Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2019-20 through 2021-22

1

12 Month Enrollment
Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2019-20
to 2021-22

Changes for 2019-20 and 2020-21 are described on the next page, with screen mockups starting on p. 3. Screen changes are not included on the attached screens and can
only be seen on mock-ups, however, instructional changes and changes to FAQs are
included and highlighted within the instructions.

2

2019-20 Changes for E12:
− Replace “formal award” terminology with “recognized postsecondary credential”
− Replace “contact hour” with “clock hour”
− Add instruction to exclude students receiving Experimental Pell.
2020-21 Changes for E12:
− Add categories to allow for the same groups in E12 as those that are in OM
− Add new distance education screen

Add categories to allow for the same groups in E12 that are in OM (size and complexity of screen requires graduate students to be
reported on separate screen but that is not a new collection, see next page for screen)
12-month Unduplicated Count by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
Undergraduate Students
July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020
Reporting Reminders:

Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino

Report race of non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only

Even though Teacher Preparation certificate programs may require a bachelor’s degree for admission, they are considered subbaccalaureate undergraduate programs, and
students in these programs are undergraduate students.
Graduate Student Reporting Reminder:



Report all postbaccalaureate degree and certificate students as graduate students, including any doctor’s-professional practice students (formally first-professional)

Men
Students enrolled for credit

First-time

Degree/certificate-seeking
Continuing/
Total degree/certificateTransfer-in
Returning
seeking

Non-degree/
non-certificateseeking

Total,
undergraduate
students

Degree/certificate-seeking
Continuing/
Total degree/certificateTransfer-in
Returning
seeking

Non-degree/
non-certificateseeking

Total,
undergraduate
students

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

Total men prior year
Women
Students enrolled for credit
Nonresident alien
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific
Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
Total women
Total women prior year
Grand total (2019-20)
Prior year data:
Unduplicated headcount
(2018-19)
Total undergraduate enrollment
Fall 2018 NOTE: Grand total (201819) calculated above is expected to
be greater than total undergraduate
enrollment Fall 2018.

First-time

Graduate student screen (not new, just separated from undergraduate screen due to size and complexity, only applicable to institutions
with graduate students)
12-month Unduplicated Count by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
Graduate Students
July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020
Reporting Reminders:
 Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
 Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
 Even though Teacher Preparation certificate programs may require a bachelor's degree for
admission, they are considered subbaccalaureate undergraduate programs, and students in these
programs are undergraduate students.
Graduate Student Reporting Reminder:
 Report all postbaccalaureate degree and certificate students as graduate students, including any
doctor's-professional practice students (formerly first-professional)

Men
Students enrolled for credit

Graduate Students

Nonresident alien
Hispanic/Latino

American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
Total men
Total men prior year

Women
Students enrolled for credit
Nonresident alien
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
Total women
Total women prior year

Grand total (2019-20)
Prior year data:
Unduplicated headcount (2018-19)
Total enrollment Fall 2019 NOTE: Grand total (2019-20) calculated above is
expected to be greater than Total enrollment Fall 2019.

Graduate Students

New Distance Education screen
Part A – 12-month Enrollment by Distance Education Status
July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020
Undergraduate students
Degree/certificate-seeking

Non-degree/certificate-seeking

Graduate students

Students enrolled exclusively in distance education
courses
Students enrolled in at least one but not all distance
education courses
Students not enrolled in any distance education courses
Total (from prior part A screens)
You may use the space below to provide context for the data you’ve reported above.
These context notes may be posted on the College Navigator website, and should be written to be understood by students and parents.

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

NCES National Center for Education Statistics

12-month Enrollment for 4-year institutions

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

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

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

Undergraduate Instructional Activity Type 

Undergraduate instructional activity data in Part B may be reported in units of clock hours or credit hours. Which instructional

activity units will you use to report undergraduate instructional activity?
Please note that any graduate level instructional activity must be reported in credit hours.
Clock hours
Credit hours
Both clock and credit hours (some undergraduate programs measured in clock hours and some measured in credit hours)
You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above.

Part A - Unduplicated Count 
12-month Unduplicated Count by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018
Reporting Reminders:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
•Even though Teacher Preparation certificate programs may require a Bachelor's degree for admission, they are considered subbaccalaureate
undergraduate programs, and students in these programs are undergraduate students.

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

Men
Students enrolled for credit
Nonresident alien

Undergraduate students

Graduate students

Undergraduate students

Graduate students

Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
Total men
Total men prior year
Women
Students enrolled for credit
Nonresident alien
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
Total women
Total women prior year
Grand total (2017-18)
Prior year data:
Unduplicated headcount (2016-17)
Total enrollment Fall 2017

NOTE: Grand total (2017-18) calculated above is expected to be greater than Total
enrollment Fall 2017.

Part B - Instructional Activity 
12-month Instructional Activity
July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018
Instructional Activity Reporting Reminder:
•Instructional activity is used to calculate an IPEDS FTE based on the institution’s reported calendar system.
•Graduate credit hour activity should not include any doctor’s – professional practice activity, the total of those students’ FTE is entered
separately instead.

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

2017-18 total
activity

Prior year
data

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

Calendar system (as reported on the prior year IC Header survey component):
If the IPEDS calculated FTE estimates below are not reasonable, AND you have reported the correct instructional activity hours above, enter
your best FTE estimate in the "Institution reported FTE" column below and save the page. This option should be used ONLY if the calculated
estimate is not reasonable for your institution and IPEDS comparisons.
Please provide your best estimate of undergraduate and graduate FTE for the 12-month reporting period only if the calculated FTE estimate
below is not reasonable for IPEDS comparison purposes:
Calculated FTE
Institution reported
Prior year FTE
2017-18
FTE 2017-18
2016-17
Undergraduate student FTE
Graduate student FTE
(excluding doctor's - professional practice student FTE)
Doctor's - professional practice student FTE
Total FTE student enrollment

Prepared by 
The name of the preparer is being collected so that we can follow up with the appropriate person in the event that there are questions
concerning the data. The Keyholder will be copied on all email correspondence to other preparers.
The time it took to prepare this component is being collected so that we can continue to improve our estimate of the reporting burden
associated with IPEDS. Please include in your estimate the time it took for you to review instructions, query and search data sources, complete
and review the component, and submit the data through the Data Collection System.
Thank you for your assistance.
This survey component was prepared by:
Keyholder
Finance Contact

SFA Contact

HR Contact

Academic Library Contact

Other

Name:
Email:

How many staff from your institution only were involved in the data collection and reporting process of this survey component?
Number of Staff (including yourself)

How many hours did you and others from your institution only spend on each of the steps below when responding to this survey
component?
Exclude the hours spent collecting data for state and other reporting purposes.
Staff member
Collecting Data Needed
Revising Data to Match
IPEDS Requirements
Your office
hours
hours
Other offices

