NCES 2017-024 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Enrollment and Employees in 

Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2015; 

and Financial Statistics and Academic 

Libraries, Fiscal Year 2015

First Look
Enrollment and Employees in 

Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2015; 

and Financial Statistics and Academic 

Libraries, Fiscal Year 2015 

First Look (Provisional Data) 

FEBRUARY 2017 

Scott A. Ginder 

Janice E. Kelly-Reid

Farrah B. Mann

RTI International

NCES 2017-024

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Institute of Education Sciences

Thomas W. Brock

Commissioner for Education Research

Delegated Duties of the Director

National Center for Education Statistics

Peggy G. Carr

Acting Commissioner

Administrative Data Division

Ross Santy

Associate Commissioner

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Suggested Citation

Ginder, S.A., Kelly-Reid, J.E., and Mann, F.B. (2017). Enrollment and Employees in Postsecondary Institutions, Fall 2015; 

and Financial Statistics and Academic Libraries, Fiscal Year 2015: First Look (Provisional Data) (NCES 2017-024). U.S. 

Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved [date] from

http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch. 

Content Contact

Aurora D’Amico

(202) 502-7334

aurora.damico@ed.gov
iii

Acknowledgments 

The authors would like to recognize the contributions of the postsecondary institutions and their 

representatives who provided the data upon which this report is based. This report would not 

have been possible without their invaluable contributions. 
iv

Contents 

Page 

Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................ iii

List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................v

Introduction ....................................................................................................................................1

IPEDS 2015–16 ............................................................................................................................1

Fall Enrollment .............................................................................................................................1

Finance ..........................................................................................................................................2

Human Resources .........................................................................................................................2

Academic Libraries .......................................................................................................................2

Selected Findings ............................................................................................................................4

Characteristics of Enrolled Students .............................................................................................4

Revenues and Expenses of Title IV Entities .................................................................................4

Employees in Postsecondary Institutions .....................................................................................4

Academic Library Collections ......................................................................................................4

Tables ..............................................................................................................................................5

Appendix A: Data Collection Procedures ............................................................................... A-1

Appendix B: Glossary of IPEDS Terms ..................................................................................B-1
v

List of Tables

Page 

1. Number and percentage distribution of students enrolled at Title IV institutions, by 

control of institution, student level, level of institution, attendance status, and other 

selected characteristics: United States, fall 2015 .................................................................5

2. Amount and percentage distribution of revenues and expenses of all Title IV 

institutions and administrative offices, by level and control of institution or 

administrative office, accounting standards utilized, and source of funds: United 

States, fiscal year 2015 ........................................................................................................7

3. Number of staff at Title IV institutions and administrative offices, by control and 

level of institution or administrative office, medical school staff status, 

occupational category, and employment status: United States, fall 2015..........................10

4. Number of items in library collections at Title IV degree-granting institutions, by 

level and control of institution and type of collection: United States, fiscal year 

2015....................................................................................................................................12
1 

Introduction

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) collects institution-level data 

from postsecondary institutions in the United States (50 states and the District of Columbia) and 

other U.S. jurisdictions (see appendix A for a list of other U.S. jurisdictions). This First Look

presents findings from the provisional data of the IPEDS spring 2016 data collection, which 

included four survey components: Enrollment at postsecondary institutions during fall 2015; 

Finance for the 2015 fiscal year; Human Resources at postsecondary institutions during fall 

2015, and Academic Libraries for the 2015 fiscal year. Data for all components were collected 

through the IPEDS web-based data collection system. A brief summary of the spring 2016 

survey components is included in this report, and detailed information about the study 

methodology can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2016111. 

This First Look provides users with access to fully reviewed, edited, and imputed IPEDS data. 

Final data, including revisions to the provisional data submitted by institutions after the close of 

data collection, will be available during the next collection year (2016–17).

The purpose of this report is to introduce new data through tables containing descriptive 

information. The findings presented here demonstrate the range of information available through 

IPEDS; they include only a sample of the information collected and are not meant to emphasize 

any particular issue. While only a few of the data included in the spring 2016 collection are 

displayed in this First Look, all data from the spring 2016 collection are publicly available 

through the IPEDS Data Center, found at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter. 

IPEDS 2015–16

Participation in IPEDS was required for institutions and administrative offices that participated 

in Title IV federal student financial aid programs such as Federal Pell Grants or Federal Stafford 

Loans during the 2015–16 academic year.1

 Response to all applicable survey components of 

IPEDS was mandatory for such institutions and administrative offices. A total of 7,177 Title IV 

institutions and 75 administrative offices (central or system offices) in the United States and 

other U.S. jurisdictions were expected to participate in the spring collection. Tables in this report 

focus on the 7,021 institutions and 72 administrative offices in the United States; however, data 

from institutions and administrative offices in both the United States and the other U.S. 

jurisdictions are available for download. 

Detailed definitions of terms used in this report are available in the glossary (appendix B). 

Fall Enrollment

The 2016 Fall Enrollment component collected student enrollment data for fall 2015. All 

institutions were required to report data on the race/ethnicity and gender of students, attendance 

status, and student level (undergraduate or graduate). Institutions were also required to report 

data by student age, while state of residency reporting was optional. In addition, data were 

collected on the number of students enrolled exclusively in distance education courses, in any 

 

1 Institutions participating in Title IV programs are accredited by an agency or organization recognized by the 

Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, have a program of more than 300 clock hours or 8 credit hours, have 

been in business for at least 2 years, and have a signed Program Participation Agreement with the Office of 

Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education. 
2 

distance education courses, or in no distance education courses. These data were reported by 

student level, undergraduate degree-seeking status, and student residence location (i.e., in the 

same state or jurisdiction as the institution, in a different state or jurisdiction as the institution, 

outside the United States, or unknown). The Fall Enrollment component also collected retention 

rates and student-faculty ratios. Administrative offices do not complete the Fall Enrollment

component. 

Finance

All institutions and administrative offices were required to report financial statistics, such as 

institutional revenues and expenses, for the most recent fiscal year ending prior to October 2015 

(fiscal year 2015) via the 2016 Finance component. The Finance component is designed to 

follow the format of institutional financial statements suggested by the Financial Accounting 

Standards Board (FASB) and the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). Most 

public institutions and administrative offices follow GASB, so the figures in this report for 

public entities2 represent those following GASB standards.3 Aggregate totals for public entities 

using FASB standards are included in the footnotes of tables displaying Finance data. All private 

entities use FASB standards. As a result of the implementation of GASB Statement 68 for 

defined benefit pension plans, starting in the spring 2016 collection cycle, public institutions 

with defined pension plans and using the GASB accounting standards were required to provide 

additional information on pension liabilities and expenses. 

Human Resources

The Human Resources component of IPEDS collected data on the number of staff on the 

institution’s payroll as of November 1, 2015. All institutions and administrative offices were 

required to report staff counts by employment status (full- or part-time), occupational category, 

race/ethnicity, and gender. Degree-granting institutions with 15 or more full-time employees 

were also required to report staff counts by faculty status. 

