Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2016-2019

Completions
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2016-17

This IPEDS Completions data collection instrument was used during the
2015-16 data collection and will be used again during the 2016-17,
2017-18, and 2018-19 data collections.

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IPEDS Help Desk
(877) 225-2568 or ipedshelp@rti.org

NCES National Center for Education Statistics

2015-16 Survey Materials > Form

date: 11/6/2015

Completions for all institutions
Overview 
Completions Overview
Welcome to the IPEDS Completions survey component. The Completions component is one of several IPEDS
components that is conducted during the Fall data collection period. It collects the number of degrees and certificates
awarded by field of study, level of award, race/ethnicity, and gender. The reporting period for the Completions
component is during the 12-month time period beginning July 1 of the previous calendar year and ending June 30 of
the current calendar year; therefore, for this year’s Completions component, the reporting period is between July 1,
2014 and June 30, 2015. The Completions component is also collecting the number of students (e.g., completers) who
earned awards between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.
Completions Common Errors
Some common completions component errors include the following:
•
Including award levels on your current year Completions that were not reported on your previous year's (PY)
Institutional Characteristics (IC). [Award levels in the PY IC component cannot be changed; therefore, contact
the IPEDS Help Desk at 1-877-225-2568 if you need assistance.]
•
Forgetting to select CIP codes for new programs of study that are offered by the institution, but do not have
completions for the reporting period.
•
Forgetting to enter in zero in at least one of the cells for CIP codes that do not have completions.
Recent Changes
•
The following question on distance education has been added to the bottom of each individual "CIP Data"
screen:
"Is this program offered as a distance education program?"
•
The following two screens, which collect data specifically on students were added to this component,
beginning in the 2013-14 survey year:
◦ "All Completers" - Collects the number of students who earned an award between July 1, 2014 and
June 30, 2015 by gender and race/ethnicity. (The intent of this screen is to collect an unduplicated
count of total numbers of completers.)
◦ "Completers by Level" - Collects the number of students who earned an award between July 1,
2014 and June 30, 2015 by award level and 1) by gender; 2) by race/ethnicity; and 3) by age.
•
The definition for Post-baccalaureate Certificate has changed slightly for the 2015-16 collection. The new
definition is as follows: An award that requires completion of an organized program of study beyond
the bachelor's. It is designed for persons who have completed a baccalaureate degree, but does not
meet the requirements of a master's degree.
NOTE: Even though Teacher Preparation certificate programs may require a bachelor's degree for
admission, they are considered sub-baccalaureate undergraduate programs, and students in these
programs are undergraduate students.
General Information
CIP Codes:
The CIP 2010 Website includes a list of new CIP codes, a list of deleted CIP codes, a list of moved CIP Codes, and
an online crosswalk of the 2000 CIP and 2010 CIP.
The Resources Page of the CIP 2010 website contains many valuable resources including:
•
CIP 2010 Manual and copies of previous editions of the CIP Manual
•
Crosswalk between the 2000 CIP codes and the 2010 CIP codes in Excel format
Keep in mind that some information provided by institutions on the Completions component appear in the College
Navigator, which is a major tool used by consumers searching for information about postsecondary education. It is
therefore vitally important that you include accurate information about your institution.
Survey materials can be downloaded using the following link: Survey Materials.
The prior year revision system can be accessed using the following link: Prior Year Revision System

Please duplicate the blank form for each 6-digit CIP code and program level/length
combination at your institution
CIP Data 
CIP Data
Institutions must report, by award level, whether programs are offered as distance education programs. If a program has
a traditional offering and a distance education option, completions should be reported regardless of whether or not the
program was completed through distance education.
Awards conferred between JULY 1, 2014 and JUNE 30, 2015

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

Men

Men (PY)

Women

Women (PY)

Total
(men+women)

Nonresident alien
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific
Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
TOTAL AWARDS
Is this program offered as a distance education program?
(Note: If more than one program is reported under this CIP code, check 'YES' if ANY of the programs are offered as a
distance education program.)
No
Yes

All Completers 
All Completers
Institutions must report the following information. (Some data will be pre-populated from the completions by CIP code
data.)
All Completers
Number of students by gender and race and ethnicity earning an award between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. Count
each student only once, regardless of how many awards he/she earned. The intent of this screen is to collect an
unduplicated count of total numbers of completers.
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Men
Women
Total Students
Number of Students Total Awards Number of Students Total Awards
Nonresident alien
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific
Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
TOTAL
PY TOTAL

Completers by Level 
Completers by Level
Institutions must report the following information. This screen will be shown for each of the following award categories
for which completions have been reported:

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Less than 1-year certificates
At least 1 but less than 4-year certificates
Associate's degrees
Bachelor's degrees
Master's degrees
Doctor's degrees
Postbaccalaureate and post-master's certificates
[Award Level]

Number of students by gender, by race and ethnicity, and by age earning this award between July 1, 2014 and June 30,
2015. Each student should be counted once per award level. For example, if a student earned a master's degree and a
doctor's degree, he/she should be counted once in master's and once in doctor's. A student earning two master's
degrees should be counted only once.
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Number of Students

Total Awards

By Gender
Men
Women
TOTAL
PY TOTAL

By Race/Ethnicity
Nonresident alien
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
TOTAL

By Age
Under 18
18-24
25-39
40 and Above
Age Unknown
TOTAL

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IPEDS Help Desk
(877) 225-2568 or ipedshelp@rti.org

NCES National Center for Education Statistics

2015-16 Survey Materials > Instructions

date: 11/6/2015

Instructions for the IPEDS Completions Component

Purpose of Component
Changes in Reporting
General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
Context Boxes

Coverage
Where to Get Help
Where the Data Will Appear
Detailed Instructions
Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category
Program Selection Screen
Crosswalk between the IPEDS Award Levels (used on CIP data screens) and the Consolidated Award
Levels (used on Completers by Level screens)
Award Levels

I. "CIP Data" Screens
II. "Completers" screens
II.a. "All Completers" screen
II.b. "Completers by Level" screen
II.b.1. "Completers by Level - Award Level" screen