U.S. Department of Education
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Of
Education
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hours

hours

Software Provider Resources
Browsers Supported

Entering Data

Revising and Locking Data

hours

hours

hours

hours

Use of Cookies
Troubleshooting

Section 508 Compliance
NCES Privacy Policy

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

NCES National Center for Education Statistics

12-Month Enrollment Full Instructions

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

Coverage
Who To Include
Who To Exclude

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

Where the Reported Data Will Appear
Institution Level
Aggregate Level

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

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

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Changes in Reporting

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General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
The 12-month reporting period is July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018.
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Context Boxes

Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component items. Note
that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search tool offered by
NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness before posting them on the
College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of their entries.
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Coverage
Who to Include
Include all students enrolled for credit (enrolled in instructional activity, courses or programs, that can be applied
towards the requirements for a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary
credential), regardless of whether or not they are seeking a degree or certificate. This includes:

•
•
•
•
•

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

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

•
•
•
•
•
•

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

In addition, the following students should be excluded:

•
•

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

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Where to Get Help with Reporting
IPEDS Help Desk
Phone: (877) 225-2568
E-mail: ipedshelp@rti.org

Web Tutorials

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

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

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

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

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

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Reporting Directions
Screening Question
Before entering any data, a screening question will need to be answered.
Instructional Activity Units
Select which units your institution will use to report undergraduate instructional activity for this component.
Institutions are given the option to report undergraduate instructional activity in clock hours, credit hours, or a
combination of the two.
Clock hours are a unit of measure that represent an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Credit hours
are a unit of measure representing the equivalent of approximately one hour of instruction per week over the entire 
term. Select the method that best describes the units used to measure instructional activity at your institution.
The option for both clock and credit hours should only be used if some programs are measured in clock hours while 
others are measured in credit hours. If your institution measures courses or programs in a unit of measure other than 
standard credit or clock hours, select credit hours and convert the instructional activity offered to credit hour
equivalents for reporting in Part B of this component.

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Reporting Persons by Racial/Ethnic Category (1997 OMB)
This information is being collected in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the
Education Amendments of 1972 and Sec. 421(a)(1) of the Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Act. These instructions
correspond with the Final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data to the U.S.
Department of Education, published in the Federal Register on October 19, 2007.

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

Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

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

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

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

Nonresident alien
Race and ethnicity unknown

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

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

Other descriptive categories
•

•

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

Determining Attendance Status (Full-Time vs. Part-Time)
The attendance level of students is determined on the first full term (i.e., semester or quarter) at entry. For example, if a
transfer-in undergraduate student entered an institution in the Spring term of the July 1 – June 30 reporting period as
part-time, this student should be reported as a part-time, transfer-in undergraduate student Or, if degree/certificateseeking undergraduate student who took a summer session preceding the start of the July 1 – June 30 reporting period
enrolled in following fall term as a full-time students should be reported as a full-time, first-time degree/certificateseeking undergraduate student.
Note: Even if the student’s attendance status changes (i.e., full-time to part-time, or vice versa) of if the student drops
out, transfers out, or transfers back into the institution during the 12-month period, the student’s attendance status is
reported as of entry to the institution for the first full term.

Part A: Unduplicated Count of Full-Time Undergraduate Students by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
On this screen, include all students enrolled for credit, full-time at the undergraduate level at any time during the July 1,
2019 – June 30, 2020 reporting period. The undergraduate level includes students enrolled in undergraduate level courses,
in 4 or 5 -year bachelor’s degree programs, associate’s degree programs, or any certificate programs below the
baccalaureate level. Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree but are taking undergraduate courses for credit
should be included as undergraduates.
Number of Students enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add period
for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular program, and the 5th day of
each short program.
To determine the unduplicated 12-month enrollment, count each student only once during the 12-month period. For
example: If a student enrolls in the fall term, drops out in winter, but enrolls again in spring, count that student once.
Full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
In column 1, report undergraduate students who have no prior postsecondary experience and have enrolled full-time with
the intent to earn a degree, certificate, or other award. The following are also considered first-time:
•
Students enrolled and attended college for the first time at any time during July 1 – June 30 reporting period
•
Students who entered with advanced standing (any college credits or postsecondary award earned before graduation
from high school)
In column 2, report the total number of full-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering the reporting
institution for the first time but known to have previously attended a postsecondary institution at the undergraduate level.
Include students enrolled in the institution who transferred into the institution at least once during the July 1 – June 30
reporting period.
Full-time, continuing degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
In column 3, report the total number of continuing (i.e., not first-time and not transfer-in) full-time degree/certificateseeking undergraduate students. These are students who are not new to the institution at the beginning of July 1 – June 30
reporting period, but instead are continuing their studies at the institution.
Full-time, non-degree/non-certificate-seeking full-time undergraduate students
In column 5, report the total number of full-time non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduate students. These
students are enrolled for credit but not with the intent of earning a degree or other award for a whole July 1 – June 30
reporting period. Note: High school students enrolled in creditable courses prior to high school graduation are considered
non-degree/non-certificate-seeking students.
Once you save the data by clicking the ‘Verify and Save’ button, the ‘Total full-time degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduate students (column 4) and ‘Total, full-time undergraduate students (column 6) will be calculated by the system
and display on the survey screen.
Student level reporting reminders:
• Students who already hold a bachelor's degree but are enrolled as an undergraduate for additional undergraduate
courses should be reported as undergraduate students
• Students admitted with graduate standing should be counted as graduate students, even if they are taking some
undergraduate courses
• If a student's level (undergraduate or graduate) changes during the 12-month period, count the student at his/her
highest level enrolled. For example: If a student is an undergraduate in the fall and a graduate student in the spring,
count the student as a graduate student.
• Doctor's - professional practice students (formerly called first-professional students) should be counted in the graduate
student enrollment counts for Part A.
To provide context, two prior year enrollment totals are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The first is the total 
12-month unduplicated count reported last year (2019-20). The second is the total fall enrollment from Fall 2019, as
reported on the Fall Enrollment survey component. Since the Fall 2019 enrollment falls within the 12-month period
currently being reported (2019-20), the 12-month unduplicated count must be greater than or equal to the Fall 2019
total enrollment.

Part A: Unduplicated Count of Part-Time Undergraduate Students by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
Report part-time students using the same definitions and instructions provided for full-time undergraduate students.

Part A: Unduplicated Count of Full-Time Graduate Students by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
Report full-time graduate students enrolled for credit at any time during the July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020 reporting period.
Students are reported by gender and race/ethnicity.
Number of Students enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add period
for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular program, and the 5th day of
each short program.
To determine the unduplicated 12-month enrollment, count each student only once during the 12-month period. For
example: If a student enrolls in the fall term, drops out in winter, but enrolls again in spring, count that student once.
Student level reporting reminders:
• Students who already hold a bachelor’s degree but are enrolled as an undergraduate for additional undergraduate
courses should be reported as undergraduate students
• Students admitted with graduate standing should be counted as graduate students, even if they are taking some
undergraduate courses
• If a student’s level (undergraduate or graduate) changes during the 12-month period, count the student at his/her
highest level enrolled. For example: If a student is an undergraduate student in the fall and a graduate student in the
spring, count the student as a graduate student.
• Doctor’s – professional practice students (formerly called first-professional students) should be counted in the graduate
student enrollment counts for Part B.