In addition, degree-granting institutions and administrative offices are required to report salary 

information for full-time staff.

Academic Libraries

The Academic Libraries (AL) component collected information from degree-granting institutions 

on library collections, expenditures, and services for fiscal year 2015. Institutions answer a 

screening question within the Institutional Characteristics component during the fall collection 

period that determines the requirement to complete the AL component. Institutions answer an 

additional screening question within the AL component to direct them to complete the 

appropriate sections of the component. The AL component consists of two sections: Section I 

collects data on the library collections and circulation numbers, including physical books, media, 

digital or electronic books (including government documents), digital or electronic databases, 

and digital or electronic media, and is to be completed by institutions reporting any library 

expenditures. Section II collects data on the number of branch and independent libraries as well 

as library expenditures—including library staff wages and fringe benefits, materials and service 

costs, operations and maintenance expenditures, and interlibrary services—and is to be 

 

2 Throughout this publication, the term “entity” refers to both institutions and administrative offices. 3 Ninety-nine percent of public institutions used GASB, and 1 percent used FASB. 
3 

completed by institutions with total library expenditures greater than $100,000. Institutions with 

no library expenditures were not required to respond to the AL component. 
4 

Selected Findings 

Characteristics of Enrolled Students

• In fall 2015, Title IV institutions enrolled approximately 17.4 million undergraduate and 

about 2.9 million graduate students (table 1). Of the approximately 17.4 million 

undergraduates, about 60 percent were enrolled in 4-year institutions, nearly 38 percent in 

2-year institutions, and almost 2 percent in less-than-2-year institutions.

• In fall 2015, women accounted for most college students, constituting 55 percent of all 

students at public Title IV institutions, approximately 58 percent of all students at private 

nonprofit institutions, and 65 of students enrolled at private for-profit institutions. 

Revenues and Expenses of Title IV Entities

• In fiscal year 2015, public 4-year institutions and administrative offices received about 

22 percent of their revenues from tuition and fees, compared with nearly 35 percent at private 

nonprofit entities and just over 90 percent at private for-profit entities (table 2). 

• During the same period, about 29 percent of expenses at public 4-year entities were for 

instruction, compared with approximately 43 percent at public 2-year entities and nearly 

52 percent at public less-than-2-year entities. 

Employees in Postsecondary Institutions

• Title IV institutions and administrative offices reported employing approximately 4.0 million 

individuals in fall 2015 (table 3). Of the 4.0 million individuals, about 2.6 million were 

employed full-time and about 1.4 million were employed part-time.

Academic Library Collections

• Eligible Title IV degree-granting institutions reported approximately 1.3 billion items in 

physical library collections (books and media) and about 839 million items in electronic 

library collections (digital/electronic books, databases, and digital electronic media) (table 4). 
5 

Tables

Table 1. Number and percentage distribution of students enrolled at Title IV institutions, by control of 

institution, student level, level of institution, attendance status, and other selected 

characteristics: United States, fall 2015

Student level, level of institution, 

attendance status, gender, and 

race/ethnicity

Total Public

Private

Nonprofit For-profit

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Total students 20,389,307 100.0 14,678,270 100.0 4,085,928 100.0 1,625,109 100.0

4-year 13,486,699 66.1 8,352,437 56.9 4,013,680 98.2 1,120,582 69.0

2-year 6,611,111 32.4 6,274,648 42.7 56,459 1.4 280,004 17.2

Less-than-2-year 291,497 1.4 51,185 0.3 15,789 0.4 224,523 13.8

Full-time 12,604,579 61.8 8,413,528 57.3 3,069,981 75.1 1,121,070 69.0

Part-time 7,784,728 38.2 6,264,742 42.7 1,015,947 24.9 504,039 31.0

Men 8,869,515 43.5 6,575,544 44.8 1,727,359 42.3 566,612 34.9

Women 11,519,792 56.5 8,102,726 55.2 2,358,569 57.7 1,058,497 65.1

American Indian or Alaska Native 145,437 0.7 113,712 0.8 19,507 0.5 12,218 0.8

Asian 1,184,188 5.8 902,948 6.2 230,328 5.6 50,912 3.1

Black or African American 2,606,038 12.8 1,727,548 11.8 464,337 11.4 414,153 25.5

Hispanic or Latino 3,238,838 15.9 2,617,389 17.8 371,110 9.1 250,339 15.4

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific 

Islander 54,074 0.3 35,265 0.2 9,884 0.2 8,925 0.5

White 10,513,986 51.6 7,654,480 52.1 2,244,811 54.9 614,695 37.8

Two or more races 636,023 3.1 471,724 3.2 111,837 2.7 52,462 3.2

Race/ethnicity unknown 1,026,023 5.0 528,054 3.6 303,216 7.4 194,753 12.0

Nonresident alien 984,700 4.8 627,150 4.3 330,898 8.1 26,652 1.6

Undergraduate 17,448,545 100.0 13,255,887 100.0 2,841,460 100.0 1,351,198 100.0

4-year 10,545,937 60.4 6,930,054 52.3 2,769,212 97.5 846,671 62.7

Full-time 8,093,858 46.4 5,280,550 39.8 2,265,180 79.7 548,128 40.6

Part-time 2,452,079 14.1 1,649,504 12.4 504,032 17.7 298,543 22.1

Men 4,683,682 26.8 3,174,475 23.9 1,186,177 41.7 323,030 23.9

Women 5,862,255 33.6 3,755,579 28.3 1,583,035 55.7 523,641 38.8

American Indian or Alaska 

Native 66,375 0.4 46,107 0.3 13,867 0.5 6,401 0.5

Asian 623,962 3.6 459,004 3.5 142,388 5.0 22,570 1.7

Black or African American 1,290,504 7.4 764,928 5.8 318,375 11.2 207,201 15.3

Hispanic or Latino 1,426,105 8.2 1,047,861 7.9 269,120 9.5 109,124 8.1

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific 

Islander 27,505 0.2 15,227 0.1 7,115 0.3 5,163 0.4

White 5,757,208 33.0 3,841,741 29.0 1,589,232 55.9 326,235 24.1

Two or more races 359,382 2.1 243,099 1.8 85,697 3.0 30,586 2.3

Race/ethnicity unknown 535,369 3.1 222,038 1.7 187,462 6.6 125,869 9.3

Nonresident alien 459,527 2.6 290,049 2.2 155,956 5.5 13,522 1.0

2-year 6,611,111 37.9 6,274,648 47.3 56,459 2.0 280,004 20.7

Full-time 2,601,501 14.9 2,307,746 17.4 41,472 1.5 252,283 18.7

Part-time 4,009,610 23.0 3,966,902 29.9 14,987 0.5 27,721 2.1

Men 2,876,760 16.5 2,759,457 20.8 16,243 0.6 101,060 7.5

Women 3,734,351 21.4 3,515,191 26.5 40,216 1.4 178,944 13.2

American Indian or Alaska 

Native 62,310 0.4 58,437 0.4 1,187 # 2,686 0.2

Asian 371,646 2.1 360,802 2.7 1,622 0.1 9,222 0.7

Black or African American 919,509 5.3 834,760 6.3 15,351 0.5 69,398 5.1

Hispanic or Latino 1,520,173 8.7 1,451,225 10.9 6,896 0.2 62,052 4.6

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific 

Islander 20,092 0.1 18,244 0.1 354 # 1,494 0.1

White 3,141,070 18.0 3,011,223 22.7 26,100 0.9 103,747 7.7

Two or more races 208,005 1.2 196,352 1.5 1,455 0.1 10,198 0.8

Race/ethnicity unknown 262,925 1.5 241,542 1.8 2,392 0.1 18,991 1.4

Nonresident alien 105,381 0.6 102,063 0.8 1,102 # 2,216 0.2

See notes at end of table.
6 

Table 1. Number and percentage distribution of students enrolled at Title IV institutions, by control of 