Purpose of Component
The purpose of the Completions component of IPEDS is to collect data on the number of awards conferred by
postsecondary institutions during the 12-month time period beginning July 1 of the previous calendar year and ending
June 30 of the current calendar year. The awards reported range from sub-baccalaureate certificates to doctor's
degrees and must be formal credit awards conferred by the postsecondary institution as the result of completion of an
academic or occupational/vocational program of study (the program's instructional activity can be measured in credit
hours, contact hours, clock hours, or some other unit of measurement). Data are collected by race/ethnicity and
gender for each award level within each program (as defined by 6-digit CIP codes). Data are collected for both first
and second major fields of study. A new purpose involves collecting data on whether a program is offered as a
distance education program.
Beginning with the 2012-13 IPEDS Completions component, the purpose is also to collect the number of students
(e.g., completers) by gender and race/ethnicity who earned an award during the 12-month time period beginning July
1 of the previous calendar year and ending June 30 of the current calendar year. (The intent of this new item is to
collect an unduplicated count of total numbers of completers.)
Also, the Completions component now collects the number of completers by award level for the same reporting period
previously mentioned.
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Changes in Reporting
There is one definitional change in reporting on Completions for the 2015-16 survey year. The definition of Postbaccalaureate certificate has been slightly changed to take away the hours requirement from the definition. The new
definition is as follows:
Post-baccalaureate Certificate:
An award that requires completion of an organized program of study beyond the bachelor's. It is designed for persons
who have completed a baccalaureate degree, but does not meet the requirements of a master's degree.
NOTE: Even though Teacher Preparation certificate programs may require a bachelor's degree for admission, they are
considered subbacalaureate undergraduate programs, and students in these programs are undergraduate students.

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General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
Report all degrees and other formal awards conferred by your institution between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.
Also, report students (e.g., completers) who earned the related degrees and other formal awards from your institution
between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.
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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
What to Include

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Formal awards conferred as the result of completion of an academic or occupational/vocational program of
study. (Note that only CIP codes describing academic or occupational/vocational programs of study are valid
CIP codes on the Completions component.) The instructional activity completed as part of the program of
study must be credit-bearing, but can be measured in credit hours, contact hours, or some other unit of
measurement.
Awards conferred by the postsecondary institution.
Awards conferred between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.
Multiple awards conferred to a single student.

What to Exclude

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Awards earned, but not yet conferred.
Awards conferred by branches of your institution located in foreign countries.
Honorary degrees.
Awards conferred by an entity other than the postsecondary institution (such as the state, or an industry
certificate).
Informal awards such as certificates of merit, completion, attendance, or transfer.
Awards earned as the result of an avocational, basic skills, residency, or other program not recognized by
IPEDS as academic or occupational/vocational.

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

Web Tutorials

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

IPEDS Resource Page
The IPEDS Website Reporting Tools page contains frequently asked questions, a link to data tip sheets, tutorials,
taxonomies, information centers (e.g., academic libraries, average net price, human resources, race/ethnicity, etc.),
and other valuable information.
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Where the Reported Data Will Appear
Data collected through IPEDS will be accessible at the institution- and aggregate-levels.
At the institution-level, data will appear in the:

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College Navigator Website
IPEDS Data Center
IPEDS Data Feedback Reports
College Affordability and Transparency Center Website

At the aggregate-level, data will appear in:

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

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Detailed Instructions
Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category (1997 OMB)
This information is being collected in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972 and Sec. 421(a)(1) of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. These instructions
correspond with the Final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data to the U.S.
Department of Education, published in the Federal Register on October 19, 2007.
Method of collection - Institutions must collect race and ethnicity information using a 2-question format. The first
question is whether the respondent is Hispanic/Latino. The second question is whether the respondent is from one or
more races from the following list: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native
Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and White. Institutions should allow students and staff to self-identify their race
and ethnicity. For further details on the guidance for collecting these data, please see the full Federal Register notice.
Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of Education
using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States citizens, resident
aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.

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Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:

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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:

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

Other descriptive categories

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

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Program Selection Screen
This list represents all the programs, by 6-digit CIP code and award levels, reported on your institution's previous
submission. From this screen you may add or delete 6-digit programs, double majors, and award levels.
NOTE: Program reporters need to check to be sure that the CIP codes that you listed in your responses
to 2014 IC questions D7 and D8 are included in the 2015 IPEDS Completions CIP List.
Adding new programs - To add a new program, click the 'Search/Add Program' button at the top of your list of
programs. You then have several ways to proceed:

1.
2.
3.

Enter all or parts of the program name and click the 'Search' key. This will bring up all the fields and
programs with the text in the title. Make your selection from this list.
As an alternative, you can click the first letter of the name of the program from the menu of letters. For
example, if you want to add Philosophy, click the 'P'. This brings up a list of all fields beginning with 'P'; then
select the field name. After this, you may add programs within the field.
If you know the 2-digit or 4-digit CIP for the broad group of programs, enter the portion of CIP code and click
'Search' key. This will bring up a list of all the programs within the selected group.

After selecting the program, designate the appropriate award level(s).
If you cannot find a CIP code to describe your program:
•
•

Select the general category (xx.xx01 or xx.0000) if the program follows an unspecialized, broad program of
study within the area described by the 4-digit or 2-digit CIP Code.
Select the "Other" code (xx.9999 or xx.xx99) if your program of study is specialized within the area described
by the two digit CIP code, but there is not a specific 6-digit CIP code which adequately describes the
instructional program.

DO NOT develop any new CIP codes.
Deleting a program - If your institution no longer offers a specific program at any award level, click on the 'Delete
program' icon. A field or program should NOT be deleted if you expect to report completions for it in future years. See
"CIP Data" for programs with no completions for the reporting year.
You will have to confirm any deletions.
Adding/deleting award level or 2nd major - If, you need to add or delete one or more award levels or 2nd majors
for a given program, click on the 'Add/Delete Award Levels' icon. This activates a pop-up window with all the possible
award levels and two columns of boxes, one for 1st majors and the other for 2nd majors. The initial check marks
reflect what was reported the previous year. If awards were conferred in this program for the current collection at an
award level not indicated, click the corresponding box (either 1st or 2nd major). If your institution no longer awards
degrees/certificates at an award level and expects not to award at that level in the future, or no longer awards a 2nd
major at the level, un-click the box. NOTE: If a 1st major is deleted for an award level that also had 2nd major
checked, the 2nd major will be automatically deleted also. This also removes any degree counts already entered.
Once you have made all the necessary changes, click the 'Save' button and the changes will be reflected on the
selection screen.
In addition, users may enter context on this page. These are intended to provide users a place to indicate
characteristics of the institution which may make applying IPEDS definitions and instructions problematic. The context
should not be used for explanations of edit reports, as there are other locations specifically for that purpose.
After completing this page, click "Save".
In order to begin entering completions data, click on the award level number for the appropriate 1st or 2nd major and
award level. This will bring up a CIP Data page.
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Classification of degrees according to major field of study
Remember: 2010 CIP Codes are now being used to describe field of study. Please consult the 2010 CIP Website to
assist you in selecting relevant new fields of study.