Part A: Unduplicated Count of Part-Time Graduate Students by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
Report part-time students using the same definitions and instructions provided for full-time graduate students.

Part A: Unduplicated Count by Distance Education Status
On this screen, report all students reported on previous Part A screens who are at least once during the July 1 – June 30
reporting period:
• Enrolled exclusively in distance education courses offered at your institution
• Enrolled in at least one but not all distance education courses offered at your institution: Students who are enrolled in
at least one course that is considered a distance education course, but are not enrolled exclusively in distance education
courses.
• Not enrolled in any distance education courses offered at your institution: This number represents the students who are
not enrolled in any distance education courses at your institution. It will be calculated by subtracting the (students
enrolled exclusively in distance education courses + students enrolled in at least one but not all distance education
courses) from the total enrolled students from previous Part A screens, which is the totals for degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduate (first-time + transfer-in + continuing), non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduate students and
graduate students.
Note: Requirements for coming to campus for orientation, testing, or academic support services do not exclude a course
from being classified as exclusively distance education. Similarly, if a student is taking instructional portions of their program
entirely online, but are then required to complete a practicum, residency, or internship, the student can still be considered
enrolled in entirely distance education courses.

Image description. Top ofEnd
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of image description.

Part B: Instructional Activity and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment
Report the total clock hour and/or credit hour activity attempted during the 12-month period of July 1, 2017 - June
30, 2018. The instructional activity data reported will be used to calculate full-time equivalent (FTE) student
enrollment at the institution.

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

Example Calculation: Total clock hour activity for Institution ABC.
Institution ABC offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018 reporting period:

•
•
•

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

Compute the clock hour activity for each course:

•
•
•

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

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

•

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

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

Reporting Credit Hour Activity
To determine the credit hour activity for a course, multiply the credit hour value of the course by the number of
students enrolled in the course for credit (see the IPEDS Glossary for the definition of "credit course"). When
computing total credit hour activity for the institution, include only those courses offered for credit that are measured
in credit hours, do not convert clock hour activity into credit hour activity.
Credit Hour Activity of a Course = Course Credit Hour Value * Number of Students Enrolled for Credit
Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add
period for each term. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular term and the 5th day
of each summer or short term.
Example Calculation: Total credit hour activity for Institution DEZ.
Institution DEZ offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018 reporting period:

•
•
•

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

Compute the credit hour activity for each course:

•
•
•

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

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

•

60 hours + 50 hours + 60 hours = 170 hours

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

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

•
•

•

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

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

Image description. The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System End of image description.

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

NCES National Center for Education Statistics

FAQ

12-month Enrollment
Click one of the following questions to view the answer.
General
1)
Who should I include in my enrollment reporting?
2)
What is the reporting period for 12-month Enrollment?
3)
What is the difference between 12-month Enrollment and Fall Enrollment?
4)
In the past I reported first-professional student enrollment separately in Part A. Why is there no column for reporting
first-professional students?
5)
Should I report students who are studying abroad?
6)
Do I include students enrolled only in ESL programs (programs comprised exclusively of ESL courses) in enrollment?
12-month Enrollment by Student Level, Attendance Status, Race/Ethnicity and Gender (Part A)
1)
Why does the total 12-month enrollment need to be larger than the corresponding prior year fall enrollment?
2)
How do I report a student who changes enrollment levels during the 12-month period?
3)
How do I report foreign students living outside the U.S. who are enrolled in my institution?
4)
My institution has students for which gender is unknown. Since there is no place to report “gender unknown” on the
IPEDS data collection screens, how should we report these individuals?
5)
In which race/ethnicity category do I report undocumented students?
6)
What is NOT considered "prior postsecondary experience" when reporting first-time students?
7)
Where do I report students if I don't know whether or not they are first-time?
8)
How do I treat new students who transferred into the institution the prior summer term and take courses in the fall?
9)
Does "continuing/returning student" include those students who have stopped out and re-entered the same
institution?
10)
How do I report students who changed attendance status (part-time to full-time or full-time to part-time) during the
July 1 to June 30 reporting period?
11)
How do I report a student who earned college credit or postsecondary award while in high school (a dual enrolled
student) and has now graduated high school and enrolled in my institution in the Fall?
12)
Where do I report a high school student who is enrolled for credit at my institution (a dual enrolled student)?
13)
If a student enrolled for credit has not indicated whether they intend to earn a degree or certificate, how do I
determine whether they are degree/certificate-seeking?
14)
Where do I report students who are seeking a second baccalaureate degree?
15)
How do I report an undergraduate student who took courses as a non-degree-seeking student and re-enrolls as a
degree-seeking student at the same reporting institution?
16)
How does enrollment in non-credit or zero-credit remedial/ESL and co-op courses count in the determination of a
student's full-time status?
Distance Education
1)
If a student is taking the instructional portions of their program entirely online, but are then required to complete a
practicum, residency, or internship, is the student considered enrolled in exclusively distance education courses?
2)
We offer courses that combine distance education and traditional teaching methods (“hybrid” courses). How should
students enrolled in these courses be counted in the distance education portion of 12-month Enrollment?
Instructional Activity and FTE (Part B)
1)
How do I report instructional activity for courses that start in one 12-month reporting period and end in the next 12month reporting year?
2)
Instructional activity in doctor's - professional practice programs is measured differently from other graduate
programs. How should I report the activity for these programs?
3)
How is the estimate of full-time equivalent (FTE) students calculated?
4)
The calculated FTE is not a reasonable estimate for my institution. What should I do?

Answers:
General
1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Who should I include in my enrollment reporting?
All students enrolled for credit should be reported. Credit is defined as "recognition of attendance or performance in an
instructional activity (course or program) that can be applied by a recipient toward the requirements for a
postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential, irrespective of the activity’s
unit of measurement."
Back to top
What is the reporting period for 12-month Enrollment?
The reporting period for the 12-month Enrollment component is July 1 - June 30. In the past, institutions had the
option to report using the July 1 - June 30 period or the September 1 - August 31 period. Since the 2011-12 collection
year, institutions have been required to use the July 1 - June 30 reporting period.
Back to top
What is the difference between 12-month Enrollment and Fall Enrollment?
12-month Enrollment is a cumulative unduplicated headcount of enrollment over the full 12-month period beginning
July 1 and ending June 30.  In contrast, Fall Enrollment is a count of students enrolled on a particular date in the Fall.
Fall Enrollment is often referred to as a "snapshot" of an institution's enrollment at a specific time.
Back to top
In the past I reported first-professional student enrollment separately in Part A. Why is there no column
for reporting first-professional students?
Since the 2010-11 collection year, institutions have been required to use the new postbaccalaureate degree categories
(eliminating the first-professional category and reclassifying those programs). In part A, all postbaccalaureate
students are to be reported as graduate students (including students formerly reported as first-professional).
In Part B, Doctor's - professional practice activity (formerly first-professional) will be reported separately from the
graduate instructional activity. FTE for these programs should be reported as defined by the institution.
Back to top
Should I report students who are studying abroad?
Students who are enrolled in your institution and attend classes in a foreign country should be included in your
institution's enrollment report if your institution provides instructional resources (classroom, instructors), even though
the education occurs abroad. Students who are enrolled in your institution and attend classes in a foreign country
should NOT be included in your enrollment report if:

