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

1. Each responding institution will receive materials describing the ACTS component, along with instructions for providing data, consistent with the materials provided for other IPEDS surveys. While the list of ACTS data elements has been finalized, the ACTS website and data submission template are still being developed. The materials presented in this volume describe the general process of providing data. Before ACTS data collection begins, the detailed portions of the instructional materials will be updated to match the final developed website, such as by adding screenshots or updating the specific titles of tools or website pages.

2. The dates included in this volume refer to the 2025-26 collection year. Dates for some elements will change in later collection years, including the 2026-27 collection year. See the table below for more details.

2025-26 Collection
Data domains reported	Undergraduate Students Admissions: Academic Years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 Enrollment: Academic Years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 Academics: Academic Years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 Financial Aid & Cost: Academic Years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 Graduate Rates: Academic Years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 Cumulative GPA: Academic Years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 Graduate Students Admissions: Academic Years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 Academics: Academic Years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 Financial Aid & Cost: Academic Years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25 Cumulative GPA: Academic Years 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25
2026-27 Collection
Data domains reported	Undergraduate Students Admissions: Academic Year 2026-27 Enrollment: Academic Year 2026-27 Academics: Academic Year 2025-26 Financial Aid & Cost: Academic Year 2025-26 Graduate Rates: Academic Years 2022-23 Cumulative GPA: Academic Year 2025-26 Graduate Students Admissions: Academic Year 2026-27 Academics: Academic Year 2025-26 Financial Aid & Cost: Academic Year 2025-26 Cumulative GPA: Academic Year 2025-26

A. ACTS General Instructions for IPEDS Data Collection System Survey Materials Website

Purpose of Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) Survey Component

The primary purpose of the IPEDS Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) survey component is to expand the scope of information collected about the undergraduate and graduate admissions process, financial aid awarding process, enrollment in courses and programs, and outcomes and completions in order to comply with the Secretary of Education’s directive that followed the August 7, 2025 Ensuring Transparency in Higher Education Admissions Executive Memorandum.

Reporting Periods Covered and Coverage

Undergraduate Students
Data Domain	Coverage	Reporting Years
Admissions	All applicants, that is, the group of individuals who fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for undergraduate admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who have been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution, by October 15 of the academic year.	2025-26 2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20
Enrollment	All enrolled students, where enrolled students are first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students.	2025-26 2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21
Academics	All enrolled students, where enrolled students are first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students.	2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20
Financial Aid and Cost	All enrolled students, where enrolled students are first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students.	2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20
Graduation Rates	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort, which is defined as the cohort of students how were seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry.	2021-22 2020-21 2019-20
Cumulative GPA	Undergraduate completers, that is, the group of individuals who completed a credential-bearing undergraduate academic program and received an undergraduate degree or certificate during this Academic Year (July 1 to June 30), regardless of the AY in which they initially enrolled.	2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20
Graduate Students
Data Domain	Coverage	Reporting Years
Admissions	All applicants, that is the group of individuals who fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission into a graduate program of study (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution, by October 15 of the academic year.	2025-26 2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20
Academics	All enrolled students, where enrolled students are full-time, degree/certificate-seeking graduate students.	2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20
Financial Aid and Cost	All enrolled students, where enrolled students are full-time, degree/certificate-seeking graduate students.	2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20
Cumulative GPA	Graduate completers, that is, the group of individuals who completed a credential-bearing graduate academic program and received a graduate degree or certificate during this Academic Year (July 1 to June 30), regardless of the AY they initially enrolled.	2024-25 2023-24 2022-23 2021-22 2020-21 2019-20

Reporting Directions

Overview:

Reporting of ACTS will occur sequentially in two different systems: 1) the ACTS Aggregator Tool, and 2) the IPEDS Data Collection System (DCS). The process for each of these includes the following:

ACTS Aggregator Tool

Formatted student record files are uploaded
Calculations are performed (e.g., quintile thresholds for GPA, SAT/ACT, etc.)
Data are aggregated according to the Department of Education’s specifications
Summary tables are created, along with final aggregated data files
Missing data (if any) are explained by respondents using text boxes

Data Collection System (DCS)

The outputs from the aggregator tool are uploaded to the DCS
Each academic year of data (i.e., 2025-25, 2024-25, etc.) will be treated as a stand-alone section of the survey component.
Edit checks are applied to the aggregate data
User-entered explanations will be required for any edit errors
Aggregate data will undergo QC review. Institutions may be contacted asking for additional information or explanations stemming from the QC review.
Once all edits and QC reviews are resolved/explained, for all data files, the survey component can be locked/submitted.

Detailed Instructions:

Step 1: Download data file templates from the ACTS Aggregator Tool

Visit the ACTS Aggregator Tool application and download the data file templates for each academic year for which reporting is required. There will be one file for each academic year (i.e., 2019-20 through 2025-26). Each file will contain tabs for each cohort required for that year (i.e., undergraduate admissions, undergraduate completers, graduate admissions, graduate completers).

Step 2: Populate student-level data in the data file templates

Each tab in the data file template contains the student-level variables needed to perform the necessary calculations to create the aggregations required by ACTS. Working offline, institutions will complete one row for each student and one column for each variable.

Students should be identified by anonymous student ID numbers that institutions create specifically for ACTS. Institutions should not provide any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) such as the students’ names, institution student ID numbers, or Social Security Numbers (SSN).

Create an internal document (crosswalk) that maps the ACTS Student ID to each student in your system. Keep the crosswalk for your records, but do not submit this crosswalk file in the ACTS Aggregator Tool or the IPEDS Data Collection System (DCS). The Student ID must meet the following requirements:

Each Student ID number must be unique (i.e., the same ID cannot appear twice in the same cohort OR twice across different cohorts in the same file).
Use numeric characters (0-9) only. No alphabetic or special characters allowed.
Student ID numbers should be no longer than 10 digits.
Student ID numbers cannot begin with zero (0).
It is permissible for a student to have a different ID if they appear in different cohorts in different years (e.g., a student may appear in the Admissions cohort in one file and the Completers cohort in another file). IDs are not used for linking an individual student across years.

The variables needed for each student are as follows:

Undergraduate
Student Type	Data required
All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	race/ethnicity sex application year admissions status SAT Math, Reading, and overall scores ACT Math, English, and composite scores unweighted secondary school GPA family income
Admitted students, where admitted students are applicants that have been granted an official offer to enroll in a postsecondary institution.	admissions process used (i.e., early action, early decision, regular admissions) enrollment status
Enrolled students, where enrolled students are first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking students.	first-time, full-time bachelor’s or equivalent-seeking subcohort financial aid status Pell grant eligibility parental college attainment enrollment in remedial courses enrollment in continuing education course unweighted cumulative GPA after first academic year tuition and fees amount of need-based institutional grant aid awarded amount of need-based institutional grant aid received amount of non-need-based institutional grant aid awarded amount of non-need-based institutional grant aid received amount of local, state, or federal grant aid awarded amount of local, state, or federal grant aid received
Subcohort of Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking students, which is defined as the cohort of students who were seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry.	completion date completed within 100% of normal time completed within 150% of normal time
Individuals who completed a credential-bearing undergraduate academic program and received an undergraduate degree or certificate during a given Academic Year (July 1 to June 30), regardless of the AY in which they initially enrolled	race/ethnicity sex unweighted cumulative GPA at time of completion

Graduate
Student Type	Data required
All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	race/ethnicity sex application year admissions status GRE score MCAT score LSAT score family income
Admitted students, where admitted students are applicants that have been granted an official offer to enroll in a postsecondary institution.	enrollment status
Enrolled students, where enrolled students are full-time, degree/certificate-seeking students.	full-time degree/certificate program 4-digit CIP code of academic program financial aid status unweighted cumulative GPA after first academic year tuition and fees amount of institutional grant aid awarded amount of institutional grant aid received amount of local, state, or federal grant aid awarded amount of local, state, or federal grant aid received
Individuals who completed a credential-bearing graduate academic program and received an graduate degree or certificate during a given Academic Year (July 1 to June 30), regardless of the AY in which they initially enrolled	race/ethnicity sex unweighted cumulative GPA at time of completion

Step 3: Upload populated student-level data file templates to the ACTS Aggregator Tool

The upload tool will run initial data checks to verify

A template file was received;
The template file matches the academic year selected;
The correct columns are present in the file;
Values included in each column are of the proper type (e.g., integer, float) and fall within the allowable range for values in that column; and
Missing or not applicable data are properly coded.
[additional checks may be added]

If the file does not pass validation checks, institutions will need to correct the source file and resubmit.

Step 4: Wait for Analysis

Provided the file passes initial validation checks, the file will be accepted and stored for analysis. This analysis is done asynchronously, and institutions will receive an email notification once the analysis is complete.

The analysis will use the student-level data to calculate the aggregations required by the secretary’s directive. The aggregations that will be performed are shown in the table below. Student-level data will be used to calculate quintile thresholds individual to each institution for all applicants and for applicants, admitted students, and enrolled students disaggregated by race/ethnicity and sex.