institution, student level, level of institution, attendance status, other selected characteristics: 

United States, fall 2015—Continued

Student level, level of institution, 

attendance status, gender, and 

race/ethnicity

Total Public

Private

Nonprofit For-profit

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

Less-than-2-year 291,497 1.7 51,185 0.4 15,789 0.6 224,523 16.6

Full-time 223,156 1.3 24,289 0.2 15,130 0.5 183,737 13.6

Part-time 68,341 0.4 26,896 0.2 659 # 40,786 3.0

Men 87,451 0.5 24,654 0.2 5,360 0.2 57,437 4.3

Women 204,046 1.2 26,531 0.2 10,429 0.4 167,086 12.4

American Indian or Alaska 

Native 3,904 # 2,499 # 79 # 1,326 0.1

Asian 9,601 0.1 947 # 1,050 # 7,604 0.6

Black or African American 67,209 0.4 5,812 # 4,483 0.2 56,914 4.2

Hispanic or Latino 70,217 0.4 6,638 0.1 5,224 0.2 58,355 4.3

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific 

Islander 1,076 # 128 # 67 # 881 0.1

White 117,765 0.7 32,125 0.2 3,813 0.1 81,827 6.1

Two or more races 6,986 # 1,615 # 350 # 5,021 0.4

Race/ethnicity unknown 12,165 0.1 1,394 # 693 # 10,078 0.7

Nonresident alien 2,574 # 27 # 30 # 2,517 0.2

Graduate 2,940,762 100.0 1,422,383 100.0 1,244,468 100.0 273,911 100.0

Full-time 1,686,064 57.3 800,943 56.3 748,199 60.1 136,922 50.0

Part-time 1,254,698 42.7 621,440 43.7 496,269 39.9 136,989 50.0

Men 1,221,622 41.5 616,958 43.4 519,579 41.8 85,085 31.1

Women 1,719,140 58.5 805,425 56.6 724,889 58.2 188,826 68.9

American Indian or Alaska Native 12,848 0.4 6,669 0.5 4,374 0.4 1,805 0.7

Asian 178,979 6.1 82,195 5.8 85,268 6.9 11,516 4.2

Black or African American 328,816 11.2 122,048 8.6 126,128 10.1 80,640 29.4

Hispanic or Latino 222,343 7.6 111,665 7.9 89,870 7.2 20,808 7.6

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific 

Islander 5,401 0.2 1,666 0.1 2,348 0.2 1,387 0.5

White 1,497,943 50.9 769,391 54.1 625,666 50.3 102,886 37.6

Two or more races 61,650 2.1 30,658 2.2 24,335 2.0 6,657 2.4

Race/ethnicity unknown 215,564 7.3 63,080 4.4 112,669 9.1 39,815 14.5

Nonresident alien 417,218 14.2 235,011 16.5 173,810 14.0 8,397 3.1

# Rounds to zero.

NOTE: Title IV institutions are those with a written agreement with the U.S. Department of Education that allows the institution to 

participate in any of the Title IV federal student financial assistance programs. The four U.S. service academies that are not Title IV 

eligible are included in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) universe because they are federally funded 

and open to the public. Students who self-identify with more than one race are included in the Two or more races category. 

Individuals who are in the United States on a visa or temporary basis, and who are not authorized to remain indefinitely, are 

included in the Nonresident alien category regardless of race or ethnicity. Students of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity are included in the 

Hispanic or Latino category regardless of race. Percentages in the columns of this table use the corresponding count in the Total 

students row as the denominator. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Definitions for terms used in this table may be 

found in the IPEDS online glossary located at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/VisGlossaryAll.aspx. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS, Spring 2016, Fall Enrollment component 

(provisional data).
7 

Table 2. Amount and percentage distribution of revenues and expenses of all Title IV institutions and 

administrative offices, by level and control of institution or administrative office, accounting 

standards utilized, and source of funds: United States, fiscal year 2015

Source of funds

4-year 2-year Less-than-2-year

Revenues or 

expenses

(in thousands) Percent

Revenues or 

expenses 

(in thousands) Percent

Revenues or 

expenses 

(in thousands) Percent

Public institutions (GASB standards1,2

) 

Total revenues and investment return $278,990,106 100.0 $57,245,272 100.0 $777,939 100.0