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•

Specific Classification - Classify degrees and awards as specifically as the list of CIP programs permits.
Thus, report a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a business economics major in
Business/Managerial Economics (52.0601), not in Business, General (52.0101).
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy - Classify the Doctor of Philosophy degree according to the student's major
field of study. Thus, a Ph.D. in chemistry should be reported as a degree in chemistry, not as one in
philosophy.

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•
•

Majors of Students Prepared to Teach - The general rule is to classify degrees according to the major area
of specialization. This means that degrees to students who may be qualified to teach an academic subject
(such as English, biology, or foreign languages) but did not pursue a program solely for the purpose of
teaching, should be reported in English Language and Literature/Letters (23.xxxx), Biological Sciences and
Biomedical Sciences (26.xxxx), and Foreign Languages, Literatures and Linguistics (16.xxxx) respectively, not
in Education (13.xxxx). On the other hand, the degrees of students who have completed a program that is
specifically preparing them to teach special subjects (such as agriculture, art, music, etc.) should be reported
in Agricultural Teacher Education (Vocational) (13.1301), Art Teacher Education (13.1302), Music Teacher
Education (13.1312), etc.
Split Majors - When a student graduates with a split major, report the award in the area of greater
specialization, if possible. Otherwise, the award should be reported in the program closest to the combination.
If neither of these approaches can be used, the award should be reported as follows:
◦
If the split major involves two program specialties within the same program category, use the
"General" or "Multiple emphasis" program specialty. For example, a split major involving two
languages should be reported in Foreign Languages and Literatures, General (16.0101); a major in
history and political science should be reported under Social Sciences, General (45.0101).
◦
If the split major involves program specialties from different program categories, the award should be
reported under the one of greater specialization.
Double Majors - When a student receives a single degree with majors in two (or more) program specialties,
report the degree in one program (1st major); you should report the second program specialty as a "second
major." As with the other degrees/awards, those programs for which your institution reported 2nd majors the
previous year will already be indicated on the selection screen. To make changes in second majors for a
program, click the 'Add/Delete Award Levels' icon.
NOTE: Second majors may only be reported for associate's, bachelor's, master's, and/or doctor's degrees.
Two Degrees - If a student actually receives two degrees based on two independent courses of study, (e.g.,
one in Business and Management and one in Foreign Languages), report each degree under the appropriate
program category.
Arts and Sciences or General Programs Not Organized in Occupational Curriculums - These are
certificates or degrees based on less than four years of work in the arts and sciences or general programs not
organized in occupational curriculums. Such awards should be reported under one of the Liberal Arts and
Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (24.01xx) programs.
General Majors - The term "general major" is used to designate general, unspecialized curriculums within an
area of study. Ordinarily, degrees based on a general major should be reported in one of the "general"
programs.
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies - These refer to fields of study that represent two or more broad program
categories; e.g., Mathematics and Computer Science (30.0801). These are found within the 2-digit CIP "30". If
reporting awards under similar fields of study that are not in the current CIP listing, use "30.9999", making
sure to specify the exact name of the multi/interdisciplinary study.

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Crosswalk between the IPEDS Award Levels (used on CIP data screens) and the
Consolidated Award Levels (used on Completers by Level screens)
IPEDS Award Levels
(used on CIP data screens)

Consolidated Award Levels
(used on Completers by Level
screen)
Less than 1-year certificates

1 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (less than 1 academic
year)
2 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (at least 1 but less than At least 1 but less than 4-year
2 academic years);
certificates
4 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (at least 2 but less than
4 academic years )
3 - Associate's degree
Associate's degrees
5 - Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degrees
7 - Master's degree
Master's degrees
17 - Doctor's degree - research/scholarship;
Doctor's degrees
18 - Doctor's degree - professional practice;
19 - Doctor's degree - other
6 - Postbaccalaureate certificate;
Postbaccalaureate and post-master's
8 - Post-master's certificate
certificates
Definitions of the award levels listed above in the left column can be found in the IPEDS Glossary
(http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/glossary/).
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Award levels
The eleven award levels under which completions can be reported are:

1 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (less than 1 academic year)
•
•
•

Less than 900 contact or clock hours
Less than 30 SEMESTER or TRIMESTER credit hours, or
Less than 45 QUARTER credit hours

2 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (at least 1 but less than 2 academic years)
•
•
•

At least 900, but less than 1800 contact or clock hours, or
At least 30, but less than 60 SEMESTER OR TRIMESTER HOURS
At least 45, but less than 90 QUARTER HOURS

3 - Associate's degree
4 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (at least 2 but less than 4 academic years )
•
•
•

1800 or more contact or clock hours, or
60 or more SEMESTER OR TRIMESTER credit hours, or
90 or more QUARTER credit hours

5 - Bachelor's degree
6 - Postbaccalaureate certificate
7 - Master's degree
8 - Post-master's certificate
17 - Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
18 - Doctor's degree - professional practice
19 - Doctor's degree - other
Definitions for each of these award levels can be found in the IPEDS Glossary (http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/glossary/).
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I. CIP Data Screens
Each program/award level on the Program Selection screen (including 1st and 2nd majors where selected) has a
corresponding CIP Data screen. At the top are the CIP code and name of the program, followed by the award level and
1st/2nd major of the current screen on the next line.
Programs with completions - Enter the number of awards conferred during the reporting period in the appropriate
boxes and refer to the section called, "Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category," as necessary. To the right of
each data entry cell, the corresponding number from your institution's previous submission is displayed in red.
Programs with no completions - If there were no completions in a particular program/award level but your
institution still offers the program at that level, enter a zero in at least one box on the data page. Do not delete a
program/award level if you expect to have completions in future years.
NOTE: All awards must be reported as whole numbers. Do not report fractions of an award.
Distance Education - If the program at this award level is able to be completed exclusively via distance education
(DE), you should respond "Yes" to the DE question at the bottom of the CIP Data screen; otherwise, you should
respond "No." Also, if more than one program is reported under a CIP code by award level, you should respond "YES"
to the DE question if ANY of the programs are offered as a DE program. Additionally, you should respond "Yes" to the
DE question, if it is an option for students to complete exclusively through DE by CIP code and Award level, but no
students did. And lastly, if a program has a traditional offering and a distance education option, completions should be
reported regardless of whether or not the program was completed through DE.
Once all the awards for this program and award level have been entered, review the data for accuracy. When you are
satisfied with the data, click the 'Verify & Save' button. This will generate the total men and women for the current
year. If no edit icons appear, there are several options for proceeding.