Undergraduate
Variable:	Disaggregated by:
Counts of applicants	race/ethnicity sex family income ($0-$30,000; $30,001-$58,000; $58,001-$94,000; $94,001-$153,000; $153,001+ and unknown) unweighted secondary school GPA quintile SAT math, reading, and overall score quintiles ACT math, English, and composite score quintiles
Counts of admitted students	race/ethnicity sex family income ($0-$30,000; $30,001-$58,000; $58,001-$94,000; $94,001-$153,000; $153,001+ and unknown) unweighted secondary school GPA quintile SAT math, reading, and overall score quintiles ACT math, English, and composite score quintiles admissions process (early action, early decision, regular admission)
Counts of enrolled students	race/ethnicity sex family income ($0-$30,000; $30,001-$58,000; $58,001-$94,000; $94,001-$153,000; $153,001+ and unknown) unweighted secondary school GPA quintile SAT math, reading, and overall score quintiles ACT math, English, and composite score quintiles Pell Grant eligibility Parent education attainment
SAT (math, reading, and overall) score quintiles and ACT (math, English, and overall) score quintiles	race/ethnicity sex
Household income quintiles	race/ethnicity sex
Counts of enrolled students who take at least one remedial course in the fall term of their first academic year	race/ethnicity sex family income ($0-$30,000; $30,001-$58,000; $58,001-$94,000; $94,001-$153,000; $153,001+ and unknown) unweighted secondary school GPA quintile SAT math, reading, and overall score quintiles ACT math, English, and composite score quintiles
Counts of enrolled students who take at least one continuing education course in the fall term of their first academic year
Average unweighted cumulative GPA at the end of the first academic year
Counts of enrolled students awarded and counts of enrolled students receiving: any institutional grant aid any need-based institutional grant aid any non-need based institutional grant aid any local, state, or federal grant aid in their first academic year	race/ethnicity sex family income ($0-$30,000; $30,001-$58,000; $58,001-$94,000; $94,001-$153,000; $153,001+ and unknown) unweighted secondary school GPA quintile SAT math, reading, and overall score quintiles ACT math, English, and composite score quintiles admissions process (early action, early decision, regular admission)
The average amount of aid awarded to students and the average amount of aid received by students including: any institutional grant aid any need-based institutional grant aid any non-need based institutional grant aid any local, state, or federal grant aid in their first academic year
The listed amount of tuition and fees for all full-time, first-time, degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students
Graduation rate of bachelor’s or equivalent-seeking subcohort at: 100% of normal time to completion 150% of normal time to completion	race/ethnicity sex unweighted secondary school GPA quintile SAT math, reading, and overall score quintiles ACT math, English, and composite score quintiles
The average final unweighted cumulative GPA of all individuals who completed a credential-bearing undergraduate academic program and received an undergraduate degree or certificate in a given academic year.	race/ethnicity sex

Graduate
Variable:	Disaggregated by:
Counts of applicants	race/ethnicity sex degree/certificate program¹ field of study² family income ($0-$30,000; $30,001-$58,000; $58,001-$94,000; $94,001-$153,000; $153,001+ and unknown) GRE score quintiles LSAT score quintiles MCAT score quintiles
Counts of admitted students	race/ethnicity sex degree/certificate program field of study family income ($0-$30,000; $30,001-$58,000; $58,001-$94,000; $94,001-$153,000; $153,001+ and unknown) GRE score quintiles LSAT score quintiles MCAT score quintiles
Counts of enrolled students	race/ethnicity sex degree/certificate program field of study family income ($0-$30,000; $30,001-$58,000; $58,001-$94,000; $94,001-$153,000; $153,001+ and unknown) GRE score quintiles LSAT score quintiles MCAT score quintiles
GRE, LSAT, and MCAT score quintiles	race/ethnicity sex
Household income quintiles	race/ethnicity sex
Average unweighted cumulative GPA at the end of the first academic year	race/ethnicity/sex
Counts of enrolled students awarded and counts of enrolled students receiving: any institutional grant aid any local, state, or federal grant aid in their first academic year	race/ethnicity sex degree/certificate program field of study family income ($0-$30,000; $30,001-$58,000; $58,001-$94,000; $94,001-$153,000; $153,001+ and unknown)
The average amount of aid awarded to students and the average amount of aid received by students including: any institutional grant aid any local, state, or federal grant aid in their first academic year
The listed amount of tuition and fees for all full-time, degree/certificate-seeking graduate students	degree/certificate program field of study
The average final unweighted cumulative GPA of all individuals who completed a credential-bearing graduate academic program and received an graduate degree or certificate in a given academic year.	race/ethnicity sex

¹ Degree/certificate programs include postbaccalaureate or post-master’s certificate, master’s degrees, doctor’s degrees research/scholarship, and doctor’s degrees professional practice.

² The Secretary of Education has specified the following fields of study for the purposes of ACTS: Arts & Humanities (CIP codes: 4, 5, 16, 23, 24, 30, 38, 39, 50, 54); Education (CIP code: 13); Public Service (CIP codes: 25, 42, 43, 44); Agriculture, Consumer Services, and Trades (CIP codes: 1, 3, 9, 10, 12, 19, 31, 46, 47, 48, 49); Business (CIP code: 52); Other Social Sciences (CIP codes: 45.01, 45.02, 45.03, 45.04, 45.05, 45.07, 45.09, 45.11, 45.12, 45.13, 45.14, 45.99); Economics/Political Science (CIP codes: 45.06, 45.10); STEM (CIP codes: 11, 14, 15, 26, 27, 28, 29, 40, 41); Health (CIP code: 51); and Law (CIP code: 22).

Step 5: Review Results

When notified, return to the ACTS Aggregator Tool to find a data summary showing the results of the analysis.

If the analysis encountered errors, details of the errors will be shown. Make the required adjustments to the student-level file and return to Step 2 to rerun the analysis.
If the analysis completed successfully, a Data Review Report and the aggregate data file will be available. Download and review the Data Review Report to ensure the data appears as expected. If not, update the student data file and re-submit.

Step 6: Download the aggregate data file from the ACTS Aggregator Tool and submit it in the IPEDS DCS

Once the analysis has completed successfully, download the aggregate data file and then go to the IPEDS Data Collection System (DCS) to submit the file.

Within the DCS, users will perform several steps as the data file processing progresses through several stages.

Action	Status
User will upload data files and confirm files have been uploaded	Uploaded
Within 1-2 business days, the DCS will performs edits and populates an Edit Report in the DCS for users to respond to	Edited
User responds to and explains edit errors. If the file is found to have errors, a new file can be created in the Aggregator Tool and uploaded in the DCS to replace the previous file.	Clean
IPEDS staff conducts quality control processing and populates a QC report in the DCS for users to respond to	Edited
User responds to and explains edit errors	Clean
“Lock” option becomes available. User selects “Lock” option to finalize submission.	Complete

Where to Get Help with Reporting

IPEDS Help Desk

Phone: (877) 225-2568

E-mail: ipedshelp@rti.org

B. Instructions for the ACTS Aggregator Tool Processing Portal

Description: This application will begin on a login screen. Institutions will navigate to an ACTS survey component overview page, a general instructions page, and a page for each academic year for which data are needed. The page for each academic year will contain places to download and upload the student-level data file(s); information about errors encountered during processing, if applicable; links to download the completed aggregate data file aggregated from the student-level file; and a link to return the IPEDS Data Collection System to submit the aggregated file.

Welcome to the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) Survey Component Portal

Overview

The ACTS Survey Component collects data disaggregated by race-sex pair across a variety of metrics, including entrance test scores, secondary school GPA, household income, parental education attainment, Pell Grant eligibility, and admissions process. The data fall into in five broad domains: Admissions, Enrollment, Academics, Financial Aid and Cost, and Completions. Data are collected for both undergraduate and graduate students. In the 2025-26 IPEDS collection cycle, institutions will report data for the most recent cohort (2025-26) as well as data for cohorts from the previous five academic years.

To collect the data that are needed to carry out the calculations required by the Secretary’s Directive, respondents will prepare student-level data files with one row for each student and one column for each data element. Each file will represent one reporting year, and each file will contain data for each of the four required cohorts (shown below). The required cohorts and academic years are as follows:

Cohort	Definition	Years
Undergraduate admissions cohort	The group of individuals who fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for undergraduate admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution, by October 15 of the academic year.	2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
Undergraduate completions cohort	The group of individuals who completed a credential-bearing undergraduate academic program and received an undergraduate degree or certificate during this Academic Year (July 1 to June 30), regardless of the AY they initially enrolled.	2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Graduate admissions cohort	The group of individuals who fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission into a graduate program of study (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution, by October 15 of the academic year.	2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 2025-26
Graduate completions cohort	The group of individuals who completed a credential-bearing graduate academic program and received a graduate degree or certificate during this Academic Year (July 1 to June 30), regardless of the AY they initially enrolled.	2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25

After respondents have prepared the data for a specific year, they will return to the Aggregator Tool and upload the data. The tool will run various checks to make sure everything is consistent, and that the input data is accurate. This might take a few tries, allowing respondents to adjust the data until a successful result is achieved for the aggregate data file for that academic year. Once the aggregate file is created, respondents will download it and then go back to the IPEDS Data Collection System to submit the file.

