Postsecondary 

Institutions in the United 

States: Fall 2004 

and Degrees and Other 

Awards Conferred: 

2003–04

E.D. TAB

U.S. Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

NCES 2005–182

Laura G. Knapp 

Janice E. Kelly-Reid

Roy W. Whitmore 

June Cong 

Burton Levine

Marcus Berzofsky

RTI International

Susan G. Broyles

Program Director

Postsecondary Institutional 

Studies Program

National Center for Education Statistics

U.S. Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

NCES 2005–182

Postsecondary 

Institutions in the United 

States: Fall 2004 

and Degrees and Other 

Awards Conferred: 

2003–04

E.D. TAB

September 2005
U.S. Department of Education

Margaret Spellings

Secretary

Institute of Education Sciences

Grover J. Whitehurst

Director

National Center for Education Statistics

Grover J. Whitehurst

Acting Commissioner

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, 

and reporting data related to education in the United States and other nations. It fulfills a congressional 

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September 2005

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Suggested Citation

Knapp, L.G., Kelly-Reid, J.E., Whitmore, R.W., Cong, J., Levine, B., Berzofsky, M., and Broyles, S.G. 

(2005). Postsecondary Institutions in the United States: Fall 2004 and Degrees and Other Awards 

Conferred: 2003–04 (NCES 2005–182). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center 

for Education Statistics.

Content Contact

Aurora D’Amico

(202) 502-7334

aurora.d’amico@ed.gov
iii

Foreword 

This E.D. TAB presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System 

(IPEDS) fall 2004 data collection, which included two survey components: Institutional 

Characteristics for the 2004–05 academic year, and Completions covering the period July 1, 

2003, through June 30, 2004. These data were collected through the IPEDS web-based data 

collection system. 

The data on which this report is based are available to researchers and the public through the 

IPEDS Peer Analysis System and College Opportunities On-Line. Both of these sources can be 

found at http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds. This E.D. TAB report continues a series of E.D. TABs based 

on the collection of data from over 6,500 postsecondary education institutions that participate in 

Title IV federal student financial aid programs.

We hope that the information provided in the report will be useful to a wide range of interested 

readers. Further, we hope that the results reported here will encourage researchers and others to 

make full use of the IPEDS data for analysis, peer comparisons, or to help answer questions 

about postsecondary education institutions.

Grover J. Whitehurst

Acting Commissioner

National Center for Education Statistics

C. Dennis Carroll

Associate Commissioner

Postsecondary Studies Division
iv
v

Acknowledgments

The information presented in this publication was provided by either state coordinators for the 

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) or officials at individual institutions. 

In addition, these persons provided much assistance in resolving questions on the data, which 

resulted in more accurate information. Although it is not possible to list the names of all these 

people, their assistance was invaluable and is much appreciated. 

The U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and the 

Office for Civil Rights, with the approval of the Office of Management and Budget, cooperate in 

the collection of racial/ethnic and gender information from all postsecondary institutions that 

participate in the Fall Enrollment, Completions, and Fall Staff components of IPEDS. In this 

collaboration, data provided by postsecondary institutions are designated as Compliance Reports 

pursuant to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (34 CFR 100.6(b)).

The authors are grateful to Patricia Brown, Andrew Mary, Paula Knepper, and Dennis Carroll of 

the Postsecondary Studies Division, NCES, for their valuable comments during the review of 

this publication. We also appreciate the thoughtful review provided by Tom Snyder, NCES; 

Mary Schifferli, Office for Civil Rights; and Kimberly Thompson, Academic Policy Officer, 

Colorado Commission on Higher Education. At RTI International, in addition to the authors, 

Seungho Huh, Scott Ginder, Jiantong (Jean) Wang, Luhua Zhao, James Isaac, and Joanne 

Studders contributed to the production of this report.
vi
vii

 Contents

Page

Foreword........................................................................................................................................iii

Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................................................v

List of Tables...............................................................................................................................viii

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

IPEDS 2004–05.............................................................................................................................1

Focus of This Report.....................................................................................................................1

Selected Findings............................................................................................................................3

Institutional Characteristics..........................................................................................................3

Completions................................................................................................................................10

Appendix A: Survey Methodology ...........................................................................................A-1

Overview.................................................................................................................................. A-1

Terminology Used in the IPEDS Web Collection................................................................... A-1

Universe, Institutions Surveyed, and Response Rates............................................................. A-1

Survey Procedures.................................................................................................................... A-2

Survey Components................................................................................................................. A-5

Edit Procedures........................................................................................................................ A-6

Imputation Procedures............................................................................................................... A-7

