First-Time Student
"A student attending any institution for the first time at the level enrolled." By this we mean at the undergraduate level, graduate level, or first-professional level. Since the graduation rate is only interested in undergraduates, it means that the student is first time in postsecondary education (or the student is not known to have attended another postsecondary institution).
Degree/Certificate-Seeking Students
Students enrolled in courses for credit and recognized by the institution as seeking a degree, certificate, or other formal award. High school students also enrolled in postsecondary courses for credit are not considered degree/certificate-seeking.
Full-Time Student
A student enrolled for 12 or more semester credits, or 12 or more quarter credits, or 24 or more contact hours a week each term.
Part-Time Student
Undergraduate: A student enrolled for either less than 12 semester or quarter credits, or less than 24 contact hours a week each term.
Attainment Rate
Educational attainment refers to the highest level of education that an individual has completed. This is distinct from the level of schooling that an individual is attending.
Retention Rate
A measure of the rate at which students persist in their educational program at an institution, expressed as a percentage. For four-year institutions, this is the percentage of first-time bachelors (or equivalent) degree-seeking undergraduates from the previous fall who are again enrolled in the current fall. For all other institutions this is the percentage of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students from the previous fall who either re-enrolled or successfully completed their program by the current fall.
Graduation Rate
IPEDS has adopted the definition developed by the Joint Commission on Accountability Reporting (JCAR) as a definition of normal time. Normal time is defined as "the time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate according to an institution’s catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12 quarters, excluding summer terms) for a bachelor’s degree, 2 years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters, excluding summer terms) for an associate’s degree, and the scheduled times for certificate programs." This rate is calculated as the total number of completers within 150% of normal time divided by the revised adjusted cohort.
Two-year Institution
A postsecondary institution that offers programs of at least 2 but less than 4 years duration. Includes occupational and vocational schools with programs of at least 1800 hours and academic institutions with programs of less than 4 years. Does not include bachelor's degree-granting institutions where the baccalaureate program can be completed in 3 years.
Four-Year Institution
A postsecondary institution that offers programs of at least 4 years duration or one that offers programs at or above the baccalaureate level. Includes schools that offer postbaccalaureate certificates only or those that offer graduate programs only. Also includes free-standing medical, law or other first-professional schools.
White (non-Hispanic)
A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East (except those of Hispanic origin).
Black (non-Hispanic)
A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (except those of Hispanic origin).
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.
Hispanic/Latino
A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
Nonresident Alien
A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely
IPEDS Data Center
The IPEDS Data Center is the single entry point for retrieving IPEDS data. Using the data center, one can easily download data files for one or more institutions with information from any of the IPEDS components or download complete data files, produce a variety of reports or create group statistics.
*IPEDS glossary of definitions, U.S. Census Bureau
"A student attending any institution for the first time at the level enrolled." By this we mean at the undergraduate level, graduate level, or first-professional level. Since the graduation rate is only interested in undergraduates, it means that the student is first time in postsecondary education (or the student is not known to have attended another postsecondary institution).
Degree/Certificate-Seeking Students
Students enrolled in courses for credit and recognized by the institution as seeking a degree, certificate, or other formal award. High school students also enrolled in postsecondary courses for credit are not considered degree/certificate-seeking.
Full-Time Student
A student enrolled for 12 or more semester credits, or 12 or more quarter credits, or 24 or more contact hours a week each term.
Part-Time Student
Undergraduate: A student enrolled for either less than 12 semester or quarter credits, or less than 24 contact hours a week each term.
Attainment Rate
Educational attainment refers to the highest level of education that an individual has completed. This is distinct from the level of schooling that an individual is attending.
Retention Rate
A measure of the rate at which students persist in their educational program at an institution, expressed as a percentage. For four-year institutions, this is the percentage of first-time bachelors (or equivalent) degree-seeking undergraduates from the previous fall who are again enrolled in the current fall. For all other institutions this is the percentage of first-time degree/certificate-seeking students from the previous fall who either re-enrolled or successfully completed their program by the current fall.
Graduation Rate
IPEDS has adopted the definition developed by the Joint Commission on Accountability Reporting (JCAR) as a definition of normal time. Normal time is defined as "the time necessary for a student to complete all requirements for a degree or certificate according to an institution’s catalog. This is typically 4 years (8 semesters or trimesters, or 12 quarters, excluding summer terms) for a bachelor’s degree, 2 years (4 semesters or trimesters, or 6 quarters, excluding summer terms) for an associate’s degree, and the scheduled times for certificate programs." This rate is calculated as the total number of completers within 150% of normal time divided by the revised adjusted cohort.
Two-year Institution
A postsecondary institution that offers programs of at least 2 but less than 4 years duration. Includes occupational and vocational schools with programs of at least 1800 hours and academic institutions with programs of less than 4 years. Does not include bachelor's degree-granting institutions where the baccalaureate program can be completed in 3 years.
Four-Year Institution
A postsecondary institution that offers programs of at least 4 years duration or one that offers programs at or above the baccalaureate level. Includes schools that offer postbaccalaureate certificates only or those that offer graduate programs only. Also includes free-standing medical, law or other first-professional schools.
White (non-Hispanic)
A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East (except those of Hispanic origin).
Black (non-Hispanic)
A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (except those of Hispanic origin).
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.
Hispanic/Latino
A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
Nonresident Alien
A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely
IPEDS Data Center
The IPEDS Data Center is the single entry point for retrieving IPEDS data. Using the data center, one can easily download data files for one or more institutions with information from any of the IPEDS components or download complete data files, produce a variety of reports or create group statistics.
*IPEDS glossary of definitions, U.S. Census Bureau