Once respondents submit the data file in the IPEDS Data Collection System, it will be reviewed, and additional checks for consistency will be done. An error report will be created, and the IPEDS key holder will be notified. On this report, respondents will have the chance to explain any differences or issues that were identified.

Instructions

The ACTS Aggregation Tool is provided as a utility to enable the aggregation of student-level data to meet the requirements for the ACTS data submission. Student-level data files are uploaded into the aggregation utility, and the aggregated output will be uploaded to the IPEDS Data Collection System (DCS). If needed, student-level files can be re-entered into the aggregation tool in order to resolve any errors, prior to the aggregated output file being finalized.

Once the aggregate file is successfully generated (for each required academic year), users will download the resulting aggregate files and proceed to the IPEDS Data Collection System to complete the submission.

All eligible respondent institutions must submit aggregate files to the IPEDS Data Collection System. To discuss possible alternatives to the ACTS aggregation tool for file creation, please contact the IPEDS Help Desk helpdesk@rti.org.

Below are the steps for preparing and submitting the aggregate files that will meet the requirements for the ACTS data submission:

1. Download the Template: Click on the tab for the academic year being prepared. Download the template for that academic year and populate the template with the institutional data. The template file contains detailed instructions, data definitions, and allowable values for each data element. Populating of the template will need to be performed by the appropriate staff at the institution, which may include IT professionals.

If data is unavailable for a particular reason, there will be a place on the first tab of the template to indicate what will be missing and a place to provide an explanation.

Note: The templates are specific to each academic year. Please ensure that the correct template is used for each academic year.

2. Populate student-level data in the data file templates

Each Student ID number must be unique (i.e., the same ID cannot appear twice in the same cohort OR twice across different cohorts in the same file).
Use numeric characters (0-9) only. No alphabetic or special characters allowed.
Student ID numbers should be no longer than 10 digits.
Student ID numbers cannot begin with zero (0).

3. Upload the Populated Template: Return to the academic year tab and upload the populated template file. The upload tool will run initial data checks to verify:

A template file was received;
The template file matches the academic year selected;
The correct columns are present in the dataset;
Values included in each column are of the proper type (e.g., integer, float) and fall within the allowable range for values in that column;
Missing or not applicable data are properly coded.
[additional checks may be added]

If the file does not pass validation checks, the data submitter from the institution will need to correct the source file and resubmit.

4. Wait for Analysis: Provided the file passes initial validation checks; the file will be accepted and stored for analysis. Although this step may occur immediately following upload, this analysis may also occur asynchronously. You will receive an email notification once the analysis is complete.

5. Review Results: When notified, return to the ACTS Aggregator Tool to find the results of the analysis.

If the analysis encountered errors, details of the errors will be shown. Make the required adjustments to the student-level file and return to Step 2 to rerun the analysis.
If the analysis completed successfully, a Data Review Report and the aggregate data file will be available. Download and review the Data Review Report to ensure the data appears as expected. If not, update the student data file and rerun the analysis.

6. Download the Data for Submission: Once the analysis has completed successfully, download the aggregate data file and then go to the IPEDS Data Collection System (DCS) to upload the file.

[20XX-XX] Academic Year

This section collects data about applicants and completers for the 20xx-xx academic year. The template file includes details about the specific students to be included.

1. Download the Template: Download the template below. Follow the directions in the template for how to populate your data.

[20XX-XX] Academic Year Template

2. Populate student-level data in the data file templates

Each tab in the data file template contains the student-level variables needed to perform the necessary calculations to create the aggregations required by ACTS. Working offline, complete one row for each student and one column for each variable.

Each Student ID number must be unique (i.e., the same ID cannot appear twice in the same cohort OR twice across different cohorts in the same file).
Use numeric characters (0-9) only. No alphabetic or special characters allowed.
Student ID numbers should be no longer than 10 digits.
Student ID numbers cannot begin with zero (0).

3. Upload the Populated Template: Upload the completed populated template. Initial checks will be completed to ensure the template is formatted correctly and ready for processing.

[if template does not pass validation checks, display:

Template Invalid

The populated template you submitted was not valid. The following errors were encountered:

[There are an incorrect number of tabs]
[There are an incorrect number of columns]
[The [data column] was missing]
[Empty cells were encountered. All cells must be populated. Please mark unknown values with a -1 and not applicable data with a -3.]

Please correct these errors in your template and reupload.

else: blank]

Upload populated template

Click to select file

Begin Upload

4. Wait for Analysis: If the uploaded template is valid, it will be placed in queue for processing. Check the status by refreshing this page. Additionally, respondents will receive an email notification once the analysis has been completed alerting them to return to this application.

[if processing:

[File Processing: The file uploaded at [timestamp] is still processing. An email will be sent when processing is complete.]

[if processed but errors:

[File Processing Complete: The file has been processed, however, errors were discovered. Review the errors below and re-submit.]

[If processed successfully:

[File Processing Complete: the file has been processed successfully. Please review the Data Review Report and download the data to submit in IPEDS DCS].

5. Review Results: Below is a table containing the status of each of the uploaded templates.

If errors occurred during the calculation process, a table of the errors will be shown. Fix the errors identified and re-upload a new version of the populated template to attempt the analysis again.

If the analysis completed successfully, a link to download the Data Review Report as well as the aggregate data file will be available. Download the Data Review Report and review to ensure the data appears as expected. If it does not, update the template and re-upload it to process it again.

[date and timestamp of attempt]

[status: success or errors]

[View Data Review Report link]

[Download aggregate file link]

[if errors, display:

Please resolve the following errors and re-upload your template file:

Row	Column	Error	Message
[row number]	[column number]	[error type]	[error message]

else: blank]

6. Download the Data for Submission. When a student-level file has been processed with no errors, download the aggregated file. Then, return to the IPEDS Data Collection System and submit the aggregated file.

C. Student-Level File Instructions and Codebook

Description: There will be a Microsoft Excel template file for each academic year for which data are required. The file will contain 9 tabs: a general instructions tab; four data entry tabs (one each for the undergraduate admissions cohort, undergraduate completions cohort, graduate admissions cohort, and the graduate completions cohort); and four codebook tabs (one for each data entry tab). The general instructions and the codebooks for each cohort (using the 2019-20 year as an exemplar) are shown below.

General Instructions

IPEDS Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) Template: Academic Year 2019-2020

Instructions for using this template
This template collects de-identified student-level data for the ACTS supplement. Each template file corresponds to undergraduate and graduate admissions and completions cohorts from the specified academic year. Your data must be provided following the formats in this template to read correctly into the aggregation program in the ACTS system. If you are unable to provide data for an entire cohort (tab) of this file, you must indicate this in the table below and provide the reason the data will not be provided. Please review these instructions and provide the requested data elements for each student in each of the four cohorts accordingly.

Cohort Definitions
There are four tabs in this file, each of which corresponds to a specific cohort. They are: Undergraduate Admissions (UG_Adm tab): The group of individuals who fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for undergraduate admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution, by October 15 of the academic year. Within this, there are data elements which will only apply to students who were admitted and other data elements which will only apply to students who enrolled as first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking students. All students who applied during this Academic Year and ultimately enrolled should have responses in this file, whether they enrolled during this AY or deferred to a later AY. These data elements are not required for transfer students, part-time students, and other students who were not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking students. Undergraduate Completions (UG_Comp tab): The group of individuals who were conferred a recognized undergraduate postsecondary degree/certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled. Please note that all completers reported here should have received a degree or certificate reported on your Previous Year (PY) Institutional Characteristics (IC). Graduate Admissions (GR_Adm tab): The group of individuals who fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission into a graduate program of study (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution, by October 15 of the academic year. Within this, there are data elements which will only apply to students who were admitted and other data elements which will only apply to students who enrolled as full-time, degree/certificate-seeking students. All students who applied during this Academic Year and ultimately enrolled should be included in this file, whether they enrolled during this AY or deferred to a later AY. These data elements are not required for transfer students, part-time students, and other students who were not full-time, degree/certificate-seeking students. Graduate Completions (GR_Comp tab): The group of individuals who completed a degree/certificate-bearing graduate academic program and received an graduate degree or certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled.

Indicate whether you are able to provide the data for the following cohorts for the 2019-2020 academic year. If your institution cannot provide the data required (for example, if your institution did not enroll graduate students in this year), select "No" in the relevant row(s) below. If your response is "No", you MUST provide a reason.

Cohort	Able to provide?	If No, please explain:
Undergraduate Admissions (UGAdm19-20)	Yes
Undergraduate Completions (UGComp19-20)	Yes
Graduate Admissions (GRAdm19-20)	Yes
Graduate Completions (GRComp19-20)	Yes

Please provide additional information on other missing data In the text box below, please provide information about data elements or student groups you are unable to provide, even if you did not select "No" to any of the cohorts above. For example, if your institution does not retain secondary school GPA data for undergraduate students who apply but are not admitted, please note that as specifically as possible.