•

You may click the 'Next Screen' button, and the system will bring up the next screen in the following order:
(1) the 2nd major for the current CIP/award level if one was designated; (2) the next award level for this
program; or (3) the next program in the list of CIP codes on the left.

•
•
•

You may go directly to another program or field by clicking on the appropriate CIP code on the left. In this
case, the first award level for that CIP will appear.
You may click on the 'Selection screen' at the top of the list of CIP codes. This will return you to the Selection
Screen page.
On the last program/award level screen (based on CIP code and award level) after entering and saving the
data, you may browse and/or print the totals by gender, award level, and race/ethnicity by clicking the
'Summary Report' button. When you are satisfied, click the 'Proceed' button which will return you to the
CIP Selection screen.

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II. "Completers" screens
II.a. "All Completers" screen
Enter the number of students who earned an award between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015 by gender and race and
ethnicity. Count each student only once, regardless of how many awards he/she earned. The intent of this screen is to
collect an unduplicated count of total numbers of completers.
(Students counted on the "All Completers" screen should be the students who earned the awards.)

II.b. "Completers by Level" screen
For each award level for which you have reported completions, enter the number of students represented by those
completions. The number of students who earned this award between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015 should be
entered by gender, by race and ethnicity, and by age. The date should be the student's age at the time the
award was conferred.
Each student should be counted only once per award level. For example, if a student earned a master's and doctor's
degree, he/she should be counted once in master's and once in doctor's. A student who earned two master's degrees
should be counted only once.
The total number of students reported by gender must equal the total number of students reported by race and
ethnicity. Each of the two previously mentioned totals must equal the total number of students reported by age.

II.b.1. "Completers by Level" screen - Award Levels
The following seven award levels are applicable to the "Completers by Level" screen:

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Less than 1-year certificates
At least 1 but less than 4-year certificates
Associate's degrees
Bachelor's degrees
Master's degrees
Doctor's degrees
Postbaccalaureate and post-master's certificates

While there are seven award levels applicable to the "Completers by Level" screen (e.g., number of students) in this
section (II), there are 11 award levels applicable to the "CIP Data" screen (e.g., number of awards) in section I. Some
of the award levels associated with the "CIP Data" screen have been combined to form the seven award levels for the
"Completers by Level" screen. Consequently, in the "Completers by Level" section, screens will be displayed based on
the award levels for which completions have been reported in the "CIP Data" section. [Refer to the "Crosswalk
between the IPEDS Award Levels (used on CIP data screens) and the Consolidated Award Levels (used on Completers
by Level screens) " for additional information.]
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Glossary

date: 11/6/2015

Term

Definition

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.

Associate's degree

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

Bachelor's degree

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

Black or African American

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

Certificate

A formal award certifying the satisfactory completion of a postsecondary education program.

CIP code

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

Classification of Instructional
Programs (CIP)

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

Clock hour

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

Contact hour

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

Credit hour

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

Diploma

A formal document certifying the successful completion of a prescribed program of studies.

Distance education

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

Distance education course

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

Distance education program

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

Doctor's degree-other

A doctor's degree that does not meet the definition of a doctor's degree - research/scholarship or a doctor's degree professional practice.

Doctor's degree-professional
practice

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

Doctor's degreeresearch/scholarship

A Ph.D. or other doctor's degree that requires advanced work beyond the master's level, including the preparation
and defense of a dissertation based on original research, or the planning and execution of an original project
demonstrating substantial artistic or scholarly achievement. Some examples of this type of degree may include
Ed.D., D.M.A., D.B.A., D.Sc., D.A., or D.M, and others, as designated by the awarding institution.

Hispanic/Latino

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

Integrated Postsecondary
Education Data System
(IPEDS)

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), conducted by the NCES, began in 1986 and involves
annual institution-level data collections. All postsecondary institutions that have a Program Participation Agreement
with the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), U.S. Department of Education (throughout IPEDS referred to as
"Title IV") are required to report data using a web-based data collection system. IPEDS currently consists of the
following components: Institutional Characteristics (IC); 12-month Enrollment (E12);Completions (C); Admissions
(ADM); Student Financial Aid (SFA); Human Resources (HR) composed of Employees by Assigned Position, Fall Staff,
and Salaries; Fall Enrollment (EF); Graduation Rates (GR); Outcome Measures (OM); Finance (F); and Academic
Libraries (AL).

Master's degree

An award that requires the successful completion of a program of study of at least the full-time equivalent of 1 but
not more than 2 academic years of work beyond the bachelor's degree.
Some of these degrees, such as those in Theology (M.Div., M.H.L./Rav) that were formerly classified as "firstprofessional", may require more than two full-time equivalent academic years of work.

Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander

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.
Post-master's certificate

An award that requires completion of an organized program beyond the master's degree, but does not meet the
requirements of academic degrees at the doctor's level.

Postbaccalaureate certificate

An award that requires completion of an organized program of study beyond the bachelor's.  It is designed for
persons who have completed a baccalaureate degree, but does not meet the requirements of a master's degree. 

NOTE: Even though Teacher Preparation certificate programs may require a bachelor's degree for admission, they
are considered subbacalaureate undergraduate programs, and students in these programs are undergraduate
students.

Postsecondary award,
certificate, or diploma (at
least 1 but less than 2
academic years)

An award that requires completion of an organized program of study at the postsecondary level (below the
baccalaureate degree) in at least 1 but less than 2 full-time equivalent academic years , or designed for completion
in at least 30 but less than 60 semester or trimester credit hours, or in at least 45 but less than 90 quarter credit
hours, or in at least 900 but less than 1,800 contact or clock hours.

Postsecondary award,
certificate, or diploma (at
least 2 but less than 4
academic years)

An award that requires completion of an organized program of study at the postsecondary level (below the
baccalaureate degree) in at least 2 but less than 4 full-time equivalent academic years , or designed for completion
in at least 60 but less than 120 semester or trimester credit hours, or in at least 90 but less than 180 quarter credit
hours, or in at least 1,800 but less than 3,600 contact or clock hours.

Postsecondary award,
certificate, or diploma (less
than 1 academic year)

An award that requires completion of an organized program of study at the postsecondary level (below the
baccalaureate degree) in less than 1 academic year (2 semesters or 3 quarters), or designed for completion in less
than 30 semester or trimester credit hours, or in less than 45 quarter credit hours, or in less than 900 contact or
clock hours.