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

List of Tables

Table Page

1. Number and percent distribution of Title IV institutions within control of institution, 

by level of institution and region: United States, academic year 2004–05..........................4

2. Number and percent distribution of Title IV institutions within control of institution, 

by degree-granting status and levels of offering: United States, academic year 2004–

05..........................................................................................................................................5

3. Average and median academic year tuition and required fees for full-time students at 

Title IV institutions, by control of institution, student level, level of institution, and 

first-professional program: United States, academic year 2004–05 ....................................7

4. Changes in academic year average price of attendance and components of price for 

full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates at Title IV public 

institutions, by level of institution, residency, and student housing: United States, 

academic years 2001–02 and 2004–05 ................................................................................8

5. Changes in academic year average price of attendance and components of price for 

full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates at Title IV private 

institutions, by level and control of institution and student housing: United States, 

academic years 2001–02 and 2004–05 ................................................................................9

6. Number and percent distribution of degrees conferred at Title IV institutions within 

control of institution, by level of institution, gender, race/ethnicity, and level of 

award: United States, academic year 2003–04 ..................................................................11

7. Awards conferred by Title IV institutions, by race/ethnicity, level of award, and 

gender: United States, academic year 2003–04 .................................................................12

A-1. Title IV institutions and administrative offices responding to the IPEDS fall 2004 

data collection, by degree-granting status and level and control of institution: United 

States and other jurisdictions .......................................................................................... A-3

A-1a. Title IV institutions and administrative offices responding to the IPEDS fall 2004 

data collection, by degree-granting status and level and control of institution: United 

States............................................................................................................................... A-4

A-2. Average price of attendance and imputed amounts for first-time entering students at 

Title IV institutions reporting by program, by type of student expense: United States, 

academic year 2004–05................................................................................................... A-8

A-3. Total awards and percentages of awards imputed for Title IV institutions, by control 

of institution, level of award, and gender: United States, academic year 2003–04...... A-10
1

Introduction

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is designed to collect institutionlevel data from postsecondary institutions in the United States (the 50 states and the District of 

Columbia) and other jurisdictions, such as Puerto Rico.1 For IPEDS, a postsecondary institution 

is defined as an organization that is open to the public and has as its primary mission the 

provision of postsecondary education. IPEDS defines postsecondary education as formal 

instructional programs with a curriculum designed primarily for students who are beyond the 

compulsory age for high school. This includes academic, vocational, and continuing professional 

education programs and excludes institutions that offer only avocational (leisure) and adult basic 

education programs.

Prior to the inception of IPEDS, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) collected 

data from approximately 3,600 institutions of higher education through its Higher Education 

General Information Survey (HEGIS) program. HEGIS was conducted from 1966 until 1985, 

when the mission of NCES was expanded to include all postsecondary institutions.

IPEDS 2004–05

Participation in IPEDS was a requirement for the 6,548 institutions that participated in Title IV 

federal student financial aid programs such as Pell Grants or Stafford Loans during the 2004–05 

academic year.2 Title IV institutions include traditional colleges and universities, 2-year 

institutions, and for-profit degree- and non-degree-granting institutions (such as schools of 

cosmetology), among others. In addition, 83 administrative offices (central and system offices) 

listed in the IPEDS universe were expected to provide minimal data through a shortened version 

of the Institutional Characteristics component. Four of the U.S. service academies are included in 

the IPEDS universe as if they were Title IV institutions.3 Institutions that do not partic ipate in 

Title IV programs may participate in the IPEDS data collection on a voluntary basis. 

Focus of This Report

Tabulations in this report present selected data items collected in fall 2004 from the 6,383 Title 

IV institutions in the United States. One table also includes the 165 Title IV institutions in the 

other jurisdictions. Additional detailed information is available through the various IPEDS web 

tools.4 Institutions provided data on institutional characteristics, price of attendance, and tuition 

 

1

 The other jurisdictions surveyed in IPEDS are American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the 

Marshall Islands, the Northern Marianas, Palau, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

2

 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 over 300 clock hours or 8 credit hours, have been 

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

Postsecondary Education (OPE), U.S. Department of Education.

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. One 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.

4

 See http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds.
2

and fees for the 2004–05 academic year and completions data (degrees, certificates, and other 

formal awards conferred) for the 2003–04 academic year. 
3

Selected Findings

Institutional Characteristics

The Institutional Characteristics component of IPEDS collects and maintains information used to 

classify postsecondary institutions based on a variety of characteristics. Data on sector, level, 

control, and affiliation allow classification within general categories. More specific categories of 

institutions can be defined by using additional data, such as types of programs offered, levels of 

degrees and awards, accreditation, calendar system, admission requirements, student charges, 

and basic enrollment information. 