Assigning Student ID values
The data provided in this template MUST be deidentified. Please DO NOT provide any Personally Identifiable Information (PII), such as Name, Institution Student ID, Social Security Number, locating information, etc. Each tab contains a field for Student ID. Create your own anonymous student identifer numbers and maintain an internal document (crosswalk) that maps the ACTS Student ID to each student in your system. Keep the crosswalk for your records, but do not submit this crosswalk file in the ACTS tool or the IPEDS Data Collection System (DCS). The Student ID must meet the following requirements: •Each Student ID number must be unique within this Academic Year file (i.e., the same ID cannot appear twice in the same cohort OR twice across different cohorts in this file). •Use numeric characters (0-9) only. No alphabetic or special characters allowed. •Student ID numbers should be no longer than 10 digits. •Student ID numbers cannot begin with zero (0). •It is permissible for a student to have a different ID if they appear in different cohorts in different years (e.g., Admissions in one year and Completers in another). IDs are not used for linking an individual student across years.

Using the Codebook
Before adding data to the template, you will need to transform your data to align with the numeric codes described on the relevant Codebook tab. Each cohort tab has its own codebook; string (alphabetical or alpha-numeric) values and numeric values not listed in the codebook will not be accepted by the ACTS system. Consult the "Option Set" column in each codebook for the acceptable values. While filling in the tab for each cohort, note that the valid options are viewable without flipping back and forth to the codebook tab. Hover your cursor over the name of each data element and the set of response options will appear in a note. The codebook will also tell you which students should have a true value for each section and data element, and which students can be marked Not Applicable. All students should have a response for each data element, even if that response is Not Applicable (-3) or Unknown (-1). Any blank cells will be treated as errors and will result in the system requesting that you provide a value from the codebook.

If you need help
If you have questions or need further assistance, please contact the IPEDS Help Desk at ipedshelp@rti.org or 877-225-2568.