Race and ethnicity unknown

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

Race/ethnicity

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

Title IV institution

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

White

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

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2015-16 Survey Materials > FAQ

date: 11/6/2015

Completions
Click one of the following questions to view the answer.
General
1) When did the 2010 Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) become effective?
2) Where can I obtain a copy of the 2010 CIP?
3) If I decide to use file upload, will it accept both the 2000 CIP and the 2010 CIP?
4) I have no CIP codes listed on my Completions survey.  Do I still need to report data?
5) If a student was awarded two degrees during the collection period, should I report only one degree on the "CIP Data"
screen, in order to avoid double-counting the student?  Also, how do I select which CIP to report?
6) In reporting completions during the fall 2015 data collection, should I include degrees and certificates awarded in the
summer 2015 term?
7) I cannot find any CIP code that matches one of our programs, and the system will only let me select one of the standard
codes. What should I do?
8) Using the new post-baccalaureate award levels, how should I code awards formerly known as first professional degrees and
first professional certificates?
9) Previously, Master's of Divinity (M.Div) and Master's of Rabbinical Studies (M.H.L./Rav, B.D. or Ordination) were coded as
first-professional degrees. How should they be reported using the post-baccalaureate award levels?
10) Using the new postbaccalaureate award levels, how should the Ed.D. degree be classified?
11) My institution awards Specialized Associate Degrees (SAD), which do not require the minimum Liberal Studies hours that
other associate's degrees do. Should these be reported as level 3 (associate's degree) or level 4 (2 but less than 4 year
certificates)?
12) What is the difference between degrees with double majors and those with split majors?
13) What is the difference between the CIP data screen and the Completers screens in the Completions survey?
14) How are the two different sets of award levels in the Completions survey related?
15) In what award level category should Teachers Preparation certificates be reported?
Completions - Distance Education
1) Is there additional guidance on how to respond to the new distance education program question in the Completions survey?
2) What is a distance education program?
Completers
1) Why was the "All Completers" screen, which collects data on the number of students by gender and race/ethnicity, added
to the IPEDS Completions survey component?
2) On the "Completers by Level" screen, how should the number of students who earned an award between July 1, 2014 and
June 30, 2015 by award level, by gender, by race and ethnicity, and by age be counted?
3) On the "Completers by Level" screen, which collects the number of students who earned awards by age, is there a particular
date that should be used to track the age?

Answers:
General
1)
When did the 2010 Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) become effective?
IPEDS Keyholders and Coordinators were required to use the 2010 CIP beginning with the 2010-11 IPEDS data collection. [The
new requirement affected the following IPEDS survey components:  Completions Survey for Fall 2010; Institutional
Characteristics Survey for Fall 2010; and Fall Enrollment Survey for Spring 2011.] Questions regarding the 2010 CIP can be
sent to CIP@ed.gov or to the IPEDS Help Desk at ipedshelp@rti.org.
Back to top
2)
Where can I obtain a copy of the 2010 CIP?
Copies of the 2010 CIP are available in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel from the "Resources Page" of the 2010 CIP
website at the following link: http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=55.
Back to top
3)
If I decide to use file upload, will it accept both the 2000 CIP and the 2010 CIP?
You can no longer use the 2000 CIP.  The 2010 CIP is now mandatory and that is the only import record layout that is available.
Back to top
4)
I have no CIP codes listed on my Completions survey. Do I still need to report data?
Yes, you must report any degrees, certificates, or other formal awards conferred between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. If
you have no codes listed, then you must create a list by adding programs. Please review the survey instructions carefully before
doing this.
Back to top
5)
If a student was awarded two degrees during the collection period, should I report only one degree on the
"CIP Data" screen, in order to avoid double-counting the student? Also, how do I select which CIP to report?
If the student actually receives two degrees based on two independent courses of study, then each degree should be reported
under the appropriate level and CIP. Remember, the "CIP Data" screen is collecting the number of degrees/certificates, not the
number of students receiving them.

Back to top
In reporting completions during the fall 2015 data collection, should I include degrees and certificates
awarded in the summer 2015 term?
Your fall 2015 report should include degrees and awards conferred between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015. Unless they were
conferred before June 30, they should be reported the next year (fall 2016 collection).
Back to top
7)
I cannot find any CIP code that matches one of our programs, and the system will only let me select one of
the standard codes. What should I do?
If the program covers parts of several CIP codes and there is a “General” CIP (normally nn.nn01) for the 2-digit CIP area, use
that. If not, use the “Other” code (either nn.9999 or in some cases nn.nn99).
Back to top
8)
Using the new post-baccalaureate award levels, how should I code awards formerly known as first
professional degrees and first professional certificates?
The following CIP codes, which were formerly reported as first professional degrees should now be coded as doctor's degreeresearch/scholarship; doctor's degree-professional practice; or doctor's degree-other: Chiropractic (D.C.,
D.C.M)(51.0101); Dentistry (D.D.S, D.M.D) (51.0401); Medicine (M.D.) (51.1201); Optometry (O.D.) (51.1701); Osteopathic
Medicine (D.O) (51.1901); Pharmacy (Pharm.D) (51.2001); Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., Pod D) (51.2101); Veterinary Medicine
(D.V.M) (51.2401); and Law (L.L.B, J.D.) (22.0101). First professional certificates in these fields should be reported as postmaster's certificates.
Back to top
9)
Previously, Master's of Divinity (M.Div) and Master's of Rabbinical Studies (M.H.L./Rav, B.D. or Ordination)
were coded as first-professional degrees. How should they be reported using the post-baccalaureate award
levels?
Using the new post-baccalaureate award levels, Master's of Divinity (39.0602) and Master's of Rabbinical Studies (39.0605)
should be reported as master's degrees.
Back to top
10) Using the new postbaccalaureate award levels, how should the Ed.D. degree be classified?
It is at the discretion of the individual postsecondary institution, whether an Ed.D should be classified in one the following three
categories: Doctor's Degree-Research and Scholarship (Award Level=17); Doctor's Degree-Professional Practice (Award
Level=18); and Doctor's Degree-Other (Award Level=19). IPEDS users are encouraged to consult the IPEDS Glossary
(http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/glossary/), which provides detailed definitions of each of the award levels. Please note that in each of
these definitions, examples of degrees are provided. These examples are intended to be illustrative and are not prescriptive. It
is ultimately up to the individual postsecondary institution to decide which of the new award levels best describes their Ed.D.
program.
Back to top
11) My institution awards Specialized Associate Degrees (SAD), which do not require the minimum Liberal
Studies hours that other associate's degrees do. Should these be reported as level 3 (associate's degree) or
level 4 (2 but less than 4 year certificates)?
As long as these awards are considered associate's degrees by your controlling authority, they should be reported as level 3.
This also applies to Occupational Associate Degrees (OAD). In the same way, BA and BS degrees are both reported as
bachelor's degrees (level 5) in IPEDS.
Back to top
12) What is the difference between degrees with double majors and those with split majors?
Both of these apply when only one degree has been conferred. If the recipient earned sufficient credits for the degree level
separately in two fields, it would be a double major. If the recipient earned total credits between the two fields for the degree
but not sufficient credits in either individually, it would be a split major.
Back to top
13) What is the difference between the CIP data screen and the Completers screens in the Completions survey?
The "CIP Data" screen collects data on the number of awards conferred by postsecondary institutions between July 1, 2014 and
June 30, 2015 while the "Completers" screens collect data on the number of students who earned an award between July 1,
2014 and June 30, 2015. 
6)

