer-out students (30) - If the mission of your institution includes providing substantial
preparation for students to enroll in another eligible institution, and your institution has information on
students who transfer out, report the total number of students who transferred out of your institution (without
a degree/award) within 150% of normal time to completion. Include students who transferred out of your
institution and subsequently re-enrolled. If it is not part of your mission, you may still report transfer-out data
if you wish.
Total exclusions (45) -- Indicate the total number of students who left your institution (and have neither
graduated nor transferred to another institution) because of one of the following documented reasons:
1.
The student is deceased or is totally and permanently disabled and thus unable to return to school.
2.
The student left school to serve in the armed forces or was called up to active duty. (DO NOT include
students already in the military who transfer to another duty station.)
3.
The student left school to serve with a foreign aid service of the Federal Government, such as the
Peace Corps.
4.
The student left school to serve on an official church mission.

NOTE: Students who leave the institution for one of the reasons noted in b, c, or d above, but return prior to
the status date of August 31, 2010, may be subtracted from the cohort during the calculation of graduation
rates.

Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% (49) - This column is
generated by the calculation of Col 10 - (Col 11 Col 30 Col 45).

Calculation of Graduation and Transfer-out Rates
Worksheets
A worksheet calculating the Student Right-To-Know completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking students for the 2007 student cohort is provided as a convenience to the
institution.
Worksheets calculating the overall four-year average completion/graduation and transfer-out rates of fulltime, first-time degree/certificate-seeking students for the student cohort are also provided. Data previously
reported by the institution have been preloaded to 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.
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Glossary

date: 12/9/2010

Term

Definition

Adjusted cohort

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

Cohort

A specific group of students established for tracking purposes.

Completers within 150%
of normal time

Students who completed their program within 150% of the normal (or expected) time for completion.

Exclusions

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

First-time student
(undergraduate)

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

Full-time student

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

Full-year cohort

The group of students entering at any time during the 12-month period September 1 through August
31 that is established for tracking and reporting Graduation Rate (GRS) data for institutions that
primarily offer occupational programs of varying lengths. Students must be full-time and first-time to
be considered in the cohort.

Graduation rate

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

Graduation Rates (GRS)

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

Initial cohort

A specific group of individuals established for tracking purposes. For the Graduation Rates component
of IPEDS, the initial cohort is defined as all students who enter an institution as full-time, first-time
degree/certificate-seeking students during either (1) the fall term of a given academic year, or (2)
between September 1st and August 31st of the following year.

Less than 2-year
institution

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

Nonresident alien

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

Normal time to
completion

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

Revised cohort

Initial cohort after revisions are made. Cohorts may be revised if an institution discovers that
incorrect data were reported in an earlier year.

Student Right-to-Know
Act

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

Transfer-out rate

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

Transfer-out student

A student that leaves the reporting institution and enrolls at another institution.

Transfer-preparatory
program

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

2010-11 Survey Materials

Graduation Rates for Less than 2-year institutions
date: 12/9/2010

FAQs
Click one of the following questions to view the answer.

General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How do I choose
my cohort?
2) My institution does not have any information on the cohort you are requesting. Do I have to do anything this year?
3) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?
4) Do I need to track students every term?

Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?
2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?
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?
4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?
5) How do I report students who are taking ESL (English as a Second Language) or developmental courses?
6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?
7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-seeking student this fall, can I count the
student as "first-time"?
8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?
9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?
10) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?
11) If a student in my cohort obtains two awards (certificate in cosmetology and certificate in word processing) within the 150% of
normal time for the longest program (cosmetology), can I count both completions?

Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
1) How do I calculate 150% of normal time to completion?
2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count students who complete their program through August 31 of the 3rd year, but
what if the student does not receive the degree until our December graduation? Does this mean I cannot count them as completers?
3) How do I calculate 150% for students who stop out, or drop out, and then return and complete the program?

Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?
2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?
3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I still in
compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

Other
1) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my school. Do I need
to try to track these "leavers"?
2) What is a "transfer-preparatory program"?
3) 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?
4) 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 do I use?
5) 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?
6) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?
7) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

Answers:
General
1) My institution has programs that operate on both a term basis AND a clock hour (continuing enrollment) basis. How
do I choose my cohort?

If most programs operate on a term basis (semester, quarter or trimester), you must use a fall cohort;
otherwise, you must use a full-year cohort. The cohort method you must use has been pre-determined by
your answer to the Calendar System question on the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey.
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2) 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 reporting is mandatory for institutions that did enroll full-time,
first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students during the cohort year. If you did not enroll this
type of student or your institution was not in operation during the cohort year, please report this information
on the Institutional Characteristics survey.
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3) When can I revise or adjust my cohort?

There is a difference between revising and adjusting a cohort. Revising a cohort means to change the cohort
by taking into consideration better information that has become available since you first reported your cohort
on the Fall Enrollment survey (e.g., you may now have more complete racial/ethnic information on the
cohort). You can revise a fall cohort by entering new data in the Revised Cohort column on the data
collection screen. Adjusting a cohort means to subtract the Exclusions from the Revised Cohort to establish
a denominator for rate calculation. Both fall and full-year cohorts will be adjusted for you on the worksheet
screens when graduation and transfer-out rates are calculated.
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4) 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 for the longest program, look back to see what happened to those in the cohort. You will need to know
when they completed, but it is not necessary to compare or track from term-to-term.
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Cohort
1) What is a "first-time" student?

According to the IPEDS Glossary, a first-time student is "A student attending any institution for the first time
at the level enrolled." By this we mean at the undergraduate level, graduate level, or first-professional level.
Since the GRS is only interested in undergraduates, it means that the student is first time in postsecondary
education (or the student is not known to have attended another postsecondary institution). There are two
exceptions: (1) students who attended any institution 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).
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2) I have a very small cohort, sometimes only 4 or 5 students. Do I need to report on the GRS?

Yes. You need to report the data to NCES regardless of the cohort size. See the questions on disclosure for
further information.
Back to top
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.
Back to top
4) Where do I place transfers INTO my institution?

The IPEDS GRS does NOT collect information on transfers in. THESE STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED
IN ANY COHORT.
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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 formal award and if they are not eligible for Title IV Federal financial
aid.
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6) Are students in remedial courses included in the cohort?

Use the same reasoning here that you use to determine who to report as degree/certificate-seeking on your
IPEDS Fall Enrollment report. If they are degree/certificate-seeking for purposes of qualifying for student
financial aid, then they must be included in the cohort.
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7) If a student took only remedial courses last year and applies as a full-time degree-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 enter with no credit.
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8) What about non-credit enrollment, or students taking CEUs?

Neither should be included in your cohort.
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9) Are non-degree/certificate-seekers included?

Even though these students are enrolled for credit, if they are not seeking a degree/certificate, they are not
to be included in your cohort according to the SRK regulations. Be sure to carefully read the definition of
degree-seeking in the Glossary.
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10) Do I count students who have acquired credits through distance learning or correspondence as "first-time"?

Since these students must have been enrolled in an institution in order to obtain credit through
correspondence or distance learning, they are not "first-time."
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11) If a student in my cohort obtains two awards (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. NCES recommends that you report the highest degree attained, but it is your
decision as to which one you prefer to report.
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Normal Time and Calculation of 150% of Normal Time
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. Normal
time is defined as "the time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate
according to an institution’s catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for a bachelor’s degree, 2 years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters,
excluding summer terms) for an associate’s degree, and the scheduled times for certificate programs." Let’s
look at some examples:
Many bachelor’s degree programs are outlined as 4-year programs - 8 semesters – usually fall and spring.
Extending this to 150% (1.5 x 8) would take 12 semesters or through the end of the spring term of the
sixth year.
Similarly, an associate’s degree that is advertised as a 2-year program - 6 quarters (fall, winter, spring, with
no scheduled summer quarter), would extend to (1.5 x 6) or 9 quarters through the end of the spring
quarter of the third year.
However, the Technical Amendments that redefine the cohort year allow you to count completers through
August 31 of the summer following the sixth year of a 4-year program (or the third year for 2-year
programs).
Certificate programs must be handled somewhat differently. If a 900 contact 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.
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2) According to the Technical Amendment, I can count students who complete their program through August 31 of the
3rd 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 (i.e., an award date of, or prior to, August 31 is noted on the student’s record), and just
allow the student to "pick it up" at the December ceremony, then you should be able to count the student in
your completions.
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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 is applied to the 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.
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Transfer-Out
1) Does my institution need to report transfers out?