Undergraduate Admissions Codebook

ACTS Data Codebook: 2019-2020 Undergraduate Admissions Include all individuals who fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for undergraduate admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution, by October 15 of the academic year. also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
Item	Data Element	Section	Valid Values	Applies to	Variable definition	Instructions
1	Student ID	ID	Unique numeric value	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	A unique numeric identifier value for each student in the data.	These data MUST be deidentified. Assign a unique numeric ID to each student and maintain a crosswalk in your documentation files. Do not submit the crosswalk. If you are submitting data for Graduate students, ensure that there are no duplicate values across the Undergraduate AND Graduate data. The Student ID must comply to the following requirements: •Each Student ID number must be unique within this Academic Year file (i.e., the same ID cannot appear twice in the same cohort OR twice across different cohorts in this file). •Use numeric characters (0-9) only. No alphabetic or special characters allowed. •Student ID numbers should be no longer than 10 digits. •Student ID numbers cannot begin with zero (0). •It is permissible for a student to have a different ID if they appear in the Admissions file for one year and Completions file for another year. IDs are not used for linking an individual student across years.
2	Race/ethnicity	Demographics	1: U.S. Nonresident 2: Hispanic/Latino 3: American Indian or Alaska Native 4: Asian 5: Black or African American 6: Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 7: White 8: Two or more races -1: Race and ethnicity unknown	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	Categories developed in 1997 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that are used to describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The designations are used to categorize U.S. citizens, residents, and other eligible non-citizens. U.S. Nonresident: A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. Hispanic/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.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino. Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only.
3	Sex	Demographics	0: Male 1: Female	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	Student sex.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. All students must be allocated to male or female, even those whose sex is unknown.
4	Admission status	Admissions	0: Not Admitted 1: Admitted	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	An indication of whether an applicant has been granted an official offer to enroll in a postsecondary institution.	Enter a value from the list of valid values.
5	Admissions process used	Admissions	1: Early Action 2: Early Decision 3: Regular Admissions Process -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	Admitted students, where admitted students are applicants that have been granted an official offer to enroll in a postsecondary institution. Applicants who were not admitted should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Definitions of these processes are: Early Action: An admission plan that allows students to apply and be notified of an admission decision well in advance of the regular notification dates. If admitted, the candidate is not committed to enroll (unlike early decision). Students may reply to the offer under the college's regular reply policy. Early Decision: A plan that allows students to apply and be notified of an admission decision (and financial aid offer, if applicable) well in advance of the regular notification date. Applicants agree to accept an offer of admission and, if admitted, to withdraw their applications from other colleges. There are three possible decisions in response to such an application: admitted, denied, or not admitted but forwarded for consideration with the regular applicant pool, without prejudice. Regular Admissions Process: Any admissions process other than early action or early decision.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. If your institution has processes other than early action, early decision, and regular admissions (e.g., automatic admission to state institutions based on HS GPA), report any admissions process other than early action or early decision as regular admissions. Applicants who were not admitted should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
6	Enrollment status	Admissions	0: Not Enrolled 1: Enrolled, degree/certificate-seeking 2: Enrolled, NOT degree/certificate-seeking -3: Not Applicable	Admitted students, where admitted students are applicants that have been granted an official offer to enroll in a postsecondary institution. Applicants who were not admitted should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	An indication of whether an admitted student enrolled in the postsecondary institution. Degree/certificate-seeking students are students enrolled in courses for credit who are seeking a degree, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential. This includes students who: received any type of federal financial aid, regardless of what courses they took at any time; received any state or locally based financial aid with an eligibility requirement that the student be enrolled in a degree, certificate, or transfer-seeking program; or obtained a student visa to study at a U.S. postsecondary institution. High school students also enrolled in postsecondary courses for credit are not considered degree/certificate-seeking.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Applicants who were not admitted should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
7	First-time, Full-time	Enrolled Students	0: Not first-time, full-time 1: First-time, full-time -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students (students where Enrollment Status = 1). Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	An indication of whether the student is first-time, full-time as of the Fall 2019 term according to the following definitions: First-time: A student who has no prior postsecondary experience (except as noted below) attending any institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. This includes students enrolled in academic or occupational programs. It also includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer session, and students who entered with advanced standing (college credits or recognized postsecondary credential earned before graduation from high school). Full-time: A student enrolled for 12 or more semester credits, or 12 or more quarter credits, or 24 or more clock hours a week each term.	Enter a value from the list of valid values.
8	Bachelor's or equivalent-seeking subcohort	Enrolled Students	0: No 1: Yes -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Whether the student is part of the subcohort of enrolled students who were seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
9	SAT Math score	Secondary School Record	200-800 -1: Unknown/Not Submitted	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	The applicant's score on the Math portion of the SAT, previously known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, this is an examination used to predict the facility with which an individual will progress in learning college-level academic subjects.	Enter a numeric value between 200 and 800. If the applicant did not submit an SAT Math score, or if your institution does not use the SAT Math score in the admissions decision, enter a -1.
10	SAT Reading and Writing score	Secondary School Record	200-800 -1: Unknown/Not Submitted	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	The applicant's score on the Reading portion of the SAT, previously known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, this is an examination used to predict the facility with which an individual will progress in learning college-level academic subjects.	Enter a numeric value between 200 and 800. If the applicant did not submit an SAT Reading score, or if your institution does not use the SAT Reading score in the admissions decision, enter a -1.
11	SAT overall score	Secondary School Record	400-1600 -1: Unknown/Not Submitted	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	The sum of the Math and Reading scores on the SAT, previously known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test, this is an examination used to predict the facility with which an individual will progress in learning college-level academic subjects.	Enter a numeric value between 400 and 1600. If the applicant did not submit an SAT Overall score, or if your institution does not use the SAT Overall score in the admissions decision, enter a -1.
12	ACT Math score	Secondary School Record	1-36 -1: Unknown/Not Submitted	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	The applicant's score on the math section of the ACT, previously known as the American College Testing program, measures educational development and readiness to pursue college-level coursework in English, mathematics, natural science, and social studies. Student performance does not reflect innate ability and is influenced by a student's educational preparedness.	Enter a numeric value between 1 and 36. If the applicant did not submit an ACT Math score, or if your institution does not use the ACT Math score in the admissions decision, enter a -1.
13	ACT English score	Secondary School Record	1-36 -1: Unknown/Not Submitted	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	The applicant's score on the English section of the ACT, previously known as the American College Testing program, measures educational development and readiness to pursue college-level coursework in English, mathematics, natural science, and social studies. Student performance does not reflect innate ability and is influenced by a student's educational preparedness.	Enter a numeric value between 1 and 36. If the applicant did not submit an ACT English score, or if your institution does not use the ACT English score in the admissions decision, enter a -1.
14	ACT Composite score	Secondary School Record	1-36 -1: Unknown/Not Submitted	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	The applicant's composite score on the ACT, previously known as the American College Testing program, measures educational development and readiness to pursue college-level coursework in English, mathematics, natural science, and social studies. Student performance does not reflect innate ability and is influenced by a student's educational preparedness.	Enter a numeric value between 1 and 36. If the applicant did not submit an ACT Composite score, or if your institution does not use the ACT Composite score in the admissions decision, enter a -1.
15	Unweighted secondary school GPA	Secondary School Record	0.0-4.0 -1: Unknown/Not Submitted	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	A student’s grade point average on a standard 4.0 scale, where A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0, without giving extra grade points for difficult courses such as honors or Advanced Placement courses.	Enter a numeric value between 0.0 and 4.0. If the applicant did not submit a secondary school GPA, or if your institution does not use the secondary school GPA in the admissions decision, enter a -1.
16	Family Income	Family Characteristics	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	The income that was used by your financial aid office to determine the student’s Student Aid Index (SAI). For dependent students this will include the parents’ adjusted gross income and the student’s adjusted gross income. For independent students this will include the student’s adjusted gross income.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Enter a numeric value or a -1 if the student's family income is unknown.
17	Financial aid status	Family Characteristics	0: Unaided Student 1: Aided Student -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Whether a student receives any type of financial aid, defined as: Federal Work Study, grants, loans to students (government and/or private), assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, tuition waivers, tuition discounts, employer aid (tuition reimbursement) and other monies (other than from relatives/friends) provided to students to meet expenses. This excludes loans to parents.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
18	Pell grant eligibility	Family Characteristics	0: Not Eligible for Pell Grant program 1: Eligible for Pell Grant program -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Whether a student is eligible for the Pell Grant program, defined as: (Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV, Part A, Subpart I, as amended.) Provides grant assistance to eligible undergraduate postsecondary students with demonstrated financial need to help meet education expenses.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
19	Parental college attainment	Family Characteristics	0: Parent(s) do not have a college degree 1: Parent(s) has a college degree -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Whether a student's parent(s) received a college degree, defined as: An award conferred by a college, university, or other postsecondary education institution as official recognition for the successful completion of a program of studies. This information is most commonly provided by the student while completing the FAFSA.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. If at least one parent has a college degree, enter 1. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
20	Unweighted cumulative GPA after first academic year	First Year Academics	0.0-4.0 OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	A student’s grade point average on a standard 4.0 scale (where A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0) without giving extra grade points for course difficulty, cumulative after the student's first academic year at the postsecondary institution.	Enter a numeric value between 0.0 and 4.0. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.
21	Remedial course taking	First Year Academics	0: No Remedial courses taken 1: One or more Remedial courses taken -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Whether a student took one ore more remedial courses in the first term of their first year. A remedial course is defined as: A course of study designed to increase the ability of a student to pursue a course of study leading to a certificate or degree. Includes noncredit remedial courses, for which no credit is given toward a certificate or degree, and reduced credit remedial courses, for which reduced credit is given toward a certificate or degree. Includes English Language Learner (ELL) or English as a Second Language (ESL) courses for which no credit or reduced credit is given.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. Count only remedial courses taken in the first term of the student's first year.
22	Continuing Ed course taking	First Year Academics	0: No Continuing Ed courses taken 1: One or more Continuing Ed courses taken -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Whether a student took one ore more continuing education courses in the first term of their first year. A continuing education course is defined as: Any non-credit course that assists in the development and/or enhancement of knowledge and skills related to the student’s current or future occupation.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. Count only continuing education courses taken in the first term of the student's first year.
23	Tuition and fees	Cost	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	The amount of tuition and required fees covering a full academic year charged to this student. These values may not be the same for all students at an institution. Required fees include all fixed sum charges that are required of such a large proportion of all students that the student who does not pay the charges is an exception.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
24	Amount of need-based institutional grant aid AWARDED	Financial Aid	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	The amount of need-based institutional grant aid awarded to the student, defined as: Scholarships and fellowships granted and funded by the institution and/or individual departments within the institution, (i.e., instruction, research, public service) that may contribute indirectly to the enhancement of these programs. Includes scholarships targeted to certain individuals (e.g., based on state of residence, major field of study, athletic team participation) for which the institution designates the recipient. AND: Grants based on the financial need of the student, as determined by your financial aid office. Awarded aid may be different from the amount actually disbursed to students. For example, a student may be awarded grant or scholarship aid at the beginning of the academic year but then leave the institution before the entire amount is disbursed. In this case, institutions should report the original amount of grant or scholarship aid that was awarded.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.
25	Amount of need-based institutional grant aid RECEIVED	Financial Aid	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	The amount of need-based institutional grant aid received by the student, defined as: Scholarships and fellowships granted and funded by the institution and/or individual departments within the institution, (i.e., instruction, research, public service) that may contribute indirectly to the enhancement of these programs. Includes scholarships targeted to certain individuals (e.g., based on state of residence, major field of study, athletic team participation) for which the institution designates the recipient. AND: Grants based on the financial need of the student, as determined by your financial aid office. Aid received refers to financial aid that was awarded to, and accepted by, a student. This amount may differ from the aid amount that is disbursed to a student. For example, a student may accept aid that was awarded by the institution but then leave the institution prior to the aid being disbursed. In this case, because the student accepted the aid, the aid would be reported to IPEDS, even though it was NOT actually disbursed to the student. NOTE: The definition of aid received is the same as that used in the IPEDS Financial Aid component.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.
26	Amount of non-need-based institutional grant aid AWARDED	Financial Aid	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	The amount of institutional grant aid awarded to the student that were NOT based on the financial need of the student, as determined by your financial aid office. Institutional grants are defined as: Scholarships and fellowships granted and funded by the institution and/or individual departments within the institution, (i.e., instruction, research, public service) that may contribute indirectly to the enhancement of these programs. Includes scholarships targeted to certain individuals (e.g., based on state of residence, major field of study, athletic team participation) for which the institution designates the recipient. Awarded aid may be different from the amount actually disbursed to students. For example, a student may be awarded grant or scholarship aid at the beginning of the academic year but then leave the institution before the entire amount is disbursed. In this case, institutions should report the original amount of grant or scholarship aid that was awarded.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.
27	Amount of non-need-based institutional grant aid RECEIVED	Financial Aid	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	The amount of institutional grant aid received by the student that were NOT based on the financial need of the student, as determined by your financial aid office. Institutional grants are defined as: Scholarships and fellowships granted and funded by the institution and/or individual departments within the institution, (i.e., instruction, research, public service) that may contribute indirectly to the enhancement of these programs. Includes scholarships targeted to certain individuals (e.g., based on state of residence, major field of study, athletic team participation) for which the institution designates the recipient. Aid received refers to financial aid that was awarded to, and accepted by, a student. This amount may differ from the aid amount that is disbursed to a student. For example, a student may accept aid that was awarded by the institution but then leave the institution prior to the aid being disbursed. In this case, because the student accepted the aid, the aid would be reported to IPEDS, even though it was NOT actually disbursed to the student. NOTE: The definition of aid received is the same as that used in the IPEDS Financial Aid component.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.
28	Amount of local, state, or federal grant aid AWARDED	Financial Aid	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1 Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	The sum of state and local grants and federal grants awarded to the student. State and local grants are defined as: Grant monies provided by the state such as Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnerships (LEAP) program (formerly State Student Incentive Grant program or SSIG); merit scholarships provided by the state; and tuition and fee waivers for which the institution was reimbursed by a state agency. Local government grants include scholarships or gift-aid awarded directly to the student. Federal grants are defined as: Grants provided by federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, including Title IV Pell Grants and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG). Also includes need-based and merit-based educational assistance funds and training vouchers provided from other federal agencies and/or federally sponsored educational benefits programs. Awarded aid may be different from the amount actually disbursed to students. For example, a student may be awarded grant or scholarship aid at the beginning of the academic year but then leave the institution before the entire amount is disbursed. In this case, institutions should report the original amount of grant or scholarship aid that was awarded.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.
29	Amount of local, state, or federal grant aid RECEIVED	Financial Aid	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also first-time, full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted, admitted students who did not enroll, and students who are not first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	The sum of state and local grants and federal grants received by the student. State and local grants are defined as: Grant monies provided by the state such as Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnerships (LEAP) program (formerly State Student Incentive Grant program or SSIG); merit scholarships provided by the state; and tuition and fee waivers for which the institution was reimbursed by a state agency. Local government grants include scholarships or gift-aid awarded directly to the student. Federal grants are defined as: Grants provided by federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, including Title IV Pell Grants and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG). Also includes need-based and merit-based educational assistance funds and training vouchers provided from other federal agencies and/or federally sponsored educational benefits programs. Aid received refers to financial aid that was awarded to, and accepted by, a student. This amount may differ from the aid amount that is disbursed to a student. For example, a student may accept aid that was awarded by the institution but then leave the institution prior to the aid being disbursed. In this case, because the student accepted the aid, the aid would be reported to IPEDS, even though it was NOT actually disbursed to the student. NOTE: The definition of aid received is the same as that used in the IPEDS Financial Aid component.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.
30	Completion Date	Bachelor's Degree Completers	Date value, divided into three fields: Month (MM) \| Day (DD) \| Year (YYYY) OR -3: Not Applicable	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort, which is defined as the cohort of students how were seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry. Any students not in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Date on which the Bachelor's degree was conferred.	Enter a date across the three fields: MM, DD, and YYYY. Any students not in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort should be assigned a value of -3 for not applicable in each of the three fields. This variable applies only to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2019-20, AY2020-21, and AY2021-22.
31	Completed within 100% of normal time	Bachelor's Degree Completers	0: Did not complete within 100% of normal time to completion 1: Completed within 100% of normal time to completion -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort, which is defined as the cohort of students how were seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry. Any students not in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Students who completed their program within 100% of the normal (or expected) time for completion. Normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a program according to the institution's catalog.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Any students not in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable applies only to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2019-20, AY2020-21, and AY2021-22.
32	Completed within 150% of normal time	Bachelor's Degree Completers	0: Did not complete within 150% of normal time to completion 1: Completed within 150% of normal time to completion -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	Bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort, which is defined as the cohort of students how were seeking a bachelor's or equivalent degree upon entry. Any students not in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Students who completed their program within 150% of the normal (or expected) time for completion. Normal time to completion is the amount of time necessary to complete all requirements for a program according to the institution's catalog.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Any students not in the bachelor's or equivalent degree-seeking subcohort should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable applies only to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2019-20.