In addition, this component collects data on tuition and fees (by level of program: undergraduate, 

graduate, and first-professional) and room and board charges. Price of attendance is also 

collected for full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking students.

Basic Characteristics

• Among the 6,548 Title IV postsecondary institutions, 40 percent were classified as 4-year 

institutions, 33 percent were 2-year institutions, and the remaining 27 percent were lessthan-2-year institutions (table 1).

• The southeast region of the United States contains the greatest proportion of Title IV 

institutions, 23 percent of the total (table 1). The fewest number of Title IV institutions 

were found in the Rocky Mountains and the other jurisdictions, with 3 percent each. U.S. 

service academies accounted for less than 1 percent.

• Considering public degree-granting institutions, 41 percent offered an associate’s degree 

as their highest degree, 6 percent offered a bachelor’s degree as their highest, 10 percent 

offered a master’s degree as their highest, and 16 percent offered a doctor’s degree as 

their highest degree (table 2). Considering private not-for-profit degree-granting 

institutions, 6 percent offered an associate’s degree as their highest degree, 27 percent 

offered a bachelor’s degree as their highest, 32 percent offered a master’s degree as their 

highest, and 23 percent offered a doctor’s degree as their highest degree. Considering 

private for-profit degree-granting institutions, 52 percent offered an associate’s degree as 

their highest degree, 24 percent offered a bachelor’s degree as their highest, 14 percent 

offered a master’s degree as their highest, and 3 percent offered a doctor’s degree as their 

highest degree. 

• Considering non-degree-granting institutions, public institutions and private for-profit 

institutions were most likely to offer programs of at least 1 but less than 2 years (71 

percent and 68 percent, respectively; table 2). Alternatively, private not-for-profit 

institutions were most likely to offer programs of at least 2 but less than 4 years (47 

percent).
4

Table 1. Number and percent distribution of Title IV institutions within control of institution, by 

level of institution and region: United States, academic year 2004–05

Number of institutions Percent of institutions

Level of institution and 

region Total Public

Private notfor-profitPrivate forprofit Total PublicPrivate notfor-profitPrivate forprofit

Total institutions 6,548 2,056 1,925 2,567 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Total U.S. institutions 6,383 2,027 1,875 2,481 97.5 98.6 97.4 96.6

Level of institution

4-year 2,615 658 1,580 377 39.9 32.0 82.1 14.7

U.S. 2,553 640 1,543 370 39.0 31.1 80.2 14.4

Other jurisdictions 62 18 37 7 0.9 0.9 1.9 0.3

2-year 2,190 1,154 229 807 33.4 56.1 11.9 31.4

U.S. 2,161 1,143 225 793 33.0 55.6 11.7 30.9

Other jurisdictions 29 11 4 14 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.5

Less-than-2-year 1,743 244 116 1,383 26.6 11.9 6.0 53.9

U.S. 1,669 244 107 1,318 25.5 11.9 5.6 51.3

Other jurisdictions 74 0 9 65 1.1 0.0 0.5 2.5

Region

New England 389 92 176 121 5.9 4.5 9.1 4.7

Mid East 1,114 281 438 395 17.0 13.7 22.8 15.4

Great Lakes 964 284 326 354 14.7 13.8 16.9 13.8

Plains 593 203 205 185 9.1 9.9 10.6 7.2

Southeast 1,525 588 364 573 23.3 28.6 18.9 22.3

Southwest 669 244 96 329 10.2 11.9 5.0 12.8

Rocky Mountains 220 81 29 110 3.4 3.9 1.5 4.3

Far West 904 249 241 414 13.8 12.1 12.5 16.1

U.S. service academies 5 5 0 0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.0

Other jurisdictions 165 29 50 86 2.5 1.4 2.6 3.4

NOTE: Data are not imputed. The item response rates for all cells in this table are 100 percent. The other jurisdictions include 

American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Marshall Islands, the Northern Marianas, Palau, Puerto Rico, 

and the Virgin Islands. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data 

System (IPEDS), Fall 2004.
5

Table 2. Number and percent distribution of Title IV institutions within control of institution, by 

degree-granting status and levels of offering: United States, academic year 2004–05

Number of institutions Percent of institutions

Degree-granting status and 

levels of offering Total Public

Private notfor-profitPrivate forprofit Total PublicPrivate notfor-profitPrivate forprofit

Highest level of offering

All institutions 6,383 2,027 1,875 2,481 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Less than 1 year 275 12 29 234 4.3 0.6 1.5 9.4