•
•

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

•

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

6)

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

ESL has never been considered a postsecondary program by IPEDS.  Since it is considered non-postsecondary,
students who are ONLY enrolled in ESL programs, regardless of whether or not they are receiving Title-IV aid, should
NOT be counted in enrollment.
Back to top
12-month Enrollment by Student Level, Attendance Status, Race/Ethnicity and Gender (Part A)

1)Why does the total 12-month Enrollment need to be larger than the corresponding prior year Fall
Enrollment?
The 12-month unduplicated count must be equal to or greater than the corresponding prior year Fall
Enrollment. Since Fall 2019 lies within the 12-month period currently being reported on the 12-month
Enrollment survey component (2019-20), the 12-month unduplicated count must be equal to or
greater than the Fall 2019 reported enrollments.
Back to top
2) How do I report a student who changes enrollment levels during the 12-month period?
Students should be reported at their highest level of enrollment. For example, a student enrolled as an
undergraduate in the fall and then as a graduate student in the spring should be reported as a graduate student
on the 12-month Enrollment survey component.
3) How do I report foreign students living outside the U.S. who are enrolled in my institution?
There has been no change to how these students should be reported with the new race/ethnicity reporting
method. Foreign students living outside the U.S., such as a foreign student living outside the U.S. who is enrolled
in distance education at your institution, should be classified in the Race/Ethnicity Unknown category. Only U.S.
citizens are to be categorized in the specific Race/Ethnicity categories. The non-resident alien category is reserved
specifically for students that are in the U.S. under that specific legal status.
Back to top

4) My institution has students for which gender is unknown. Since there is no place to report “gender
unknown” on the IPEDS data collection screens, how should we report these individuals?
These individuals are still to be reported to IPEDS, even though their gender is unknown. It is up to the institution to decide
how best to handle reporting individuals whose gender is unknown. However, a common method used is to allocate
students with gender unknown based on the known proportion of men to women.
5) In which race/ethnicity category do I report undocumented students?
Because the race and ethnicity designations are reported only for U.S. citizens and the "nonresident alien" category is a
legal status for students with specific types of visas, undocumented students would not be reported under any of these
statuses. Instead, they should be reported as "Race/ethnicity unknown." Please visit the race/ethnicity FAQ for more
information: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/visFaq_re.aspx.
6) What is NOT considered "prior postsecondary experience" when reporting first-time students?
• Credit for military service/training from an association such as the American Council on Education,
• Credit from any non-credit courses, as defined by the institution,
• Credit received for completion of tests/assessments,
• Credit received before the student has earned a high school diploma (i.e., dual enrollment credits),
• Postsecondary award received before the students earned a high school diploma (e.g., certificate, associate's,
bachelor's, etc.), or
• Credit for life experience.
Students with prior postsecondary experience credit from attending a military academic institution (e.g., Community
College of the Air Force, West Point, U.S. Naval Academy, etc.) would NOT be considered first-time students.
7) Where do I report students if I don't know whether or not they are first-time?
If their status is not indicated directly and the student does not enroll with prior credits or transcripts from another
institution, then assume the student is first-time.
8) How do I treat new students who transferred into the institution the prior summer term and take courses in
the fall?
For the 12-month Enrollment survey, count the student as a "transfer-in," even if the student transferred into the institution
during the prior summer term and is not entering the institution for the first time in the fall. (Applies only to academic
reporters)
9) Does "continuing/returning student" include those students who have stopped out and re-entered the same
institution?
Yes, "continuing/returning student" is meant to capture students who are not first-time or transfer-in. This includes
students who have been continuously enrolled in the institution and those who have stopped out and re-enrolled, without
having transferred to another institution.
10) How do I report students who changed attendance status (part-time to full-time or full-time to part-time)
during the July 1-June 30 reporting period?
Report students based on their attendance status in the first full term (i.e., semester or quarter) at entry, even if that
status changed during the 12-month period.
11) How do I report a student who earned college credit or postsecondary award while in high school (a dual
enrolled student) and has now graduated high school and enrolled in my institution?
If the college credit or postsecondary award was earned prior to the student graduating high school, then this student would
be considered a first-time student. The definition of “first-time” allows for students to still be classified as first-time if the
college credit they have previously earned was prior to their high school graduation. (Applies only to academic reporters)
12) Where do I report a high school student who is enrolled for credit at my institution (a dual enrolled
student)?
This student would be reported as non-degree/non-certificate-seeking. Prior to receipt of a high school diploma or
recognized equivalent (see glossary definition), a student is non-degree/non-certificate-seeking. After receipt of the high
school diploma or recognized equivalent, they can be classified as degree/certificate-seeking, if appropriate.
13) If a student enrolled for credit has not indicated whether they intend to earn a degree or certificate, how
do I determine whether they are degree/certificate-seeking?
If the student has not indicated any intent but is applying for Title IV federal financial aid, assume the student to be degree/
certificate-seeking.
14) Where do I report students who are seeking a second baccalaureate degree?
Report these students in the column labeled "Continuing" degree/certificate-seeking students (column 3). This column is
intended to capture all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who are not first-time and did not transfer-in to
the institution during the July 1- June 30 reporting period.

15)
How do I report an undergraduate student who took courses as a non-degree-seeking student and reenrolls as a degree-seeking student at the same reporting institution?
This student should be reported as a "continuing/returning" student. IPEDS defines "continuing/returning students" as "A
student who is not new to the institution in the fall, but instead is continuing his or her studies at the institution (i.e., not
first-time and not transfer-in)."
16)
How does enrollment in non-credit or zero-credit remedial/ESL and co-op courses count in the
determination of a student's full-time status?
Students in the following categories are considered degree-seeking in IPEDS, though they may be enrolled in courses not
creditable for an award:
• Students enrolled in remedial courses that are not creditable toward an award but have been admitted into an eligible
Title-IV program and receive Title-IV aid
• Students enrolled in ESL courses that are not creditable toward an award but have been admitted into an eligible TitleIV program and receive Title-IV aid
• Co-op students enrolled in courses that are not creditable toward an award but are required for award attainment
In determination of the student's full-time status, credit or contact hours (up to one academic year's worth) of remedial and
ESL courses may be used in the determination of a student's full-time status if the remedial or ESL course is part of a
program that leads to a postsecondary award. In these cases, the remedial or ESL courses should count the same as the
comparable full-credit class. For co-op students, the work portion of a cooperative education program in which the amount
of work performed is equivalent to the academic workload of a full-time student will also count toward the determination of
full-time status.
Distance Education (Part A)

1)

If a student is taking the instructional portions of their program entirely online, but are then required to
complete a practicum, residency, or internship, is the student considered enrolled in exclusively
distance education courses?
Yes, if the instructional portions are entirely online, the student is considered to be enrolled in exclusively distance
education courses.