The November 1, 2000 regulations state 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 can be calculated. The students to be reported as transfers are those who have
NOT completed a degree, certificate, or transfer preparatory program, so they cannot be counted as
completers. If the institution does not have such a mission, reporting of transfers out is optional.
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2) What kind of verification must I have to report a student as a transfer out?

None. All verification requirements were dropped from the November 1, 2000 regulations.
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3) My school does not track transfers out and our limited budget does not allow us to set up a system to do this. Am I
still in compliance with the requirements of SRK and am I still responsive to the GRS if I don’t report transfers out?

As long as your institution does not include the substantial preparation of 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 need to be able to track transfers out and report them.
Back to top
Other
1) The number of students who could be considered for the adjustment to cohort (exclusions) is very small in my
school. Do I need to try 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.
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2) 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 "formal award") are to be counted as completers.
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3) 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 completion of
their program.
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4) 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 do 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 a 2007
cohort; therefore, you should look at those students who entered your institution between September 1,
2007 and August 31, 2008. Next, assuming the latest possible enrollment date would be August 31, 2008,
150% of 9 months following this date would extend to October 15, 2009 (13 1 /2 months later). In order to
complete the IPEDS GRS, the first status date following this is August 31, 2010 and the report is due in the
Spring 2011 data collection, so you are on track for reporting on this cohort.
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5) 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.
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6) Will the GRS satisfy all my requirements for SRK?

NO! NO! and NO! The GRS 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
consistency in the way the rates are calculated. SRK requires disclosure of these rates to students and
prospective students. By completing the GRS, you now have the rates you need to disclose. But you need to
make them available. For schools that offer athletically-related student aid, there are additional disclosure
and reporting requirements. The GRS satisfies the reporting requirements only.
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7) Exactly what must be disclosed in order to be in compliance with SRK?

The regulations state that beginning with the group of students who enter the institution between September
1, 1999 and August 31, 2000, an institution shall disclose its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out
rate information no later than the July 1 immediately following the point in time that 150% of the normal
time for completion or graduation has elapsed for all of the students in the groups on which the institution
bases its completion or graduation rate and transfer-out rate calculations.
Therefore, at a minimum, you must disclose (July 1) your graduation and transfer-out rates (as of August 31
of the prior year). In addition, institutions for which transfer out is an important part of their mission must
also disclose a transfer-out rate. The Secretary urges institutions to disclose as much additional information
as warranted to help consumers understand institutional mission, etc. Thus you should consider additional
rates as well, such as rates for part-time students and possibly rates 8 or 10 years out, if your students take
longer to complete. The SRK regulations state that if a category of students within an athletic subcohort
contains 5 or fewer students, institutions need not disclose information on the category of students.

Back to top

2010-11 Survey Materials

date: 12/9/2010

Narrative Edits for Graduation Rates for less-than-2-year institutions

Edit specifications for the 2010-11 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection
Graduation Rates (GRS) Component
Applicable to less-than-2 year institutions
Note: The specifications in this document apply to the institutions listed above. Some sections and parts may not
apply to your particular institution. Please read the specifications carefully to determine which sections and/or parts
apply to your institution.
All screens must be completed in order to lock the survey.
Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision
Section III: Cohort Data
Worksheet

Screening Questions, Part 2 - Cohort Revision

Applicable to Academic reporters ONLY
On this screen, you may choose to revise your institution's Initial cohort if eligible students were previously omitted from the
cohort, or the racial or ethnic category of a student was misrepresented.
•

If you select Yes (to indicate that you wish to report changes to the Initial cohort), a Revised Cohort column
will be provided in Section III of this survey for entering the necessary corrections.