Also, there are 11 award levels associated with the "CIP Data" screen (e.g., number of awards) and seven award levels
associated with the "Completers by Level" screen (e.g., number of students).  Some of the award levels associated with the
"CIP Data" screen have been combined to form a total of seven award levels for the "Completers by Level" screen.
Back to top
14) How are the two different sets of award levels in the Completions survey related?
Refer to the following crosswalk.

IPEDS Award Levels
(used on CIP data screens)
1 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (less than 1
academic year)
2 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (at least 1 but
less than 2 academic years);
4 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (at least 2 but
less than 4 academic years )
3 - Associate's degree

Consolidated Award Levels
(used on Completers by Level
screen)
Less than 1-year certificates 
At least 1 but less than 4-year
certificates

Associate's degrees 

5 - Bachelor's degree
7 - Master's degree
17 - Doctor's degree - research/scholarship;

Bachelor's degrees  
Master's degrees
Doctor's degrees 

18 - Doctor's degree - professional practice;
19 - Doctor's degree - other
6 - Postbaccalaureate certificate;

Postbaccalaureate and post-master's
certificates

8 - Post-master's certificate
Definitions of the award levels listed above in the left column can be found in the IPEDS Glossary
(http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/glossary/).
Back to top
15) In what award level category should Teachers Preparation certificates be reported?
Even though Teacher Preparation certificate programs may require a bachelor's degree for admission, they are considered
subbaccalaureate undergraduate programs, and students in these programs are undergraduate students.
Back to top
Completions - Distance Education
1) Is there additional guidance on how to respond to the new distance education program question in
the Completions survey?
If a program at a particular award level can be completed exclusively via distance education (DE), you should respond "Yes" to
the DE question at the bottom of the CIP Data screen, even if it also can be completed through traditional offerings; otherwise,
you should respond "No." Also, if more than one program is reported under a CIP code by award level, you would respond "YES"
to the DE question if ANY of the programs are offered as a DE program.  Additionally, you would respond "Yes" to the DE
question, if it is an option for students to complete exclusively through DE by CIP code & Award level, but no students did.  And
lastly, if a program has a traditional offering and a distance education option, completions should be reported regardless of
whether or not the program was completed through DE.
Back to top
2) What is a distance education program?
A "distance education program" is "a program for which all the required coursework for program completion is able to be
completed via distance education courses."
Back to top
Completers
1) Why was the "All Completers" screen, which collects data on the number of students by gender and
race/ethnicity, added to the IPEDS Completions survey component?
The intent of this screen was to collect an unduplicated count of total numbers of completers.  Each student is counted only
ONCE, regardless of how many awards he/she earned.
Back to top
2) On the "Completers by Level" screen, how should the number of students who earned an award between July
1, 2014 and June 30, 2015 by award level, by gender, by race and ethnicity, and by age be counted?
Each student should be counted once per award level. For example, if a student earned a master's degree and a doctor's
degree, he/she should be counted once in master's and once in doctor's. A student who earned two master's degrees should be
counted only once.
Back to top
3) On the "Completers by Level" screen, which collects the number of students who earned awards by age, is
there a particular date that should be used to track the age?
The date should be the student's age at the time the award was conferred.
Back to top

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2015-16 Survey Materials > Narrative Edits

date: 11/6/2015

Completions for all institutions
Edit specifications for the 2015-16 IPEDS Web-Based Data Collection
Completions Component
Applicable to all institutions
NOTE: The specifications in this document apply to all institutions completing the IPEDS Completions component.
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 in this survey must be completed in order to lock the survey.

Reporting Guidelines
Completions Data
Completers Data
Survey Summary
Programs Classified in “Other” CIP Codes

Reporting Guidelines
CIP Code Validation
All CIP codes are verified against the 2010 version of the "Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)" manual. Invalid CIP
codes are rejected from the data collection database and the user is provided with a list of the invalid codes and the line
numbers in the import file where they appear. Additionally, when Completions data is imported, the system will check the
current year list of CIP codes against the data reported in the previous year and list any CIP codes that were not included in
the current year file.

Award Level Validation
The award levels listed below are the accepted award levels for completions data. Invalid and missing Award Levels are
rejected from the data collection database and the user is provided with a list of the invalid levels and the line numbers in the
import file where they appear.

1 Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (less than 1 academic year)
•
•
•

less than 900 contact or clock hours, or
less than 30 SEMESTER OR TRIMESTER credit hours, or
less than 45 QUARTER hours

2 Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma or (at least 1 but less than 2 academic years)
•
•
•

at least 900 but less than 1800 contact or clock hours, or
at least 30 but less than 60 SEMESTER or TRIMESTER credit hours, or
at least 45 but less than 90 QUARTER credit hours

3 Associate’s degree
4 Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (at least 2 but less than 4 academic years)
•
•
•

1800 or more contact or clock hours, or
60 or more SEMESTER OR TRIMESTER credit hours, or
90 or more QUARTER credit hours

5 Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

6
7
8
17
18
19

Post-baccalaureate certificate
Master’s degree
Post-master’s certificate
Doctor’s degree-research/scholarship
Doctor’s degree-professional practice
Doctor’s degree-other

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Completions Data
Select Programs and Enter Data
To begin, you must specify each program (CIP code) offered by your institution and select all applicable award levels for that
program. On this screen (accessed by selecting the corresponding link from the Completions Main Screen), all previously
added CIP code/Award Level combinations are listed. CIP codes in this list can be added or deleted; and award levels can be
edited.
For each CIP code/Award Level combination reported by your institution, you must enter the number of Awards conferred
between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015 by gender and race/ethnicity. The prior year amounts are displayed for your
reference.
Race/ethnicity categories include Nonresident Alien, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African
American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White, Two or more races, and Race and ethnicity unknown. Each
race/ethnicity category is available for Men and Women.
Additionally, for each CIP code/Award Level combination reported by your institution, you must answer No or Yes to the
following question:
•

Is this program offered as a distance education program?