2)

We offer courses that combine distance education and traditional teaching methods (“hybrid” courses).
How should students enrolled in these courses be counted in the distance education portion of 12Month Enrollment?
Hybrid courses are not considered by IPEDS as distance education. Students enrolled in “hybrid” courses should be
reported as “not enrolled in any distance education courses.”

Instructional Activity and FTE (Part B)
1)
How do I report instructional activity for courses that start in one 12-month reporting period and end in
the next 12-month reporting year?
If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, report that activity using the following
guidelines:
Clock Hour Reporting:
Report only the activity for the number of weeks that fall within the 12-month period being reported on. For example,
if only 40 weeks of a 64 week course occurred before the June 30 end of the current reporting period, then report only
those 40 weeks worth of activity. Next year, report the 24 weeks worth of activity for that course that occurred after
July 1. For guidance on calculating total clock hour activity, refer to the 12-month Enrollment survey component
instructions.
Credit Hour Reporting:
Report all activity for a course in the 12-month period in which the course began. Because course enrollment counts
(necessary for calculating total credit hour activity) are typically taken at the close of the official add/drop period for a
course, this date can also be used as the course start date for the purposes of determining the appropriate 12-month
period. If there is no official add/drop period, the 15th day of a regular term and the 5th day of a summer or short
term can be used.

2)

3)

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

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

4)

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

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NCES National Center for Education Statistics

12-month Enrollment for less-than-4-year institutions

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

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

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

Undergraduate Instructional Activity Type 

Undergraduate instructional activity data in Part B may be reported in units of clock hours or credit hours. Which instructional

activity units will you use to report undergraduate instructional activity?
Please note that any graduate level instructional activity must be reported in credit hours.
Clock hours
Credit hours
Both clock and credit hours (some undergraduate programs measured in clock hours and some measured in credit hours)
You may use the space below to provide context for the data you've reported above.

Part A - Unduplicated Count 
12-month Unduplicated Count by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018
Reporting Reminders:
•Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino
•Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
•Even though Teacher Preparation certificate programs may require a bachelor's degree for admission, they are considered subbaccalaureate
undergraduate programs, and students in these programs are undergraduate students.

Men
Students enrolled for credit
Nonresident alien

Undergraduate students

Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
Total men
Total men prior year
Women
Students enrolled for credit
Nonresident alien
Hispanic/Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
White
Two or more races
Race and ethnicity unknown
Total women
Total women prior year
Grand total (2017-18)
Prior year data:
Unduplicated headcount (2016-17)
Total enrollment Fall 2017
NOTE: Grand total (2017-18) calculated above is expected to be greater than Total enrollment Fall 2017.

Undergraduate students

Part B - Instructional Activity 
12-month Instructional Activity
July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018
Instructional Activity Reporting Reminder:
•Instructional activity is used to calculate an IPEDS FTE based on the institution’s reported calendar system.

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

2017-18 total activity

Prior year data

Instructional Activity
Undergraduate level:
Clock hour activity
Credit hour activity

Calendar system (as reported on the prior year IC Header survey component):
If the IPEDS calculated FTE estimates below are not reasonable, AND you have reported the correct instructional activity hours above, enter
your best FTE estimate in the "Institution reported FTE" column below and save the page. This option should be used ONLY if the calculated
estimate is not reasonable for your institution and IPEDS comparisons.
Please provide your best estimate of undergraduate FTE for the 12-month reporting period only if the calculated FTE estimate below is not
reasonable for IPEDS comparison purposes:
Calculated FTE
Institution reported
Prior year FTE
2017-18
FTE 2017-18
2016-17
Undergraduate student FTE

Prepared by 
The name of the preparer is being collected so that we can follow up with the appropriate person in the event that there are questions
concerning the data. The Keyholder will be copied on all email correspondence to other preparers.
The time it took to prepare this component is being collected so that we can continue to improve our estimate of the reporting burden
associated with IPEDS. Please include in your estimate the time it took for you to review instructions, query and search data sources, complete
and review the component, and submit the data through the Data Collection System.
Thank you for your assistance.
This survey component was prepared by:
Keyholder
Finance Contact

SFA Contact

HR Contact

Academic Library Contact

Other

Name:
Email:

How many staff from your institution only were involved in the data collection and reporting process of this survey component?
Number of Staff (including yourself)

How many hours did you and others from your institution only spend on each of the steps below when responding to this survey
component?
Exclude the hours spent collecting data for state and other reporting purposes.
Staff member
Collecting Data Needed
Revising Data to Match
IPEDS Requirements
Your office
hours
hours
Other offices

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hours

hours

Software Provider Resources
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Entering Data

Revising and Locking Data

hours

hours

hours

hours

Use of Cookies
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Section 508 Compliance
NCES Privacy Policy

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NCES National Center for Education Statistics

12-Month Enrollment Full Instructions

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

Coverage
Who To Include
Who To Exclude

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

Where the Reported Data Will Appear
Institution Level
Aggregate Level

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

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

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Changes in Reporting

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General Instructions
Reporting Period Covered
The 12-month reporting period is July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018.
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Context Boxes

Context boxes are provided to allow institutions to provide more information regarding survey component items. Note
that some context boxes are posted on the College Navigator Website, which is the college search tool offered by
NCES. NCES will review entries in these context boxes for applicability and appropriateness before posting them on the
College Navigator Website; institutions should check grammar and spelling of their entries.
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Coverage
Who to Include
Include all students enrolled for credit (enrolled in instructional activity, courses or programs, that can be applied
towards the requirements for a postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary
credential), regardless of whether or not they are seeking a degree or certificate. This includes:

•
•
•
•

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

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

•
•
•
•
•

Students enrolled exclusively in courses that cannot be applied towards a recognized
postsecondary credential
Students enrolled only in ESL programs (programs comprised exclusively of ESL courses)
Students enrolled exclusively in Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
Students exclusively auditing classes
Students in Experimental Pell Programs 

In addition, the following students should be excluded:

•
•

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

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Where to Get Help with Reporting
IPEDS Help Desk
Phone: (877) 225-2568
E-mail: ipedshelp@rti.org

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

IPEDS Resource Page

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

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

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

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

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Reporting Directions
Screening Question
Before entering any data, a screening question will need to be answered.
Instructional Activity Units
Select which units your institution will use to report undergraduate instructional activity for this component.
Institutions are given the option to report undergraduate instructional activity in clock hours, credit hours, or a
combination of the two.
Clock hours are a unit of measure that represent an hour of scheduled instruction given to students. Credit hours
are a unit of measure representing the equivalent of approximately one hour
of instruction per week over the entire term. Select the method that best describes the units used to measure
instructional activity at your institution.
The option for both clock and credit hours should only be used if some programs are measured in clock hours while 
others are measured in credit hours. If your institution measures courses or programs in a unit of measure other than 
standard credit or clock hours, select credit hours and convert the instructional activity offered to credit hour
equivalents for reporting in Part B of this component.