Undergraduate Completers Codebook

ACTS Data Codebook: 2019-2020 Undergraduate Completers Include all individuals who were conferred a recognized undergraduate postsecondary degree/certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled.
Item	Data Element	Section	Valid Values	Applies to	Variable definition	Instructions
1	Student ID	ID	Numeric value	All undergraduate completers, where a completer is an individual who was conferred a recognized undergraduate postsecondary degree/certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled.	A unique numeric identifier value for each student in the data.	These data MUST be deidentified. Assign a unique numeric ID to each student and maintain a crosswalk in your documentation files. Do not submit the crosswalk. If you are submitting data for Graduate students, ensure that there are no duplicate values across the Undergraduate AND Graduate data. The Student ID must comply to the following requirements: •Each Student ID number must be unique within this Academic Year file (i.e., the same ID cannot appear twice in the same cohort OR twice across different cohorts in this file). •Use numeric characters (0-9) only. No alphabetic or special characters allowed. •Student ID numbers should be no longer than 10 digits. •Student ID numbers cannot begin with zero (0). •It is permissible for a student to have a different ID if they appear in the Admissions file for one year and Completions file for another year. IDs are not used for linking an individual student across years.
2	Race/ethnicity	Demographics	1: U.S. Nonresident 2: Hispanic/Latino 3: American Indian or Alaska Native 4: Asian 5: Black or African American 6: Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 7: White 8: Two or more races -1: Race and ethnicity unknown	All undergraduate completers, where a completer is an individual who was conferred a recognized undergraduate postsecondary degree/certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled.	Categories developed in 1997 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that are used to describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The designations are used to categorize U.S. citizens, residents, and other eligible non-citizens. U.S. Nonresident: A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. Hispanic/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.	Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino. Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
3	Sex	Demographics	0: Male 1: Female	All undergraduate completers, where a completer is an individual who was conferred a recognized undergraduate postsecondary degree/certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled.	Student sex.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. All students must be allocated to male or female, even those whose sex is unknown.
4	Unweighted cumulative GPA	Degree Completers	0.0-4.0 -1: Unknown	All undergraduate completers, where a completer is an individual who was conferred a recognized undergraduate postsecondary degree/certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled.	A student’s grade point average on a standard 4.0 scale (where A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0) without giving extra grade points for course difficulty, cumulative for all courses taken throughout a student's degree or certificate program.	Enter a numeric value between 0.0 and 4.0. Enter -1 if the GPA is unknown.

Graduate Admissions Codebook

ACTS Data Codebook: 2019-2020 Graduate Admissions Include all individuals who fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission into a graduate program of study (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution, by October 15 of the academic year.
Item	Data Element	Section	Valid Values	Applies to	Variable definition	Instructions
1	Student ID	ID	Numeric value	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	A unique numeric identifier value for each student in the data.	These data MUST be deidentified. Assign a unique numeric ID to each student and maintain a crosswalk in your documentation files. Do not submit the crosswalk. If you are submitting data for Graduate students, ensure that there are no duplicate values across the Undergraduate AND Graduate data. The Student ID must comply to the following requirements: •Each Student ID number must be unique within this Academic Year file (i.e., the same ID cannot appear twice in the same cohort OR twice across different cohorts in this file). •Use numeric characters (0-9) only. No alphabetic or special characters allowed. •Student ID numbers should be no longer than 10 digits. •Student ID numbers cannot begin with zero (0). •It is permissible for a student to have a different ID if they appear in the Admissions file for one year and Completions file for another year. IDs are not used for linking an individual student across years.
2	Race/ethnicity	Demographics	1: U.S. Nonresident 2: Hispanic/Latino 3: American Indian or Alaska Native 4: Asian 5: Black or African American 6: Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 7: White 8: Two or more races -1: Race and ethnicity unknown	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	Categories developed in 1997 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that are used to describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The designations are used to categorize U.S. citizens, residents, and other eligible non-citizens. U.S. Nonresident: A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. Hispanic/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.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino. Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
3	Sex	Demographics	0: Male 1: Female	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	Student sex.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. All students must be allocated to male or female, even those whose sex is unknown.
4	Admission status	Admissions	0: Not Admitted 1: Admitted	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	An indication of whether an applicant has been granted an official offer to enroll in a postsecondary institution.	Enter a value from the list of valid values.
5	Enrollment status	Admissions	0: Not Enrolled 1: Enrolled, degree/certificate-seeking 2: Enrolled, NOT degree/certificate-seeking -3: Not Applicable	Admitted students, where admitted students are applicants that have been granted an official offer to enroll in a postsecondary institution. Applicants who were not admitted should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	An indication of whether an admitted student enrolled in the postsecondary institution. Degree/certificate-seeking students are students enrolled in courses for credit who are seeking a degree, certificate, or other recognized postsecondary credential. This includes students who: received any type of federal financial aid, regardless of what courses they took at any time; received any state or locally based financial aid with an eligibility requirement that the student be enrolled in a degree, certificate, or transfer-seeking program; or obtained a student visa to study at a U.S. postsecondary institution. High school students also enrolled in postsecondary courses for credit are not considered degree/certificate-seeking.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Applicants who were not admitted should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
6	Full-time	Enrolled Students	0: Not Full-time 1: Full-time -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students, regardless of enrollment intensity, who are also degree/certificate-seeking.	A student enrolled for 9 or more semester credits, or 9 or more quarter credits, or a student involved in thesis or dissertation preparation that is considered full-time by the institution. For Doctor's degree - Professional practice programs: as defined by the institution.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
7	Degree/certificate program	Enrolled Students	6: Postbaccalaureate certificate 7: Master's degree 8: Post-Master's certificate 17: Doctor's degree - research/scholarship 18: Doctor's degree - professional practice 19: Doctor's degree - other -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	The graduate degree or certificate the student was seeking upon entry.	Enter a value from the list of valid values.
8	Field of Study CIP (4-digit)	Enrolled Students	4-digit CIP Code (##.##) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	A taxonomic coding scheme for secondary and postsecondary instructional programs. It is intended to facilitate the organization, collection, and reporting of program data using classifications that capture the majority of reportable data. The CIP is the accepted federal government statistical standard on instructional program classifications and is used in a variety of education information surveys and databases.	Use first 4 digits of the CIP code in the format ##.##
9	GRE score	Entrance Exams	260-340 OR -1: Unknown/Not Submitted -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination, is a standardized exam measuring qualifications and preparedness for graduate-level academic work.	Enter a numeric value between 260 and 340. If the applicant did not submit a GRE, or if your institution does not use the GRE score in the admissions decision, enter a -1. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
10	LSAT score	Entrance Exams	120-180 OR -1: Unknown/Not Submitted -3: Not Applicable	Enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking in the following field of study: Law (CIP Code: 22.xx)	The LSAT, or Law School Admission Test, is a standardized exam measuring the critical reasoning, reading comprehension, and persuasive writing skills needed for law school.	Enter a numeric value between 120 and 180. If a student is not enrolled in Law (CIP Code: 22.xx), assign a -3 for not applicable. If a student is enrolled in Law, but LSAT score is unknown/not submitted, assign a -1.
11	MCAT score	Entrance Exams	472-528 OR -1: Unknown/Not Submitted -3: Not Applicable	Enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking in the following field of study: Health (CIP Code: 51.xx)	The MCAT, or Medical College Admission Test, is a standardized exam measuring knowledge of natural and social science concepts and critical thinking and scientific problem-solving skills needed for medical school.	Enter a numeric value between 472 and 528. If a student is not enrolled in Health (CIP Code: 51.xx), assign a -3 for not applicable. If a student is enrolled in Health, but MCAT score is unknown/not submitted, assign a -1.
12	Family Income	Family Characteristics	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown	All applicants, where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for admission (including payment or waiving of the application fee, if any) and who has been notified of one of the following actions: admission, nonadmission, placement on waiting list, or application withdrawn by applicant or institution.	The income that was used by your financial aid office to determine the student’s Student Aid Index (SAI). For dependent students this will include the parents’ adjusted gross income and the student’s adjusted gross income. For independent students this will include the student’s adjusted gross income.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Enter a numeric value or a -1 if the student's family income is unknown.
13	Financial aid status	Family Characteristics	0: Unaided Student 1: Aided Student -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Whether or not a student receives any sort of financial aid, defined as: Federal Work Study, grants, loans to students (government and/or private), assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, tuition waivers, tuition discounts, employer aid (tuition reimbursement) and other monies (other than from relatives/friends) provided to students to meet expenses. This excludes loans to parents.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
14	Unweighted cumulative GPA after first academic year	First Year Academics	0.0-4.0 OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	A student’s grade point average on a standard 4.0 scale (where A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0) without giving extra grade points for course difficulty, cumulative after the student's first academic year at the postsecondary institution.	Enter a numeric value between 0.0 and 4.0. Enter -1 if the GPA is unknown. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.
15	Tuition and fees	Cost	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	The amount of tuition and required fees covering a full academic year charged to this student. These values may not be the same for all students at an institution. Required fees include all fixed sum charges that are required of such a large proportion of all students that the student who does not pay the charges is an exception.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.
16	Amount of institutional grant aid AWARDED	Financial Aid	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Scholarships and fellowships granted and funded by the institution and/or individual departments within the institution, (i.e., instruction, research, public service) that may contribute indirectly to the enhancement of these programs. Includes scholarships targeted to certain individuals (e.g., based on state of residence, major field of study, athletic team participation) for which the institution designates the recipient. Awarded aid may be different from the amount actually disbursed to students. For example, a student may be awarded grant or scholarship aid at the beginning of the academic year but then leave the institution before the entire amount is disbursed. In this case, institutions should report the original amount of grant or scholarship aid that was awarded.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.
17	Amount of institutional grant aid RECEIVED	Financial Aid	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Scholarships and fellowships granted and funded by the institution and/or individual departments within the institution, (i.e., instruction, research, public service) that may contribute indirectly to the enhancement of these programs. Includes scholarships targeted to certain individuals (e.g., based on state of residence, major field of study, athletic team participation) for which the institution designates the recipient. Aid received refers to financial aid that was awarded to, and accepted by, a student. This amount may differ from the aid amount that is disbursed to a student. For example, a student may accept aid that was awarded by the institution but then leave the institution prior to the aid being disbursed. In this case, because the student accepted the aid, the aid would be reported to IPEDS, even though it was NOT actually disbursed to the student. NOTE: The definition of aid received is the same as that used in the IPEDS Financial Aid component.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.
18	Amount of local, state, or federal grant aid AWARDED	Financial Aid	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Grant monies provided by the state such as Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnerships (LEAP) program (formerly State Student Incentive Grant program or SSIG); merit scholarships provided by the state; and tuition and fee waivers for which the institution was reimbursed by a state agency. Local government grants include scholarships or gift-aid awarded directly to the student. (Used for reporting for private for-profit institutions on the Finance component) Awarded aid may be different from the amount actually disbursed to students. For example, a student may be awarded grant or scholarship aid at the beginning of the academic year but then leave the institution before the entire amount is disbursed. In this case, institutions should report the original amount of grant or scholarship aid that was awarded.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.
19	Amount of local, state, or federal grant aid RECEIVED	Financial Aid	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown -3: Not Applicable	All enrolled students who are also full-time AND degree/certificate-seeking. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable.	Grant monies provided by the state such as Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnerships (LEAP) program (formerly State Student Incentive Grant program or SSIG); merit scholarships provided by the state; and tuition and fee waivers for which the institution was reimbursed by a state agency. Local government grants include scholarships or gift-aid awarded directly to the student. (Used for reporting for private for-profit institutions on the Finance component) Aid received refers to financial aid that was awarded to, and accepted by, a student. This amount may differ from the aid amount that is disbursed to a student. For example, a student may accept aid that was awarded by the institution but then leave the institution prior to the aid being disbursed. In this case, because the student accepted the aid, the aid would be reported to IPEDS, even though it was NOT actually disbursed to the student. NOTE: The definition of aid received is the same as that used in the IPEDS Financial Aid component.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Applicants who were not admitted and admitted students who did not enroll should be assigned a -3 for not applicable. This variable does not apply to students who entered the postsecondary institution in AY2025-26.