Note: If more than one program is reported under this CIP code, check Yes if ANY of the programs are offered as a distance
education program.
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•
•

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

You must identify at least one Program (6-digit CIP code) offered by your institution in order to begin the survey.
A value must be entered for each CIP code/Award Level combination identified.
Note: If your institution offers any programs and/or award levels that have no completions in 2014-15 but continue to
be offered by the institution, then you must enter at least one 0 for the corresponding CIP code/Award Level in order
to successfully save the data and lock the survey. Delete any programs and Award Levels that are no longer offered
by your institution.
If an award level was reported by your institution in the prior year IC Header survey, then that award level is
expected to be selected for at least one program in this survey.
If an award level was not reported by your institution in the prior year IC Header survey, then that award level is not
expected to be selected for any programs in this survey.
If your institution is a Program reporter, as indicated in the prior year IC Header survey, then the CIP codes reported
in the prior year Institutional Characteristics survey. are expected to be reported here.
If your institution is a Program reporter, as indicated on the prior year IC Header survey, then the total number of
programs is expected to be equal to the number of programs reported in the prior year Institutional Characteristics
survey.
If your institution is a Program reporter, as indicated on the prior year IC Header survey, then the largest program
reported in the prior year Institutional Characteristics survey is expected to be among the top three programs with the
most awards conferred.
If your institution reports 0 completions for all 6-digit CIP codes in both the current year and prior year, then a fatal
error will occur.
For each 2-digit CIP code, the current year completions reported for Men are expected to be within a certain range
when compared to the prior year, otherwise an explanation must be provided.
For each 2-digit CIP code, the current year completions reported for Women are expected to be within a certain
range when compared to the prior year, otherwise an explanation must be provided.

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

If the percentage of students reported in the Race and ethnicity unknown category across all 6-digit CIP codes and
all Award Levels is between 20 percent and 80 percent, then an explanation must be provided.
If the percentage of students reported in the Race and ethnicity unknown category across all 6-digit CIP codes and
all Award Levels is greater than 80 percent, then a fatal error will occur.
The Total awards conferred on Men for each 6-digit CIP code of the Doctor’s degree – professional practice
award level is expected to be within a certain range of the corresponding Men (PY) value, otherwise an explanation
must be provided.  
The Total awards conferred on Women for each 6-digit CIP code of the Doctor’s degree – professional practice
award level is expected to be within a certain range of the corresponding Women (PY) value, otherwise an
explanation must be provided.  
For each Award Level, if your institution reports offering any programs as a 2nd major, then the sum of the  Total
awards reported for Men in the 2nd major must be less than or equal to the sum of those reported for
Men in the 1st major.
For each Award Level combination, if your institution reports offering any programs as a 2nd major, then the sum of
the Total awards reported for Women in the 2nd major must be less than or equal to the sum of those reported for
Women in the 1st major.
The Total awards reported for Men at the undergraduate level must be less than or equal to the total number of
male undergraduate students reported on your institution’s prior year Fall Enrollment survey.
The Total awards reported for Women at the undergraduate level must be less than or equal to the total number of
female undergraduate students reported on your institution’s prior year Fall Enrollment survey.
The Total awards reported for Men at the graduate level must be less than or equal to the total number of male
graduate students reported on your institution’s prior year Fall Enrollment survey.
The Total awards reported for Women at the graduate level must be less than or equal to the total number of
female graduate students reported on your institution’s prior year Fall Enrollment survey.
You must respond to the distance education question for each CIP code/Award Level combination.
If your institution reported that all programs at the institution are offered completely via distance education in the
prior year Institutional Characteristics survey, then you are expected to select Yes in response to the distance
education question for all CIP code/Award Level combinations.
If your institution reported offering undergraduate distance education courses or programs in the prior year
Institutional Characteristics survey, then you are expected to select Yes in response to the distance education
question for at least one CIP code/Award Level combination at the undergraduate level in this survey.
If your institution did not report offering undergraduate distance education courses or programs in the prior year
Institutional Characteristics survey, then you are not expected to select Yes in response to the distance education
question for any CIP code/Award level combinations at the undergraduate level in this survey.
If your institution reported offering graduate distance education courses or programs in the prior year Institutional
Characteristics survey, then you are expected to select Yes in response to the distance education question for at least
one CIP code/Award Level combination at the graduate level in this survey.
If your institution did not report offering graduate distance education courses or programs in the prior year
Institutional Characteristics survey, then you are not expected to select Yes in response to the distance education
question for any CIP code/Award Level combinations at the graduate level in this survey.

•

The current year racial/ethnic distribution of Men across all 6-digit CIP codes and all Award Levels is expected to be
within a 30% range of the prior year racial/ethnic distribution, otherwise an explanation must be provided.
Note: These distributions are calculated by finding the absolute value of the current year percentage of completions
for men minus the corresponding prior year percentage of completions for men from each race/ethnicity category. If
the sum of the absolute values across all race/ethnicity categories (excluding the White category) is greater than 30,
then an explanation error will occur. For example, in Table 1 (shown below) the sum of the Current year minus
prior year absolute values across all applicable race/ethnicity categories is 40. Because this number is greater than
30, an explanation error will occur.

Table 1

Race/ethnicity

Nonresident Alien
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian/Alaska
Native
Asian
Black or African
American
Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity
unknown
Total

•

Current year percentage Prior year percentage of Current year minus
of completions for men
completions for men
prior year absolute
value
6
14
8
10
9
1
1
3
2
8
25

6
10

2
15

6

4

2

40
4
0

40
6
8

-2
8

--

--

40

As with the distribution of Men explained previously, the current year racial/ethnic distribution of Women across all 6digit CIP codes and all Award Levels is expected to be within a 30% range of the prior year racial/ethnic distribution,
otherwise an explanation must be provided.