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

Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of Education
using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States citizens, resident
aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.
•

Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

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

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

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

Nonresident alien
Race and ethnicity unknown

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

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

Other descriptive categories
•

•

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

Determining Attendance Status (Full-Time vs. Part-Time)
The attendance level of students is determined on the first full term (i.e., semester or quarter) at entry. For example, if a
transfer-in undergraduate student entered an institution in the Spring term of the July 1 – June 30 reporting period as
part-time, this student should be reported as a part-time, transfer-in undergraduate student Or, if degree/certificateseeking undergraduate student who took a summer session preceding the start of the July 1 – June 30 reporting period
enrolled in following fall term as a full-time students should be reported as a full-time, first-time degree/certificateseeking undergraduate student.
Note: Even if the student’s attendance status changes (i.e., full-time to part-time, or vice versa) of if the student drops
out, transfers out, or transfers back into the institution during the 12-month period, the student’s attendance status is
reported as of entry to the institution for the first full term.

Part A: Unduplicated Count of Full-Time Undergraduate Students by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
On this screen, include all students enrolled for credit, full-time at the undergraduate level at any time during the July 1,
2019 – June 30, 2020 reporting period. The undergraduate level includes students enrolled in undergraduate level courses,
in 4 or 5 -year bachelor’s degree programs, associate’s degree programs, or any certificate programs below the
baccalaureate level. Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree but are taking undergraduate courses for credit
should be included as undergraduates.
Number of Students enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add period
for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular program, and the 5th day of
each short program.
To determine the unduplicated 12-month enrollment, count each student only once during the 12-month period. For
example: If a student enrolls in the fall term, drops out in winter, but enrolls again in spring, count that student once.
Full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
In column 1, report undergraduate students who have no prior postsecondary experience and have enrolled full-time with
the intent to earn a degree, certificate, or other award. The following are also considered first-time:
•
Students enrolled and attended college for the first time at any time during July 1 – June 30 reporting period
•
Students who entered with advanced standing (any college credits or postsecondary award earned before graduation
from high school)
In column 2, report the total number of full-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students entering the reporting
institution for the first time but known to have previously attended a postsecondary institution at the undergraduate level.
Include students enrolled in the institution who transferred into the institution at least once during the July 1 – June 30
reporting period.
Full-time, continuing degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
In column 3, report the total number of continuing (i.e., not first-time and not transfer-in) full-time degree/certificateseeking undergraduate students. These are students who are not new to the institution at the beginning of July 1 – June 30
reporting period, but instead are continuing their studies at the institution.
Full-time, non-degree/non-certificate-seeking full-time undergraduate students
In column 5, report the total number of full-time non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduate students. These
students are enrolled for credit but not with the intent of earning a degree or other award for a whole July 1 – June 30
reporting period. Note: High school students enrolled in creditable courses prior to high school graduation are considered
non-degree/non-certificate-seeking students.
Once you save the data by clicking the ‘Verify and Save’ button, the ‘Total full-time degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduate students (column 4) and ‘Total, full-time undergraduate students (column 6) will be calculated by the system
and display on the survey screen.
Student level reporting reminders:
• Students who already hold a bachelor's degree but are enrolled as an undergraduate for additional undergraduate
courses should be reported as undergraduate students
• Students admitted with graduate standing should be counted as graduate students, even if they are taking some
undergraduate courses
• If a student's level (undergraduate or graduate) changes during the 12-month period, count the student at his/her
highest level enrolled. For example: If a student is an undergraduate in the fall and a graduate student in the spring,
count the student as a graduate student.
• Doctor's - professional practice students (formerly called first-professional students) should be counted in the graduate
student enrollment counts for Part A.
To provide context, two prior year enrollment totals are displayed at the bottom of the screen. The first is the total 
12-month unduplicated count reported last year (2019-20). The second is the total fall enrollment from Fall 2019, as
reported on the Fall Enrollment survey component. Since the Fall 2019 enrollment falls within the 12-month period
currently being reported (2019-20), the 12-month unduplicated count must be greater than or equal to the Fall 2019
total enrollment.

Part A: Unduplicated Count of Part-Time Undergraduate Students by Race/Ethnicity and Gender
Report part-time students using the same definitions and instructions provided for full-time undergraduate students.

Part A: Unduplicated Count by Distance Education Status
On this screen, report all students reported on previous Part A screens who are at least once during the July 1 – June 30
reporting period:
• Enrolled exclusively in distance education courses offered at your institution
• Enrolled in at least one but not all distance education courses offered at your institution: Students who are enrolled in at
least one course that is considered a distance education course, but are not enrolled exclusively in distance education
courses.
• Not enrolled in any distance education courses offered at your institution: This number represents the students who are
not enrolled in any distance education courses at your institution. It will be calculated by subtracting the (students
enrolled exclusively in distance education courses + students enrolled in at least one but not all distance education
courses) from the total enrolled students from previous Part A screens, which is the totals for degree/certificate-seeking
undergraduate (first-time + transfer-in + continuing), non-degree/non-certificate-seeking undergraduate students and
graduate students.
Note: Requirements for coming to campus for orientation, testing, or academic support services do not exclude a course
from being classified as exclusively distance education. Similarly, if a student is taking instructional portions of their program
entirely online, but are then required to complete a practicum, residency, or internship, the student can still be considered
enrolled in entirely distance education courses.

Part B: Instructional Activity and Full-Time Equivalent Enrollment
Report the total clock hour and/or credit hour activity attempted during the 12-month period of July 1, 2017 - June
30, 2018. The instructional activity data reported will be used to calculate full-time equivalent (FTE) student
enrollment at the institution.

Reporting Clock Hour Activity
To determine the clock hour activity for a course, multiply the clock hour value of the course by the number of
students enrolled in the course for credit. When computing total clock hour activity for the institution, include all
courses offered for credit (see the IPEDS Glossary for the definition of "credit course") that are measured in 
clock hours, do not convert credit hour activity into clock hour activity.
Clock Hour Activity of a Course = Course Clock Hour Value * Number of Students Enrolled for Credit
Clock Hour Value of a Course: The clock hour value of a course is the number of hours per week that the course 
meets multiplied by the number of weeks the course is given. For example, a 3-week real estate licensure course that 
meets 15 hours per week has a value of 45 clock hours.
Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add
period for each program. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular program, and the
5th day of each short program.
Example Calculation: Total clock hour activity for Institution ABC.
Institution ABC offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018 reporting period:
• Course 1 is a 50-week course with 30 clock hours per week and 10 students.
• Course 2 is a 20-week course with 35 clock hours per week and 5 students.
• Course 3 is a 15-week course with 20 clock hours per week and 10 students.
Compute the clock hour activity for each course:
•

Course 1: 50 * 30 * 10 = 15,000 hours

•
•

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

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

•

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

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

Reporting Credit Hour Activity
To determine the credit hour activity for a course, multiply the credit hour value of the course by the number of
students enrolled in the course for credit (see the IPEDS Glossary for the definition of "credit course"). When
computing total credit hour activity for the institution, include only those courses offered for credit that are measured
in credit hours, do not convert clock hour activity into credit hour activity.
Credit Hour Activity of a Course = Course Credit Hour Value * Number of Students Enrolled for Credit
Number of Students Enrolled for Credit: The number of students enrolled for credit at the close of the official add
period for each term. If there is no official add period, report as of the 15th day of each regular term and the 5th day
of each summer or short term.
Example Calculation: Total credit hour activity for Institution DEZ.
Institution DEZ offers 3 courses during the July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018 reporting period:

•
•
•

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

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

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

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

•

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

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

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

•
•
•

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

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

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Image description. The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System End of image description.