Operating revenues 183,582,455 65.8 16,261,498 28.4 317,922 40.9

Tuition and fees (net of allowances and 

discounts) 60,663,433 21.7 9,425,290 16.5 158,061 20.3

Grants and contracts 41,165,146 14.8 4,182,710 7.3 107,168 13.8

Federal (excludes Federal Direct Student 

Loans) 24,251,665 8.7 1,736,562 3.0 22,846 2.9

State 5,336,850 1.9 1,884,164 3.3 55,499 7.1

Local 2,600,095 0.9 308,298 0.5 27,720 3.6

Private 8,976,535 3.2 253,686 0.4 1,103 0.1

Sales and services of auxiliary enterprises after 

deducting discounts and allowances 24,014,660 8.6 1,755,051 3.1 † † 

Sales and services of hospitals 38,377,649 13.8 † † † † 

Sales and services of educational activities 9,024,749 3.2 162,085 0.3 4,976 0.6

Independent operations 1,476,595 0.5 † † † † 

Other operating revenues 8,860,223 3.2 736,362 1.3 47,716 6.1

Nonoperating revenues 79,823,985 28.6 38,393,622 67.1 439,947 56.6

Appropriations 52,617,710 18.9 25,195,852 44.0 327,413 42.1

Federal 1,650,355 0.6 104,516 0.2 12,270 1.6

State 50,386,091 18.1 14,290,289 25.0 157,876 20.3

Local 581,264 0.2 10,801,047 18.9 157,267 20.2

Nonoperating grants 14,354,798 5.1 12,040,242 21.0 97,818 12.6

Federal 11,330,325 4.1 10,350,404 18.1 87,561 11.3

State 2,866,382 1.0 1,556,721 2.7 9,654 1.2

Local 158,091 0.1 133,117 0.2 604 0.1

Gifts 7,415,279 2.7 316,434 0.6 5,291 0.7

Investment income 967,535 0.3 148,041 0.3 1,228 0.2

Other nonoperating revenues 4,468,663 1.6 693,053 1.2 8,196 1.1

Total other revenues and additions3 15,583,666 5.6 2,590,152 4.5 20,071 2.6

Capital appropriations 4,632,561 1.7 1,659,859 2.9 — — 

Capital grants and gifts 3,383,607 1.2 326,095 0.6 — — 

Additions to permanent endowments 998,917 0.4 14,047 # — — 

Other revenues and additions 6,568,581 2.4 590,151 1.0 — — 

Total expenses $270,184,915 100.0 $55,062,399 100.0 $693,593 100.0

Instruction 79,152,943 29.3 23,716,136 43.1 358,251 51.7

Research 33,374,210 12.4 23,923 # 0 0.0

Public service 13,016,977 4.8 850,723 1.5 2,457 0.4

Academic support 22,636,700 8.4 4,885,977 8.9 59,379 8.6

Student services 13,128,497 4.9 5,999,049 10.9 58,673 8.5

Institutional support 23,511,961 8.7 9,120,421 16.6 124,718 18.0

Scholarships and fellowships (excluding discounts 

and allowances) 10,015,015 3.7 5,877,601 10.7 21,185 3.1

Auxiliary enterprises 27,752,967 10.3 2,468,157 4.5 † † 

Hospital services 36,749,014 13.6 † † † † 

Independent operations 1,569,137 0.6 † † † † 

Other expenses and deductions 9,277,493 3.4 2,120,412 3.9 68,931 9.9

See notes at end of table.
8 

Table 2. Amount and percentage distribution of revenues and expenses of all Title IV institutions and 

administrative offices, by level and control of institution or administrative office, accounting 

standards utilized, and source of funds: United States, fiscal year 2015—Continued

Source of funds

4-year 2-year Less-than-2-year

Revenues or 

expenses

(in thousands) Percent

Revenues or 

expenses

(in thousands) Percent

Revenues or 

expenses

(in thousands) Percent

Private nonprofit institutions (FASB standards1

) 

Total revenues and investment return $199,549,567 100.0 $1,054,094 100.0 $189,492 100.0

Tuition and fees 69,695,201 34.9 802,506 76.1 128,965 68.1

Government appropriations 825,434 0.4 18,818 1.8 121 0.1

Federal 442,350 0.2 11,821 1.1 2 # 

State 381,439 0.2 6,630 0.6 119 0.1

Local 1,645 # 368 # 0 0.0

Government grants and contracts 17,904,640 9.0 74,933 7.1 31,113 16.4

Federal 16,350,087 8.2 67,248 6.4 25,522 13.5

State 1,093,976 0.5 7,008 0.7 4,806 2.5

Local 460,576 0.2 677 0.1 785 0.4

Private gifts 19,504,704 9.8 35,659 3.4 1,738 0.9

Private grants and contracts 5,517,889 2.8 3,766 0.4 4,439 2.3

Contributions from affiliated entities 1,802,140 0.9 27,561 2.6 4,881 2.6

Investment return 21,275,000 10.7 9,347 0.9 871 0.5

Sales and services of educational activities 6,719,037 3.4 11,559 1.1 3,520 1.9

Sales and services of auxiliary enterprises 16,925,946 8.5 35,522 3.4 † † 

Hospital revenue 23,883,795 12.0 † † † † 

Independent operations revenue 7,351,628 3.7 † † † † 

Other revenue4 8,144,153 4.1 34,425 3.3 13,844 7.3

Total expenses $180,766,403 100.0 $1,031,327 100.0 $194,927 100.0

Instruction 58,636,364 32.4 381,296 37.0 77,927 40.0

Research 18,286,347 10.1 1,546 0.1 459 0.2

Public service 2,634,454 1.5 3,100 0.3 954 0.5

Academic support 15,494,722 8.6 106,545 10.3 24,630 12.6

Student services 15,197,168 8.4 217,465 21.1 17,429 8.9

Institutional support 23,745,067 13.1 224,490 21.8 50,012 25.7

Net grant aid to students 896,231 0.5 4,871 0.5 17 # 

Auxiliary enterprises 16,298,691 9.0 29,873 2.9 † † 

Hospital services 20,529,450 11.4 † † † † 

Independent operations 6,063,555 3.4 † † † † 

Other expenses 2,984,356 1.7 62,140 6.0 23,498 12.1

Private for-profit institutions (FASB standards1

) 

Total revenues and investment return $15,844,144 100.0 $4,709,525 100.0 $3,460,628 100.0

Tuition and fees 14,281,153 90.1 4,198,895 89.2 2,951,012 85.3

Government appropriations 29,178 0.2 58,529 1.2 33,784 1.0

Federal 26,523 0.2 56,917 1.2 33,252 1.0

State 2,069 # 1,425 # 366 # 

Local 586 # 187 # 166 # 

Government grants and contracts 634,703 4.0 204,865 4.4 112,601 3.3

Federal (excludes Federal Direct Student 

Loans) 599,788 3.8 190,134 4.0 108,230 3.1

State 34,783 0.2 13,125 0.3 2,152 0.1

Local 132 # 1,606 # 2,218 0.1

Private gifts, grants and contracts 14,474 0.1 1,509 # 2,900 0.1

Investment income and investment gains (losses) 37,565 0.2 8,324 0.2 4,525 0.1

Sales and services of educational activities 198,393 1.3 88,169 1.9 214,569 6.2

Sales and services of auxiliary enterprises 370,969 2.3 63,430 1.3 † † 

Hospital services 122 # † † † † 

Other revenue4 277,587 1.8 85,804 1.8 141,237 4.1

See notes at end of table.
9 

Table 2. Amount and percentage distribution of revenues and expenses of all Title IV institutions and 

administrative offices, by level and control of institution or administrative office, accounting 

standards utilized, and source of funds: United States, fiscal year 2015—Continued

Source of funds1

4-year 2-year Less-than-2-year

Revenues or 

expenses

(in thousands) Percent

Revenues or 

expenses 

(in thousands) Percent

Revenues or 

expenses 

(in thousands) Percent

Private for-profit institutions (FASB standards1

)—Continued

Total expenses $14,629,805 100.0 $4,665,119 100.0 $2,921,308 100.0

Instruction 3,733,254 25.5 1,471,425 31.5 1,154,221 39.5

Research 4,803 # 752 # 1,772 0.1

Public service 12,926 0.1 2,334 0.1 3,197 0.1

Academic support 1,423,432 9.7 377,743 8.1 251,255 8.6

Student services 3,042,479 20.8 723,337 15.5 324,944 11.1

Institutional support 5,149,424 35.2 1,373,847 29.4 786,297 26.9

Net grant aid to students 33,089 0.2 4,038 0.1 11,009 0.4

Auxiliary enterprises 336,326 2.3 169,774 3.6 † † 

Hospital services 31 # † † † † 

Other expenses 894,042 6.1 541,868 11.6 388,613 13.3

— Not available. Non-degree-granting institutions and administrative offices report the total other revenues and additions, but not the 

details. 