Graduate Completers Codebook

ACTS Data Codebook: 2019-2020 Graduate Completers Include all individuals who completed a degree/certificate-bearing graduate academic program and received a graduate degree or certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled.
Item	Data Element	Section	Valid Values	Applies to	Variable definition	Instructions
1	Student ID	ID	Numeric value	All graduate completers, where a completer is an individual who was conferred a recognized graduate postsecondary degree/certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled.	A unique numeric identifier value for each student in the data.	These data MUST be deidentified. Assign a unique numeric ID to each student and maintain a crosswalk in your documentation files. Do not submit the crosswalk. If you are submitting data for Graduate students, ensure that there are no duplicate values across the Undergraduate AND Graduate data. The Student ID must comply to the following requirements: •Each Student ID number must be unique within this Academic Year file (i.e., the same ID cannot appear twice in the same cohort OR twice across different cohorts in this file). •Use numeric characters (0-9) only. No alphabetic or special characters allowed. •Student ID numbers should be no longer than 10 digits. •Student ID numbers cannot begin with zero (0). •It is permissible for a student to have a different ID if they appear in the Admissions file for one year and Completions file for another year. IDs are not used for linking an individual student across years.
2	Race/ethnicity	Demographics	1: U.S. Nonresident 2: Hispanic/Latino 3: American Indian or Alaska Native 4: Asian 5: Black or African American 6: Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 7: White 8: Two or more races -1: Race and ethnicity unknown	All graduate completers, where a completer is an individual who was conferred a recognized graduate postsecondary degree/certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled.	Categories developed in 1997 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that are used to describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The designations are used to categorize U.S. citizens, residents, and other eligible non-citizens. U.S. Nonresident: A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. Hispanic/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.	Report Hispanic/Latino individuals of any race as Hispanic/Latino. Report race for non-Hispanic/Latino individuals only
3	Sex	Demographics	0: Male 1: Female	All graduate completers, where a completer is an individual who was conferred a recognized graduate postsecondary degree/certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled.	Student sex.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. All students must be allocated to male or female, even those whose sex is unknown.
4	Cumulative GPA	Degree Completers	0.0-4.0 -1: Unknown	All graduate completers, where a completer is an individual who was conferred a recognized graduate postsecondary degree/certificate during the 2019-20 Academic Year as defined by your institution and used for other IPEDS reporting, regardless of when they initially enrolled.	A student’s grade point average on a standard 4.0 scale (where A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F=0) without giving extra grade points for course difficulty, cumulative for all courses taken throughout a student's degree or certificate program.	Enter a numeric value between 0.0 and 4.0 or a -1 if the GPA is unknown.

D. Data Review Report

Description: A “first look” data review report will be available after institutions submit a file that successfully completes processing. The report will list one-way frequencies for each data element provided as well as some high-level tabulations. This will provide institutions with a “gut check” that their data processed and calculated correctly.

Sample tabulation from Data Review Report:

[year]	Male			Female			Total
[race_eth]	Applicants	Admitted	Enrolled	Applicants	Admitted	Enrolled	Applicants	Admitted	Enrolled
Overall
U.S. Nonresident
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

E. Aggregate Data File

Description: The aggregate data file will be available after institutions submit a student-level file that is successfully processed. It will include all data provided by institutions on the student-level file but will be aggregated so that individual students cannot be identified. There will be one .csv file for each academic year. Institutions will download this file from the ACTS Aggregator Tool and return to the IPEDS DCS to proceed with the next submission steps.

Below is a sample section of what the aggregate data file will look like. It will have additional rows for each race/ethnicity-sex pair at the undergraduate and graduate levels for each disaggregation variable and additional columns for each count or average.

Sample section of the aggregate data file:

Year	Undergraduate/ Graduate	Sex	Race/ Ethnicity	Subgroup variable	Subgroup value	Count Applied	Count Admitted	Count Enrolled
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Overall	National household income	quintile 1	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Overall	National household income	quintile 2	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Overall	National household income	quintile 3	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Overall	National household income	quintile 4	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Overall	National household income	quintile 5	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Overall	National household income	unknown	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	US Nonresident	National household income	quintile 1	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	US Nonresident	National household income	quintile 2	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	US Nonresident	National household income	quintile 3	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	US Nonresident	National household income	quintile 4	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	US Nonresident	National household income	quintile 5	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	US Nonresident	National household income	unknown	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Hispanic/Latino	National household income	quintile 1	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Hispanic/Latino	National household income	quintile 2	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Hispanic/Latino	National household income	quintile 3	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Hispanic/Latino	National household income	quintile 4	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Hispanic/Latino	National household income	quintile 5	#	#	#
2025-26	Undergraduate	Male	Hispanic/Latino	National household income	unknown	#	#	#

F. Sample Error Report

Description: After an institution submits the aggregate files to the IPEDS DCS, RTI will carry out further validation and data quality checks, similar to the current practice for all IPEDS survey components. Data inconsistencies, outliers, or large amounts of missing data may require further explanation. After data are checked, an error report will become available in the IPEDS DCS for institutions to review. The error report will contain comment boxes for institutions to provide further explanation for each data anomaly indicated.