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

NCES National Center for Education Statistics

FAQ

12-month Enrollment
Click one of the following questions to view the answer.
General
1)
Who should I include in my enrollment reporting?
2)
What is the reporting period for 12-month Enrollment?
3)
What is the difference between 12-month Enrollment and Fall Enrollment?
4)
In the past I reported first-professional student enrollment separately in Part A. Why is there no column for reporting
first-professional students?
5)
Should I report students who are studying abroad?
6)
Do I include students enrolled only in ESL programs (programs comprised exclusively of ESL courses) in enrollment?
12-month Enrollment by Student Level, Attendance Status, Race/Ethnicity and Gender (Part A)
1)
Why does the total 12-month enrollment need to be larger than the corresponding prior year fall enrollment?
2)
How do I report a student who changes enrollment levels during the 12-month period?
3)
How do I report foreign students living outside the U.S. who are enrolled in my institution?
4)
My institution has students for which gender is unknown. Since there is no place to report “gender unknown” on the
IPEDS data collection screens, how should we report these individuals?
5)
In which race/ethnicity category do I report undocumented students?
6)
What is NOT considered "prior postsecondary experience" when reporting first-time students?
7)
Where do I report students if I don't know whether or not they are first-time?
8)
How do I treat new students who transferred into the institution the prior summer term and take courses in the fall?
9)
Does "continuing/returning student" include those students who have stopped out and re-entered the same
institution?
10)
How do I report students who changed attendance status (part-time to full-time or full-time to part-time) during the
July 1 to June 30 reporting period?
11)
How do I report a student who earned college credit or postsecondary award while in high school (a dual enrolled
student) and has now graduated high school and enrolled in my institution in the Fall?
12)
Where do I report a high school student who is enrolled for credit at my institution (a dual enrolled student)?
13)
If a student enrolled for credit has not indicated whether they intend to earn a degree or certificate, how do I
determine whether they are degree/certificate-seeking?
14)
Where do I report students who are seeking a second baccalaureate degree?
15)
How do I report an undergraduate student who took courses as a non-degree-seeking student and re-enrolls as a
degree-seeking student at the same reporting institution?
16)
How does enrollment in non-credit or zero-credit remedial/ESL and co-op courses count in the determination of a
student's full-time status?
Distance Education
1)
If a student is taking the instructional portions of their program entirely online, but are then required to complete a
practicum, residency, or internship, is the student considered enrolled in exclusively distance education courses?
2)
We offer courses that combine distance education and traditional teaching methods (“hybrid” courses). How should
students enrolled in these courses be counted in the distance education portion of 12-month Enrollment?
Instructional Activity and FTE (Part B)
1)
How do I report instructional activity for courses that start in one 12-month reporting period and end in the next 12month reporting year?
2)
Instructional activity in doctor's - professional practice programs is measured differently from other graduate
programs. How should I report the activity for these programs?
3)
How is the estimate of full-time equivalent (FTE) students calculated?
4)
The calculated FTE is not a reasonable estimate for my institution. What should I do?

Answers:
General
1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Who should I include in my enrollment reporting?
All students enrolled for credit should be reported. Credit is defined as "recognition of attendance or performance in an
instructional activity (course or program) that can be applied by a recipient toward the requirements for a
postsecondary degree, diploma, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential, irrespective of the activity’s
unit of measurement."
Back to top
What is the reporting period for 12-month Enrollment?
The reporting period for the 12-month Enrollment component is July 1 - June 30. In the past, institutions had the
option to report using the July 1 - June 30 period or the September 1 - August 31 period. Since the 2011-12 collection
year, institutions have been required to use the July 1 - June 30 reporting period.
Back to top
What is the difference between 12-month Enrollment and Fall Enrollment?
12-month Enrollment is a cumulative unduplicated headcount of enrollment over the full 12-month period beginning
July 1 and ending June 30.  In contrast, Fall Enrollment is a count of students enrolled on a particular date in the Fall.
Fall Enrollment is often referred to as a "snapshot" of an institution's enrollment at a specific time.
Back to top
In the past I reported first-professional student enrollment separately in Part A. Why is there no column
for reporting first-professional students?
Since the 2010-11 collection year, institutions have been required to use the new postbaccalaureate degree categories
(eliminating the first-professional category and reclassifying those programs). In part A, all postbaccalaureate
students are to be reported as graduate students (including students formerly reported as first-professional).
In Part B, Doctor's - professional practice activity (formerly first-professional) will be reported separately from the
graduate instructional activity. FTE for these programs should be reported as defined by the institution.
Back to top
Should I report students who are studying abroad?
Students who are enrolled in your institution and attend classes in a foreign country should be included in your
institution's enrollment report if your institution provides instructional resources (classroom, instructors), even though
the education occurs abroad. Students who are enrolled in your institution and attend classes in a foreign country
should NOT be included in your enrollment report if:

•
•

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

•

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

6)

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

ESL has never been considered a postsecondary program by IPEDS.  Since it is considered non-postsecondary,
students who are ONLY enrolled in ESL programs, regardless of whether or not they are receiving Title-IV aid, should
NOT be counted in enrollment.
Back to top
12-month Enrollment by Student Level, Attendance Status, Race/Ethnicity and Gender (Part A)

1)Why does the total 12-month Enrollment need to be larger than the corresponding prior year Fall
Enrollment?
The 12-month unduplicated count must be equal to or greater than the corresponding prior year Fall
Enrollment. Since Fall 2019 lies within the 12-month period currently being reported on the 12-month
Enrollment survey component (2019-20), the 12-month unduplicated count must be equal to or
greater than the Fall 2019 reported enrollments.
Back to top
2) How do I report a student who changes enrollment levels during the 12-month period?
Students should be reported at their highest level of enrollment. For example, a student enrolled as an
undergraduate in the fall and then as a graduate student in the spring should be reported as a graduate student
on the 12-month Enrollment survey component.
3) How do I report foreign students living outside the U.S. who are enrolled in my institution?
There has been no change to how these students should be reported with the new race/ethnicity reporting
method. Foreign students living outside the U.S., such as a foreign student living outside the U.S. who is enrolled
in distance education at your institution, should be classified in the Race/Ethnicity Unknown category. Only U.S.
citizens are to be categorized in the specific Race/Ethnicity categories. The non-resident alien category is reserved
specifically for students that are in the U.S. under that specific legal status.
Back to top