† Not applicable.

# Rounds to zero.

1

Due to differences between GASB standards and FASB standards, figures from public institutions are not comparable with figures 

from private institutions, even in categories with identical labels.

2

In addition to the public institutions using Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards, 19 public institutions 

(1 percent of public institutions) not displayed in this table reported $11.5 billion in revenue and investment return and $11 billion in 

expenses using Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) standards.

3

Non-degree-granting institutions report the total other revenues and additions, but not the details. As a result, the details will not sum 

to the total.

4

Other revenue is a calculated value and may be negative if the total revenue and investment return reported is less than the sum of 

the reported data in the detail revenues and investment return categories.

NOTE: Title IV institutions are those with a written agreement with the U.S. Department of Education that allows the institution to 

participate in any of the Title IV federal student financial assistance programs. The four U.S. service academies that are not Title IV 

eligible are included in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) universe because they are federally funded 

and open to the public. Percentages in the columns of this table use the corresponding dollar amount in the appropriate total row of 

each section as the denominator. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Definitions for terms used in this table may be 

found in the IPEDS online glossary located at https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/VisGlossaryAll.aspx. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS, Spring 2016, Finance component 

(provisional data).
10

Table 3. Number of staff at Title IV institutions and administrative offices, by control and level of institution or administrative office, medical school staff 

status, occupational category, and employment status: United States, fall 2015

Occupational category and 

employment status

All 

institutions

Public

Private

Nonprofit For-profit

4-year 4-year 4-year

Staff not in 

medical

schools1

Medical

school1 

staff 2-year

Less-than2-year

Staff not in 

medical

schools1

Medical

school1 

staff 2-year

Less-than2-year

Staff not in 

medical

schools1

Medical

school1 

staff 2-year

Less-than2-year

Total staff 3,983,174 1,693,560 231,614 633,246 11,482 1,010,399 175,488 10,527 2,294 141,050 58 40,186 33,270

Full-time 2,551,861 1,120,642 186,880 303,378 6,701 669,660 147,736 7,449 1,731 60,158 26 24,719 22,781

Part-time 1,431,313 572,918 44,734 329,868 4,781 340,739 27,752 3,078 563 80,892 32 15,467 10,489

Instruction 1,471,073 487,956 63,499 350,705 5,933 381,182 46,482 5,025 1,063 89,597 58 22,434 17,139

Full-time 733,720 305,375 52,368 111,976 2,652 187,220 38,233 2,748 607 13,555 26 9,402 9,558

Part-time 737,353 182,581 11,131 238,729 3,281 193,962 8,249 2,277 456 76,042 32 13,032 7,581

Research 87,142 38,722 16,252 108 † 19,975 11,979 10 † 64 † 32 †

Full-time 72,721 31,064 14,249 96 † 17,251 9,994 7 † 29 † 31 †

Part-time 14,421 7,658 2,003 12 † 2,724 1,985 3 † 35 † 1 †

Public service 27,531 10,481 4,843 3,466 † 1,934 6,754 1 † 22 † 30 †

Full-time 19,037 7,916 3,999 445 † 1,074 5,569 1 † 12 † 21 †

Part-time 8,494 2,565 844 3,021 † 860 1,185 0 † 10 † 9 †

Librarians, curators, and archivists 42,814 18,101 336 5,576 21 16,909 377 139 22 919 † 328 86

Full-time 36,392 16,666 304 3,744 13 14,266 347 89 19 678 † 208 58

Part-time 6,422 1,435 32 1,832 8 2,643 30 50 3 241 † 120 28

Student and academic affairs and 

other education services 

occupations 177,699 59,307 2,245 51,862 1,384 43,620 1,986 557 127 10,454 † 3,094 3,063

Full-time 118,346 44,208 1,747 22,091 1,010 32,867 1,428 414 100 9,029 † 2,818 2,634

Part-time 59,353 15,099 498 29,771 374 10,753 558 143 27 1,425 † 276 429

Management occupations 263,293 102,649 10,608 33,421 736 86,268 10,728 967 313 9,730 † 4,067 3,806

Full-time 255,438 99,599 10,106 32,104 676 84,083 10,407 935 307 9,618 † 3,973 3,630

Part-time 7,855 3,050 502 1,317 60 2,185 321 32 6 112 † 94 176

Business and financial operations 

occupations 206,787 103,715 14,696 17,662 262 52,840 8,658 1,280 117 4,173 † 1,886 1,498

Full-time 193,041 96,686 13,408 15,772 223 50,203 8,292 1,236 110 4,035 † 1,743 1,333

Part-time 13,746 7,029 1,288 1,890 39 2,637 366 44 7 138 † 143 165

Computer, engineering, and science 

occupations 232,488 117,559 25,750 16,744 161 50,581 19,091 151 25 1,979 † 299 148

Full-time 212,574 107,722 22,923 14,133 135 47,240 17,991 142 23 1,897 † 257 111

Part-time 19,914 9,837 2,827 2,611 26 3,341 1,100 9 2 82 † 42 37

Community, social service, legal, 

arts, design, entertainment, 

sports, and media occupations 175,289 78,813 4,513 23,570 185 59,846 2,250 249 53 4,983 † 650 177

Full-time 142,098 69,050 3,768 16,299 119 45,485 1,979 172 48 4,554 † 522 102

Part-time 33,191 9,763 745 7,271 66 14,361 271 77 5 429 † 128 75

See notes at end of table.
11

Table 3. Number of staff at Title IV institutions and administrative offices, by control and level of institution or administrative office, medical school staff 

status, occupational category, and employment status: United States, fall 2015—Continued

Occupational category and 

employment status

All 

institutions

Public

Private

Nonprofit For-profit

4-year 4-year 4-year

Staff not in 

medical

schools1

Medical

school1 

staff 2-year

Less-than2-year

Staff not in 

medical

schools1

Medical

school1 

staff 2-year

Less-than2-year

Staff not in 

medical

schools1

Medical

school1 

staff 2-year

Less-than2-year

Healthcare practitioners and 

technical occupations 121,899 35,459 38,918 1,822 326 16,202 28,731 46 4 159 † 82 150

Full-time 99,385 28,326 33,751 851 130 12,278 23,838 34 1 87 † 13 76

Part-time 22,514 7,133 5,167 971 196 3,924 4,893 12 3 72 † 69 74

Service occupations 246,965 120,120 7,853 35,689 819 71,446 7,486 348 43 1,468 † 731 962

Full-time 204,231 103,459 6,792 24,923 520 59,591 6,781 196 32 1,043 † 374 520

Part-time 42,734 16,661 1,061 10,766 299 11,855 705 152 11 425 † 357 442

Sales and related occupations 15,982 2,525 86 1,928 15 3,891 40 480 70 3,363 † 1,945 1,639