View Awards Conferred Summary Report -- Grand Totals
The Awards Conferred Summary Reports -- Grand Totals screen (accessed by selecting the corresponding link from the
Completions Main Screen) displays a summary of the data entered across all 6-digit CIP codes by award level, race/ethnicity,
and gender. Grand Total amounts are calculated for each category; and the prior year totals are displayed by award level
and gender, for your reference.
If your institution reported offering any programs as a 2nd major, an additional Total by Second Major summary table will
also be displayed.
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Completers Data
Applicable to institutions with at least one award reported in the 'Completers data' section

All Completers
On this screen, you must indicate the Number of students by gender and race/ethnicity earning an award between July 1,
2014 and June 30, 2015. Total awards are preloaded for each gender and race/ethnicity category (e.g. Men in the Asian
race/ethnicity category or Women in the White race/ethnicity category) based on the completions data entered in this
survey. Totals are calculated by gender and by race/ethnicity.
Note: Count each student only once, regardless of how many awards the student earned, in order to collect an unduplicated
count of the total number of completers.

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

•

•

For each gender and race/ethnicity category, if the preloaded Total awards value is 0, then the Number of
students entered for that same category must be 0 or blank.
For each gender and race/ethnicity category, if the preloaded Total awards value is greater than 0, then the
Number of students entered for that same category must also be greater than 0.
For each gender and race/ethnicity category, the Number of students entered must be less than or equal to the
preloaded Total awards value for that same category.
The Total Number of students that are Men must be within a certain range when compared to the PY Total value,
as outlined below:
◦ If the PY Total Number of students that are Men is between 1 and 25, then the corresponding current year
Total Number of students is expected to be within a range of plus or minus 10 of the prior year value.
◦ If the PY Total Number of students that are Men is greater than 25, then the corresponding current year
Total Number of students is expected to be within a 40% range of the prior year value.
The Total Number of students that are Women must be within a certain range when compared to the PY Total
value, as outlined below:
◦ If the PY Total Number of students that are Women is between 1 and 25, then the corresponding current
year Total Number of students is expected to be within a range of plus or minus 10 of the prior year value.
◦ If the PY Total Number of students that are Women is greater than 25, then the corresponding current
year Total Number of students is expected to be within a 40% range of the prior year value.
The total number of all completers should be less than or equal to the total 12-month unduplicated count of students
reported in the 12-month Enrollment survey.

Completers by Level
Next, you must provide the number of students By Gender, By Race/Ethnicity, and By Age (Under 18, 18-24, 25-39, 40
and Above, Age Unknown) earning an award between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015 for each award level offered by your
institution. A screen will be provided for each of the following award levels for which completions have been reported:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Less than 1-year certificates
At least 1 but less than 4-year certificates
Associate's degrees
Bachelor's degrees
Master's degrees
Doctor's degrees
Postbaccalaureate and post-master's certificates

Note: Each student should be counted only once per award level. For example, if a student earned a master's degree and
doctor's degree, the student should be counted once on the Master's degree screen and once on the Doctor's degree screen. A
student who earned two master's degrees should be counted only once on that screen.
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered for each applicable award level screen:
•
•
•
•

•
•
•
•

For each Gender category, if the preloaded Total awards value is 0, then the Number of students entered for that
same category must be 0 or blank.
For each Gender category, if the preloaded Total awards value is greater than 0, then the Number of students
entered for that same category must also be greater than 0.
For each Gender category, the Number of students entered must be less than or equal to the preloaded Total
awards value for that same category.
The Total Number of students By Gender (Men plus Women) must be within a certain range when compared to
the PY Total value, as outlined below:
◦ If the PY Total Number of students By Gender (Men plus Women) is between 1 and 25, then the
corresponding current year Total is expected to be within a range of plus or minus 10 of the prior year value.
◦ If the PY Total Number of students By Gender (Men plus Women) is greater than 25, then the
corresponding current year Total is expected to be within a 40% range of the prior year value.
For each Race/Ethnicity category, if the preloaded Total awards value is 0, then the Number of students entered
for that same category must be 0 or blank.
For each Race/Ethnicity category, if the preloaded Total awards value is greater than 0, then the Number of
students entered for that same category must also be greater than 0.
For each Race/Ethnicity category, the Number of students entered must be less than or equal to the Total
awards reported for that same category.
The Number of students reported By Race/Ethnicity must be equal to the Number of students reported By
Gender.

•

The Number of students reported By Age must be equal to the Number of students reported By Gender.

Relationship between Completers Screens
The system will perform the following edits on the data entered:
•
•

For each level, the total number of all completers should be greater than or equal to the total number of completers
by level.
A certain relationship  is expected between 'All completers' and 'Completers by level', otherwise a fatal error will
occur.
◦ If more than one level is reported, then for each race/ethnicity category, the sum of all completers reported
'by level' must be greater than or equal to the sum of men and women reported for 'all completers.'
◦ If only one level is reported, then for each race/ethnicity category, the sum of all completers reported 'by
level' must be equal to the sum of men and women reported for 'all completers.'

Consolidated Award Level Crosswalk
The following crosswalk includes the IPEDS Award Levels (used for the CIP data screens) and the Consolidated Award Levels
(used for the Completers by Level screens).

  IPEDS Award Levels
(used on CIP data screens)

Consolidated Award Levels
(used on Completers by Level
screen)
1 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (less than 1 academic Less than 1-year certificates 
year)
2 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (at least 1 but less
At least 1 but less than 4-year
than 2 academic years); 
certificates
4 - Postsecondary award, certificate, or diploma of (at least 2 but less
than 4 academic years )
3 - Associate's degree
Associate's degrees 
5 - Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degrees  
7 - Master's degree
Master's degrees
17 - Doctor's degree - research/scholarship; 
Doctor's degrees 
18 - Doctor's degree - professional practice;
19 - Doctor's degree - other
6 - Postbaccalaureate certificate;
Postbaccalaureate and post-master's
8 - Post-master's certificate
certificates

Definitions of the award levels listed in the first IPEDS Award Levels column above can be found in the IPEDS Glossary at
(https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/VisGlossaryAll.aspx).
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Survey Summary
This screen (accessed by selecting the corresponding link from the Completions Main Screen) is available to view a summary
of the reported award level data for 2014-15. The data found on this screen will appear specifically for your institution through
the College Navigator website and in your institution's Data Feedback Report (DFR).
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Programs Classified in “Other” CIP Codes

This portion of the survey is provided to obtain more information on programs currently offered by institutions that are not
specifically represented in the 2010 version of the “Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP)” manual. On the Programs
Classified in “Other” CIP Codes screen (accessed by selecting the corresponding link from the Completions Main Screen),
you may enter additional information on programs your institution is currently reporting in the “Other” category (CIP codes
ending in xx.yy99 or xx.9999). The requested information for each ‘Other’ CIP Code program reported by your
institution includes the Program Name, Award Level, the ‘Other’ CIP code the program is being reported under, and the
Number of completers. All information on this screen is optional.
Note: Remember to click Save before exiting the screen.
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