4) My institution has students for which gender is unknown. Since there is no place to report “gender
unknown” on the IPEDS data collection screens, how should we report these individuals?
These individuals are still to be reported to IPEDS, even though their gender is unknown. It is up to the institution to decide
how best to handle reporting individuals whose gender is unknown. However, a common method used is to allocate
students with gender unknown based on the known proportion of men to women.
5) In which race/ethnicity category do I report undocumented students?
Because the race and ethnicity designations are reported only for U.S. citizens and the "nonresident alien" category is a
legal status for students with specific types of visas, undocumented students would not be reported under any of these
statuses. Instead, they should be reported as "Race/ethnicity unknown." Please visit the race/ethnicity FAQ for more
information: https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/visFaq_re.aspx.
6) What is NOT considered "prior postsecondary experience" when reporting first-time students?
• Credit for military service/training from an association such as the American Council on Education,
• Credit from any non-credit courses, as defined by the institution,
• Credit received for completion of tests/assessments,
• Credit received before the student has earned a high school diploma (i.e., dual enrollment credits),
• Postsecondary award received before the students earned a high school diploma (e.g., certificate, associate's,
bachelor's, etc.), or
• Credit for life experience.
Students with prior postsecondary experience credit from attending a military academic institution (e.g., Community
College of the Air Force, West Point, U.S. Naval Academy, etc.) would NOT be considered first-time students.
7) Where do I report students if I don't know whether or not they are first-time?
If their status is not indicated directly and the student does not enroll with prior credits or transcripts from another
institution, then assume the student is first-time.
8) How do I treat new students who transferred into the institution the prior summer term and take courses in
the fall?
For the 12-month Enrollment survey, count the student as a "transfer-in," even if the student transferred into the institution
during the prior summer term and is not entering the institution for the first time in the fall. (Applies only to academic
reporters)
9) Does "continuing/returning student" include those students who have stopped out and re-entered the same
institution?
Yes, "continuing/returning student" is meant to capture students who are not first-time or transfer-in. This includes
students who have been continuously enrolled in the institution and those who have stopped out and re-enrolled, without
having transferred to another institution.
10) How do I report students who changed attendance status (part-time to full-time or full-time to part-time)
during the July 1-June 30 reporting period?
Report students based on their attendance status in the first full term (i.e., semester or quarter) at entry, even if that
status changed during the 12-month period.
11) How do I report a student who earned college credit or postsecondary award while in high school (a dual
enrolled student) and has now graduated high school and enrolled in my institution?
If the college credit or postsecondary award was earned prior to the student graduating high school, then this student would
be considered a first-time student. The definition of “first-time” allows for students to still be classified as first-time if the
college credit they have previously earned was prior to their high school graduation. (Applies only to academic reporters)
12) Where do I report a high school student who is enrolled for credit at my institution (a dual enrolled
student)?
This student would be reported as non-degree/non-certificate-seeking. Prior to receipt of a high school diploma or
recognized equivalent (see glossary definition), a student is non-degree/non-certificate-seeking. After receipt of the high
school diploma or recognized equivalent, they can be classified as degree/certificate-seeking, if appropriate.
13) If a student enrolled for credit has not indicated whether they intend to earn a degree or certificate, how
do I determine whether they are degree/certificate-seeking?
If the student has not indicated any intent but is applying for Title IV federal financial aid, assume the student to be degree/
certificate-seeking.
14) Where do I report students who are seeking a second baccalaureate degree?
Report these students in the column labeled "Continuing" degree/certificate-seeking students (column 3). This column is
intended to capture all degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students who are not first-time and did not transfer-in to
the institution during the July 1- June 30 reporting period.

15)
How do I report an undergraduate student who took courses as a non-degree-seeking student and reenrolls as a degree-seeking student at the same reporting institution?
This student should be reported as a "continuing/returning" student. IPEDS defines "continuing/returning students" as "A
student who is not new to the institution in the fall, but instead is continuing his or her studies at the institution (i.e., not
first-time and not transfer-in)."
16)
How does enrollment in non-credit or zero-credit remedial/ESL and co-op courses count in the
determination of a student's full-time status?
Students in the following categories are considered degree-seeking in IPEDS, though they may be enrolled in courses not
creditable for an award:
• Students enrolled in remedial courses that are not creditable toward an award but have been admitted into an eligible
Title-IV program and receive Title-IV aid
• Students enrolled in ESL courses that are not creditable toward an award but have been admitted into an eligible TitleIV program and receive Title-IV aid
• Co-op students enrolled in courses that are not creditable toward an award but are required for award attainment
In determination of the student's full-time status, credit or contact hours (up to one academic year's worth) of remedial and
ESL courses may be used in the determination of a student's full-time status if the remedial or ESL course is part of a
program that leads to a postsecondary award. In these cases, the remedial or ESL courses should count the same as the
comparable full-credit class. For co-op students, the work portion of a cooperative education program in which the amount
of work performed is equivalent to the academic workload of a full-time student will also count toward the determination of
full-time status.
Distance Education (Part A)

1)

If a student is taking the instructional portions of their program entirely online, but are then required to
complete a practicum, residency, or internship, is the student considered enrolled in exclusively
distance education courses?
Yes, if the instructional portions are entirely online, the student is considered to be enrolled in exclusively distance
education courses.

2)

We offer courses that combine distance education and traditional teaching methods (“hybrid” courses).
How should students enrolled in these courses be counted in the distance education portion of 12Month Enrollment?
Hybrid courses are not considered by IPEDS as distance education. Students enrolled in “hybrid” courses should be
reported as “not enrolled in any distance education courses.”

Instructional Activity and FTE (Part B)
1)
How do I report instructional activity for courses that start in one 12-month reporting period and end in
the next 12-month reporting year?
If a course does not start and end within the same 12-month reporting period, report that activity using the following
guidelines:
Clock Hour Reporting:
Report only the activity for the number of weeks that fall within the 12-month period being reported on. For example,
if only 40 weeks of a 64 week course occurred before the June 30 end of the current reporting period, then report only
those 40 weeks worth of activity. Next year, report the 24 weeks worth of activity for that course that occurred after
July 1. For guidance on calculating total clock hour activity, refer to the 12-month Enrollment survey component
instructions.
Credit Hour Reporting:
Report all activity for a course in the 12-month period in which the course began. Because course enrollment counts
(necessary for calculating total credit hour activity) are typically taken at the close of the official add/drop period for a
course, this date can also be used as the course start date for the purposes of determining the appropriate 12-month
period. If there is no official add/drop period, the 15th day of a regular term and the 5th day of a summer or short
term can be used.

2)

3)

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

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

4)

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