Full-time 13,214 1,979 82 1,062 12 3,160 37 468 68 3,279 † 1,684 1,383

Part-time 2,768 546 4 866 3 731 3 12 2 84 † 261 256

Office and administrative support

occupations 449,736 182,468 24,779 82,526 1,286 112,111 23,369 1,148 440 13,166 † 4,275 4,168

Full-time 364,579 152,006 22,529 52,981 976 94,822 21,543 907 403 11,905 † 3,441 3,066

Part-time 85,157 30,462 2,250 29,545 310 17,289 1,826 241 37 1,261 † 834 1,102

Natural resources, construction, 

and maintenance occupations 75,013 47,640 602 6,798 211 17,569 909 103 12 460 † 303 406

Full-time 70,676 45,442 584 6,020 170 16,670 862 93 8 316 † 220 291

Part-time 4,337 2,198 18 778 41 899 47 10 4 144 † 83 115

Production, transportation, and 

material moving occupations 19,873 12,760 309 1,356 143 4,601 445 17 5 179 † 30 28

Full-time 16,409 11,144 270 881 65 3,450 435 7 5 121 † 12 19

Part-time 3,464 1,616 39 475 78 1,151 10 10 0 58 † 18 9 

Graduate assistants2

—teaching 

plus various categories 369,590 275,285 16,325 13 † 71,424 6,203 6 † 334 † † †

Full-time † † † † † † † † † † † † †

Part-time 369,590 275,285 16,325 13 † 71,424 6,203 6 † 334 † † †

† Not applicable.

1

Medical schools are defined as those that grant degrees in Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and/or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) programs. Also includes health or allied health schools or 

departments that are affiliated with (housed in or under the authority of) the medical school.

2

By definition, all graduate assistants are part-time.

NOTE: Title IV institutions are those with a written agreement with the U.S. Department of Education that allows the institution to participate in any of the Title IV federal student financial 

assistance programs. The four U.S. service academies that are not Title IV eligible are included in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) universe because they are 

federally funded and open to the public. Military-specific occupations (Standard Occupational Classification [SOC] code 55-0000) are part of the SOC system but are not applicable to the IPEDS 

Human Resources (HR) component because IPEDS HR collects data on civilian staff. Definitions for terms used in this table may be found in the IPEDS online glossary located at 

https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/VisGlossaryAll.aspx. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS, Spring 2016, Human Resources component (provisional data).
12

Table 4. Number of items in library collections at Title IV degree-granting institutions, by level and control of 

institution and type of collection: United States, fiscal year 2015

Type of library collection Total

4-year 2-year

Public

Private

Public

Private

Nonprofit For-profit Nonprofit For-profit

Total library 

collections 2,131,133,599 1,030,284,810 743,570,222 156,254,582 161,543,863 6,158,034 33,322,088

Physical library 

collections (books 

and media) 1,292,028,520 780,408,491 450,187,055 5,108,614 54,381,182 1,012,118 931,060

Physical books 1,036,560,465 587,027,061 393,041,575 4,436,909 50,233,066 961,028 860,826

Physical media 255,468,055 193,381,430 57,145,480 671,705 4,148,116 51,090 70,234

Electronic library 

collections (books, 

databases, and 

media) 839,105,079 249,876,319 293,383,167 151,145,968 107,162,681 5,145,916 32,391,028

Digital/electronic 

books 675,582,333 209,448,194 235,556,196 114,591,955 84,216,093 4,872,339 26,897,556

Databases 4,558,273 252,822 1,074,797 662,285 430,883 2,568 2,134,918

Digital/electronic 

media 158,964,473 40,175,303 56,752,174 35,891,728 22,515,705 271,009 3,358,554

NOTE: Title IV institutions are those with a written agreement with the U.S. Department of Education that allows the institution to participate 

in any of the Title IV federal student financial assistance programs. The four U.S. service academies that are not Title IV eligible are 

included in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) universe because they are federally funded and open to the 

public. Definitions for terms used in this table may be found in the IPEDS online glossary located at 

https://surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds/VisGlossaryAll.aspx. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS, Spring 2016, Academic Libraries component 

(provisional data).
A-1 

Appendix A:

Data Collection Procedures 

The spring 2016 collection was entirely web-based; data were collected between December 9, 

2015, and April 6, 2016. Data were provided by “keyholders,” institutional representatives 

appointed by campus chief executives, who were responsible for ensuring that survey data 

submitted by the institution were correct and complete. No problems were noted during the 

spring 2016 data collection. During the collection period, the Integrated Postsecondary 

Education Data System (IPEDS) Help Desk was available to assist respondents with reporting 

the necessary data. 

The IPEDS universe is established during the fall collection period. There were 7,252 Title IV 

institutions and administrative offices1 located in the United States and the other jurisdictions of 

the United States, such as Puerto Rico,2

 in the 2015–16 academic year. The four U.S. service 

academies that are not Title IV eligible are included in the IPEDS universe because they are 

federally funded and open to the public.3

Because the Title IV institutions that are the focus of IPEDS are required to participate in 

IPEDS, the response rates in the spring 2016 IPEDS collection were high, rounding to 100 

percent. Responses were missing for 9 institutions in the Fall Enrollment component,4 40 

institutions in the Finance component,5 8 in the Human Resources component,6 and 1 institution 

in the Academic Libraries component.7

The National Center for Education Statistics statistical standards require that the potential for 

nonresponse bias for all institutions (including those in other U.S. jurisdictions) be analyzed for 

sectors for which the response rate is less than 85 percent. Because response rates were nearly 

 

1 Title IV institutions and administrative offices include 7,177 institutions and 75 administrative (central or system) 

offices. The central and system offices are required to complete the Institutional Characteristics component in the 

fall, the Human Resources component in the spring, and the Finance component in the spring (if they have their own 

separate budget).

2 The other U.S. jurisdictions surveyed in IPEDS are American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 

Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Palau, Puerto Rico, and the 

U.S. Virgin Islands.

3 The four U.S. service academies that are not Title IV eligible are the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Military 

Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy 

is Title IV eligible. Data for all five institutions are included in the tables and counts of institutions unless otherwise 

indicated. 4 Thirty-one Title IV institutions included in the IPEDS universe were not required to respond to the Fall Enrollment

component because the institutions either closed or did not enroll students; hence, a total of 7,146 institutions were 

expected to respond. Of these, 7,137 provided data. 5 Twenty-nine Title IV institutions included in the IPEDS universe were not required to respond to the Finance

component because the institutions were either new, closed, or did not enroll students; hence, a total of 7,223 

institutions and administrative offices were expected to respond. Of these, 7,183 provided data.

6 Twenty-six Title IV institutions included in the IPEDS universe were not required to respond to the Human 

Resources component because the institutions either closed or did not enroll students; hence, a total of 7,226 

institutions and administrative offices were expected to respond. Of these, 7,218 provided data. 