G. ACTS FAQs

General

How were institutions selected to complete the ACTS survey component?

Institutional eligibility for the ACTS component was informed by President Donald J. Trump’s Presidential Memorandum on August 7, 2025 entitled “Ensuring Transparency in Higher Education Admissions,” available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/ensuring-transparency-in-higher-education-admissions/ as well as Secretary Linda McMahon’s subsequent directive to NCES to initiate a series of changes to IPEDS during the 2025-26 school year.

Consistent with the purposes outlined in those memoranda, only 4-year public, private for-profit, and private not-for-profit institutions are potentially eligible to complete the ACTS component. Eligible institutions may be exempted from completing ACTS in a survey year if they (1) do not award non-need-based aid and (2) admitted 100 percent of applicants in that year.

What should I do if I do not have the data for a whole cohort of students in a particular academic year?

Because the majority of the data elements needed to complete the ACTS survey component are also necessary to complete other IPEDS surveys (e.g., Admissions, Cost, Completions, Fall Enrollment, Graduation Rates), NCES expects missing data rates to be low.

Each student-level data collection file, for each cohort year, will allow respondents to indicate that the data for a particular cohort in a particular year cannot be provided. Entering this response for any section will also require an explanation for the missing data. Any such explanations will be retained and will accompany the aggregate data file when submitted to NCES.

What should I do if I have most of the data elements for a cohort of students in a particular academic year, but I do not have certain data elements?

In the case of individual data elements, a value of “-1” should be entered to indicate “unknown.” If there are large portions of missing data, (e.g., if your institution does not retain secondary school GPA data for undergraduate students who apply but are not admitted), there is space within the student-level data collection file to enter additional explanations. Please be as specific as possible. These explanations will also be retained with the file you submit to IPEDS.

Once the aggregate data are moved to the IPEDS Data Collection System, there will be additional edits performed that check for consistency with other IPEDS survey components and collection cycles, as is normally the case with IPEDS submissions.

What should if I do if I’m not confident that the data are accurate?

All reasonable efforts should be made to verify the accuracy of the data. If the data are known to contain significant inaccuracies, please indicate that you do not have the data to report (either by indicating the section is unavailable for an entire cohort year or by using the “-1” unknown code for individual data elements, in the applicable sections) and provide a detailed explanation in the student-level data collection file. These explanations will also be retained with the file you submit to IPEDS.

Are my data expected to match values submitted to IPEDS in prior year(s), where applicable?

Yes, once the aggregate file is uploaded to the Data Collection System, quality review processes will be applied which will check against known values submitted to IPEDS in prior surveys. Therefore, it is expected that data reported are accurate and consistent. Inconsistencies with prior data (e.g. from a prior IPEDS reporting year) will require an explanation in the Edit Report.

Should non-matriculated students be accounted for in any sections of the survey component?

Students who are enrolled but have not gone through the admissions process (e.g., non-matriculated, non-credit, and/or auditing) should not be reported.

Entering Data in the Student-Level Data Collection File

If we do not use certain data in the applications process (e.g., test scores, GPA), are we expected to report those data even if we have them?

Data used in admissions decisions are expected to be reported (e.g., data that are required for admissions or data that are considered in admissions decisions but not required). Other data collected by the institution, but not used in the decision process, should not be reported in ACTS. In those cases, use the “-1” value to indicate that data are not being provided because they are not used in the decision process.

How should we determine family income?

For students who receive aid, family income should be available as it is considered when determining aid. For federally-aided students, this is part of the Federal Tax Information (FTI) which is permitted to be used for purposes of reporting to IPEDS.

Your financial aid office uses family income to determine the student’s Student Aid Index (SAI). For dependent students this will include the parents’ adjusted gross income and the student’s adjusted gross income. For independent students this will include the student’s adjusted gross income.

For students who did not receive aid or submit data for consideration, the family income should be reported as unknown.

What if we have processes other than “regular admissions,” where should those be reported? (For example, automatic admission to state institutions based on HS GPA).

Report as “regular admissions” any admissions processes other than early action or early decision.

Is Pell eligibility based only on their status at the time of enrollment? Or if a student became Pell-eligible part way through the year should they be reported as Pell-eligible?

Only use the student’s first enrolled term to determine Pell eligibility for ACTS reporting purposes.

Where do I find parental college attainment, and does parental college attainment apply to one parent or both parents?

In the student-level data collection file, indicate “yes” for parental college attainment if one or both parents completed college. This information can be found on the FAFSA, for those students who completed a FAFSA.

Are all GPAs unweighted in all sections?

Yes, for purposes of comparison across institutions please use unweighted GPA scores with a maximum of 4.0.

Should summer terms be included in any “academic year” calculations? (e.g., GPA calculations)?

The academic year as defined by the institution can include a summer term (preceding or succeeding the Fall/Winter/Spring).

What should we do if we are unable to parse financial aid data based on admissions data? (i.e., the data reside in two different systems which cannot be linked).

Please make all reasonable efforts to work across offices and information systems in order to provide the data as specified. If data cannot be provided as requested, a detailed explanation should be provided, as described above in the FAQs related to missing/unknown data.

What if our financial aid systems do not differentiate aid based on merit, or categorize aid as need-based and non-need-based?

Financial aid based on the qualifications, achievements or accomplishments irrespective of financial need (i.e. non-need-based) should be considered merit-based. Financial aid based on student need should be considered need-based aid. Other types of financial aid that do not meet either criterion are expected to be rare and should not be reported in the ACTS.

Should summer terms be included in any financial aid calculations? (e.g., accelerated/year-round Pell)?

For purposes of financial aid reporting, only one aid year should be included which may include a crossover term (e.g. summer term). Accelerated Pell (e.g., year-round Pell) or other grant aid awarded from a different aid year should not be included.

Using the ACTS Aggregator Tool

What is the ACTS Aggregator Tool used for?

This web application allows users to securely process student-level data into aggregate datasets required for ACTS submission. Each tab in the student-level data collection file contains the student-level variables needed to perform the necessary calculations to create the aggregations required by ACTS, and the ACTS Aggregator Tool will perform these calculations. It supports consistency, accuracy, and efficiency in data handling while reducing the need for manual processing.

What if my institution prefers not to submit student level data to the Aggregator Tool?

Please note that the aggregation will occur on a secure, RTI-hosted cloud-based web platform. Unit level data will never leave the platform and will be deleted once the data collection is completed. Only aggregated data files will be transferred to the IPEDS data collection system, hosted on Department of Education servers. Most users will find the web application easiest to use—it’s ready to go, requires no installation, and securely processes data in a FIPS 199 Moderate environment. However, if there is need to discuss alternative means of submitting the ACTS data, please contact the IPEDS Help Desk.

What formats of data can I upload to the web application?

The application expects Excel (XLSX) templates as input. These templates can be downloaded from the ACTS Data Aggregator Tool. Output formats include comma separated values (CSV) files and Excel (XLSX) files.

What browsers and operating systems are supported?

The ACTS Aggregator Tool supports the latest versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari on both Windows and macOS platforms.

What should I do if I encounter an error while processing my data?

Check that your input data follows the required formats described in the student-level data collection file:

Ensure that the file you are uploading matches the academic year selected;
Ensure that all of the correct columns are present in the file, and you have not removed any columns;
Ensure that you have not changed any of the column names present in row 4 of the student-level data collection file;
Ensure that the values included in each column are of the proper type (e.g., integer, float) and fall within the allowable range for values in that column according to the codebook tab; and
Ensure you do not have any empty cells. Missing or not applicable data should be coded as -1 for unknown or -3 for not applicable according to the directions in the codebook tab.

If the issue persists, contact the contact the IPEDS Help Desk at ipedshelp@rti.org or (877) 225-2568 with your error log and description of the issue.

Data Security and Privacy in the ACTS Aggregator Tool

How is my data protected when using the ACTS Aggregator Tool?

All data transmitted through the web application is encrypted in transit and at rest. The environment meets FIPS 199 Moderate security standards and adheres to NIST SP 800-53 controls for confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Are the data stored after processing?

Yes, temporarily. For auditing and debugging purposes, submitted data is stored in a secure location on the contractor’s network. The data is automatically deleted at the end of the data submission period. If files are submitted that require deletion prior to the end of the submission period, please contact the IPEDS Help Desk at ipedshelp@rti.org.

Are audit logs maintained?

Yes. All system activities—including logins, uploads, downloads, and administrative actions—are logged for auditing and compliance purposes. Audit records are protected from modification and retained in accordance with records management policies.

Who can access the data I upload to the web application?

Access is restricted to the authorized user who uploads the data. System administrators do not have access to user-submitted data unless required for troubleshooting under approved and logged support procedures.

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File Modified	0000-00-00
File Created	2025-11-14

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

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2025-26 through 2026-27

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