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Section III: Cohort Data

On this screen, report the status of the Cohort of full-time, first-time students for Cohort year 2007. This includes the
number of Total exclusions (column 45), the number of students who Completed program within 100% of normal time to
completion (column 55), the number of students who Completed program within 150% of normal time to completion
(column 11), and the Total transfer-out students (column 30).
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•

•

•

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If the cohort (column 10) is greater than 20, then the number of Total completers within 150% (column 11)
must be greater than 0. Otherwise, a fatal error will occur to prevent a graduation rate of 0.0% on your
institution's College Navigator page.
If the cohort (column 10) is greater than 10, then the number of Total completers within 150% (column 11)
must be less than the Adjusted Cohort (column 50). Otherwise, a fatal error will occur to prevent a graduation
rate of 100% on your institution's College Navigator page.
If the number of Total exclusions (men + women) (column 45) is greater than 10, then this value is expected to
be less than or equal to 10% of the total number of men and women in the cohort (column 10).
Note: Exclusions should ONLY include students who died or were permanently disabled; or who left school to join
the military, to serve with a foreign aid service of the federal government, or to serve on an official church
mission. Do NOT include all non-completers in this column.
If the prior year Adjusted Cohort (found on the Worksheet screen) is greater than 0; AND the current year
Adjusted Cohort (column 50) is greater than 0; THEN:

The number who Completed program within 150% of normal time to completion * 100

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The Adjusted cohort
Should be within a 20% range of the following:
The PY Total Completers within 150% (found on the Worksheet screen) * 100
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The PY Adjusted cohort
• The calculated total number of Non-completers (still enrolled + not enrolled) and completers > 150% (column
49) must be greater than or equal to 0. To correct this value, the sum of Total completers within 150% (column 29),
Total transfer-out students (column 30), and Total exclusions (column 45) must be less than or equal to the cohort
(column 10).
• An explanation must be provided if your institution reported having 0 Non-completers (column 49); and your institution
reported having more than 100 men and women in the cohort (column 10); and your institution reported having more
than 10 Total transfer-out students (column 30).
Note: Please verify that non-completers were not reported erroneously as transfer-out students (column 30) or exclusions

(column 45).
• The number of Total completers within 100% (column 55) should be less than or equal to the number of Total
completers within 150% (column 11).

Revised Cohort
Applicable ONLY to those institutions that indicated that they wished to revise their initial cohort on the Screening
Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen
*The edits outlined below are performed in addition to those listed above
If you selected Yes on the Screening Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen, indicating that you wish to make changes
to your institution's preloaded Initial cohort, then an additional Revised cohort column (column 10) is available on the
Completers within 150% screen for entering the necessary corrections. If you no longer wish to revise the cohort, return to
the Screening Questions, part 2 - Cohort revision screen and select No.
In addition to the general edits performed above, the system will perform the following edits relevant to the Revised Cohort:
•
•

The calculated Total men + women in the Revised Cohort (column 10) must be greater than 0.
The Revised Cohort must be within a certain range of the Initial cohort, as outlined below:
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 1 and 25 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 50% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 26 and 100 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 30% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is between 101 and 500 students, then the
Total men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 20% range of that value.
◦ If the number of Total men + women in the Initial cohort is greater than 500 students, then the Total
men + women in the Revised Cohort must be within a 10% range of that value.

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Worksheet

Additional worksheet screens have been included at the end of the survey. These screens provide your institution with a
summary of the data entered, along with prior year data. This includes: Calculation of graduation and transfer-out rates
and Calculation of 4-year average rates tables.
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