7 The Academic Libraries component was required of the subset of institutions that were degree-granting during the 

fiscal year and reported a library expenditure in the Institutional Characteristics component. As a result, 4,518 

institutions were expected to respond to the Academic Libraries component. Of these, 4,517 provided data. 
A-2 

100 percent for each survey component, no such analysis was necessary. However, data from 5 

institutions that responded to the Fall Enrollment component, 1 institution that responded to the 

Finance component, and 1 institution that responded to the Human Resources component 

contained item nonresponse, and these missing items were imputed. Due to unit nonresponse, all 

data were imputed for 9 institutions in the Fall Enrollment component, 40 institutions in the 

Finance component, 8 institutions in the Human Resources component, and 1 institution in the 

Academic Libraries component that were expected to respond. 

Some data are only required to be reported to IPEDS biennially. For the spring 2016 collection, 

these data include enrollment data on the state of residency of first-time degree/certificateseeking undergraduate students in the Fall Enrollment component. IPEDS permits institutions to 

report these data in years when they are not required, should institutions choose to do so. During 

this collection, around 39 percent of Title IV institutions provided data by state of residency of 

first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students. These data are not included in this 

First Look report.

Detailed information about the study methodology including imputation procedures can be found 

at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2016111. 
B-1

Appendix B:

Glossary of IPEDS Terms 

2-year institution: Any postsecondary institution that offers programs of at least 2 but less than 4 

years’ duration, as well as occupational and vocational schools with programs of at least 1,800 hours 

and academic institutions with programs of less than 4 years. Does not include bachelor’s degreegranting institutions where the baccalaureate program can be completed in 3 years. 

4-year institution: Any postsecondary institution that offers programs of at least 4 years’ duration or 

one that offers programs at or above the baccalaureate level, as well as schools that offer 

postbaccalaureate certificates only or those that offer graduate programs only. Also includes 

freestanding medical, law, or other professional schools. 

administrative office: The system or central office in a multicampus environment.

auxiliary enterprises revenues: Revenues generated by or collected from the auxiliary enterprise 

operations of the institution that exist to furnish a service to students, faculty, or staff and that charge 

a fee that is directly related to, although not necessarily equal to, the cost of the service. Auxiliary 

enterprises are managed as essentially self-supporting activities. Examples are residence halls, food 

services, student health services, intercollegiate athletics, college unions, college stores, and movie 

theaters. 

branch and independent libraries: Auxiliary library service outlets with quarters separate from the 

central library that houses the basic collection. The central library administers the branches. Libraries 

on branch campuses that have separate NCES identification numbers are reported as separate 

libraries.

business and financial operations occupations: An occupational category based on the major 

group Business and Financial Operations Occupations in the 2010 Standard Occupational 

Classification (SOC) Manual (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc130000.htm). 

community, social service, legal, arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations: An 

occupational category based on the following three major groups in the 2010 Standard Occupational 

Classification (SOC) Manual: (1) Community and Social Service Occupations 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc210000.htm); (2) Legal Occupations 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc230000.htm); and (3) Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and 

Media Occupations (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc270000.htm). 

computer, engineering, and science occupations: An occupational category based on the following 

three major groups in the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual: (1) Computer 

and Mathematical Occupations (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc150000.htm); (2) Architecture and 

Engineering Occupations (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc170000.htm); and (3) Life, Physical, and 

Social Science Occupations (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc190000.htm). 

control (of institution): A classification of whether an institution is operated by publicly elected or 

appointed officials (public control) or by privately elected or appointed officials and derives its major 

source of funds from private sources (private control). 
B-2

degree/certificate-seeking students: Students enrolled in courses for credit who are recognized by 

the institution as seeking a degree or other formal award. At the undergraduate level, this is intended 

to include students enrolled in vocational or occupational programs. 

Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB): FASB is recognized by the American Institute of 

Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) as the body authorized to establish accounting standards. In 

practice it defers to the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) for the setting of 

accounting standards for local and state government entities. 

first-time student (undergraduate): A student attending any institution for the first time at the 

undergraduate level. Includes students enrolled in academic or occupational programs. Also includes 

students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term, as 

well as students who entered with advanced standing (college credits earned before graduation from 

high school). 

full-time student: Undergraduate—A student enrolled for 12 or more semester credits, or 12 or 

more quarter credits, or 24 or more contact hours a week each term. Graduate—A student enrolled 

for 9 or more semester credits, or 9 or more quarter credits, or a student involved in thesis or 

dissertation preparation that is considered full time by the institution. 

Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB): The GASB establishes accounting 

standards for local and state entities including governmental colleges and universities. 

government appropriations (revenues): Revenues received by an institution through acts of a 

legislative body, except grants and contracts. These funds are for meeting current operating expenses 

and not for specific projects or programs. The most common example is a state’s general 

appropriation. Appropriations primarily to fund capital assets are classified as capital appropriations. 

government grants: Transfers of money or property from a government agency to the education 

institution without a requirement to receive anything in return. These grants may take the form of 

grants to the institutions to undertake research, or they may be in the form of student financial aid. 

(This category is used for reporting on the Finance component.) 

graduate assistants (teaching): An occupational category based on the detailed occupation Graduate 

Teaching Assistants (SOC code 25-1191) in the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 

Manual (http:// www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc251191.htm). 

graduate student: A student who holds a bachelor’s degree, or above, and is taking courses at the 

postbaccalaureate level. These students may or may not be enrolled in graduate programs. 

healthcare practitioners and technical occupations: An occupational category based on the major 

group Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations in the 2010 Standard Occupational 

Classification (SOC) Manual (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc290000.htm). 

instructional staff: An occupational category that consists of the following two functions: (1) 

instruction only, or (2) instruction combined with research and/or public service. 

level of institution: A classification of whether an institution’s programs are of at least 4 years’ 

duration or beyond a baccalaureate level (4-year institution), at least 2 but less than 4 years (2-year 

institution), or less than 2 years (less-than-2-year institution).

librarians: An occupational category based on the broad occupation Librarians in the 2010 Standard 

Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc254020.htm). 
B-3

librarians, curators, and archivists: An occupational category based on the following three broad 

occupations in the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual: (1) Librarians 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc254020.htm); (2) Archivists, Curators, and Museum Technicians 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc254010.htm); and (3) Library Technicians 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc254030.htm). 

library: An organized collection of printed, microform, and audiovisual materials which (1) is 

administered as one or more units; (2) is located in one or more designated places; and (3) makes 

printed, microform, and audiovisual materials as well as necessary equipment and services of a staff 

accessible to students and to faculty. Includes units meeting the above definition which are part of a 

learning resource center.

library collections: Comprising documents held locally and remote resources for which permanent 

or temporary access rights have been acquired. Access rights may be acquired by the library itself, by 

a consortium, and/or through external funding. Acquisition is to be understood as securing access 

rights and including the document in the library catalog or other library databases or discovery 

systems. 

library expenditures: Funds expended by the library (regardless of when received) from its regular 

budget and from all other sources, e.g., research grants, special projects, gifts and endowments, and 

fees for services.

library technicians: An occupational category based on the broad occupation Library Technicians in 

the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc254030.htm). 

management occupations: An occupational category based on the major group Management 

Occupations in the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc110000.htm). 

medical school staff: Staff employed by or staff working in the medical school (Doctor of Medicine 

[M.D.] and/or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine [D.O.]) component of a postsecondary institution or 

in a freestanding medical school. Does not include staff employed by or employees working strictly 

in a hospital associated with a medical school or those who work in health or allied health schools or 

departments such as dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing, or dental hygiene unless the health or 

allied health schools or departments are affiliated with (housed in or under the authority of) the 

medical school. 

natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations: An occupational category based 

on the following three major groups in the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 

Manual: (1) Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc450000.htm); (2) Construction and Extraction Occupations 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc470000.htm); and (3) Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 

Occupations (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc490000.htm).

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.

office and administrative support occupations: An occupational category based on the major 

group Office and Administrative Support Occupations in the 2010 Standard Occupational 

Classification (SOC) Manual (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc430000.htm). 
B-4

Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE): Office within the U.S. Department of Education that 

formulates federal postsecondary education policy and administers programs that address critical 

national needs in support of its mission to increase access to quality postsecondary education. 

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. Graduate—A student enrolled for less than 9 

semester or quarter credits, excluding students involved in thesis or dissertation preparation that is 

considered full time by the institution. 

postsecondary education: The provision of a formal instructional program whose curriculum is 

designed primarily for students beyond the compulsory age for high school. This includes programs 

whose purpose is academic, vocational, and continuing professional education, and excludes 

avocational and adult basic education programs. 

postsecondary institution: An institution that has as its sole purpose, or one of its primary missions, 

the provision of postsecondary education. For IPEDS, this institution must be open to the public. 

private for-profit institution: A private institution in which the individual(s) or agency in control 

receives compensation other than wages, rent, or other expenses for the assumption of risk. 

private institution: An educational institution controlled by a private individual(s) or by a 

nongovernmental agency, usually supported primarily by other than public funds, and operated by 

other than publicly elected or appointed officials. These institutions may be either for-profit or 

nonprofit. 

private nonprofit institution: A private institution in which the individual(s) or agency in control 

receives no compensation, other than wages, rent, or other expenses for the assumption of risk. These 

include both independent nonprofit schools and those affiliated with a religious organization. 

production, transportation, and material moving occupations: An occupational category based 

on the following two major groups in the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual: 

(1) Production Occupations (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc510000.htm) and (2) Transportation 

and Material Moving Occupations (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc530000.htm). 

Program Participation Agreement (PPA): A written agreement between a postsecondary 

institution and the Secretary of Education. This agreement allows institutions to participate in any of 

the Title IV student assistance programs other than the State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG) and the 

National Early Intervention Scholarship and Partnership (NEISP) programs. The PPA conditions the 

initial and continued participation of an eligible institution in any Title IV program upon compliance 

with the General Provisions regulations, the individual program regulations, and any additional 

conditions specified in the program participation agreement that the Department of Education 

requires the institution to meet. Institutions with such an agreement are referred to as Title IV 

institutions. 

programs of less than 2 years: Programs requiring less than 2 years of full-time-equivalent collegelevel work (4 semesters or 6 quarters) or less than 1,800 contact hours to obtain a degree, diploma, 

certificate, or other formal award. 

public institution: An educational institution whose programs and activities are operated by publicly 

elected or appointed school officials and which is supported largely by public funds. 

public service staff: An occupational category used to classify persons whose specific assignments 

customarily are made for the purpose of carrying out public service activities such as agricultural 
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extension services, clinical services, or continuing education. Regardless of title, academic rank, or 

tenure status, these employees formally spend the majority of their time carrying out public service 

activities. (This category includes employees with a public service assignment regardless of the 

location of the assignment, e.g., in the field rather than on campus). 

race/ethnicity: Categories developed in 1997 by the Office of Management and Budget that are used 

to describe groups to which individuals belong or identify with. The categories do not denote 

scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The designations are used to categorize U.S. citizens, 

resident aliens, and other eligible noncitizens. 

Individuals are asked to first designate ethnicity as: 

• Hispanic or Latino; or 

• Not Hispanic or Latino. 

Second, individuals are asked to indicate all races that apply among the following: 

• American Indian or Alaska Native; 

• Asian; 

• Black or African American; 

• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 

• White. 

For reporting purposes, students who identify with more than one race are included in the Two or 

more races category.

research staff: An occupational category used to classify persons whose specific assignments 

customarily are made for the purpose of conducting research. Regardless of title, academic rank, or 

tenure status, these employees formally spend the majority of their time conducting research.

resident alien (and other eligible noncitizens): A person who is not a citizen or national of the 

United States but who has been admitted as a legal immigrant for the purpose of obtaining permanent 

resident alien status and who holds one of the following: an alien registration card (Form I-551 or I151), a Temporary Resident Card (Form I-688), or an Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) with a 

notation that conveys legal immigrant status such as Section 207 Refugee, Section 208 Asylee, 

Conditional Entrant Parolee, or Cuban-Haitian.

sales and related occupations: An occupational category based on the major group Sales and 

Related Occupations in the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc410000.htm). 

sector: One of nine institutional categories resulting from dividing the universe according to control 

and level. Control categories are public, nonprofit, and for-profit. Level categories are 4 years and 

higher (4-year institutions), at least 2 but less than 4 years (2-year institutions), and less than 2 years 

(less-than-2-year institutions). For example: public 4-year institutions. 

service occupations: An occupational category based on the following five major groups in the 2010 

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Manual: (1) Healthcare Support Occupations 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc310000.htm); (2) Protective Service Occupations 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc330000.htm); (3) Food Preparation and Serving Related 

Occupations (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc350000.htm); (4) Building and Grounds Cleaning and 

Maintenance Occupations (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc370000.htm); and (5) Personal Care and 

Service Occupations (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc390000.htm).
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student and academic affairs and other education services occupations: An occupational 

category based on the following three minor groups in the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification 

(SOC) Manual: (1) Preschool, Primary, Secondary, and Special Education School Teachers 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc250000.htm#25-2000); (2) Other Teachers and Instructors 

(http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc250000.htm#25-3000); and (3) Other Education, Training, and 

Library Occupations (http://www.bls.gov/soc/2010/soc250000.htm#25-9000). 

Title IV institution: An institution that is accredited by an agency or organization recognized by the 

Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, has at least one program of more than 300 clock 

hours or 8 credit hours, has been in business for at least 2 years, and has a signed Program 

Participation Agreement with the Office of Postsecondary Education, U.S. Department of Education. 

undergraduate student: A student enrolled in a 4- or 5-year bachelor’s degree program, an 

associate’s degree program, or a vocational or technical program below the baccalaureate level.