At least 1 but less than 2 years 1,394 232 78 1,084 21.8 11.4 4.2 43.7

Associate’s degree 1,258 705 100 453 19.7 34.8 5.3 18.3

At least 2 but less than 4 years 903 438 125 340 14.1 21.6 6.7 13.7

Bachelor’s degree 751 101 441 209 11.8 5.0 23.5 8.4

Post-baccalaureate certificate 59 5 50 4 0.9 0.2 2.7 0.2

Master’s degree 820 162 532 126 12.8 8.0 28.4 5.1

Post-master’s certificate 214 98 110 6 3.4 4.8 5.9 0.2

Doctor’s degree 673 268 382 23 10.5 13.2 20.4 0.9

First-professional degree136 6 28 2 0.6 0.3 1.5 0.1

Degree-granting 4,216 1,700 1,637 879 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Associate’s degree 1,258 705 100 453 29.8 41.5 6.1 51.5

At least 2 but less than 4 years 425 356 12 57 10.1 20.9 0.7 6.5

Bachelor’s degree 751 101 441 209 17.8 5.9 26.9 23.8

Post-baccalaureate certificate 39 4 32 3 0.9 0.2 2.0 0.3

Master’s degree 820 162 532 126 19.4 9.5 32.5 14.3

Post-master’s certificate 214 98 110 6 5.1 5.8 6.7 0.7

Doctor’s degree 673 268 382 23 16.0 15.8 23.3 2.6

First-professional degree136 6 28 2 0.9 0.4 1.7 0.2

Non-degree-granting 2,167 327 238 1,602 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Less than 1 year 275 12 29 234 12.7 3.7 12.2 14.6

At least 1 but less than 2 years 1,394 232 78 1,084 64.3 70.9 32.8 67.7

At least 2 but less than 4 years 478 82 113 283 22.1 25.1 47.5 17.7

Post-baccalaureate certificate 20 1 18 1 0.9 0.3 7.6 0.1

All levels of offering2

All institutions 6,383 2,027 1,875 2,481 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Less than 1 year 2,954 1,171 301 1,482 46.3 57.8 16.1 59.7

At least 1 but less than 2 years 3,612 1,451 432 1,729 56.6 71.6 23.0 69.7

Associate’s degree 2,791 1,337 685 769 43.7 66.0 36.5 31.0

At least 2 but less than 4 years 1,102 507 235 360 17.3 25.0 12.5 14.5

Bachelor’s degree 2,263 622 1,297 344 35.5 30.7 69.2 13.9

Post-baccalaureate certificate 722 260 420 42 11.3 12.8 22.4 1.7

Master’s degree 1,684 528 1,002 154 26.4 26.0 53.4 6.2

Post-master’s certificate 537 268 261 8 8.4 13.2 13.9 0.3

Doctor’s degree 673 268 382 23 10.5 13.2 20.4 0.9

First-professional degree 537 155 380 2 8.4 7.6 20.3 0.1

First-professional certificate 78 35 43 0 1.2 1.7 2.3 0.0

Other 28 14 11 3 0.4 0.7 0.6 0.1

1 The 36 institutions noted here award only first-professional degrees (no other degree levels); 2 of the 36 also grant a certificate.

2 Details within columns do not sum to totals because institutions offer programs at more than one level.

NOTE: Data are not imputed. The item response rates for all cells in this table are 100 percent. Detail may not sum to totals 

because of rounding. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data 

System (IPEDS), Fall 2004.
6

Tuition and Fees 

• During 2004–05, undergraduates attending private not-for-profit 4-year institutions paid 

$16,046 on average for tuition and required fees (table 3). Undergraduates attending 

private for-profit 4-year institutions paid $13,063 on average, and out-of-state 

undergraduates attending public 4-year institutions paid $12,088 on average for tuition 

and required fees. Public in-state undergraduates paid $4,936 in tuition and required fees 

on average during 2004–05.

Price of Attendance

Price of attendance is an estimate of the total amount an incoming undergraduate-level student 

should expect to pay to attend college. This price includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, 

room and board, and certain other designated expenses such as transportation. IPEDS collects 

price-of-attendance information for full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate 

students from Title IV institutions. These estimates are the amounts provided by the institutions’ 

financial aid offices and are used to determine a student’s financial need.

• In all cases, private institutions were more expensive to attend than public institutions 

(tables 4 and 5). 

• Private for-profit 4-year institutions reported the highest overall average price of 

attendance during 2004–05 for undergraduates living on campus ($27,852), while private 

not-for-profit 4-year institutions reported an average price of $26,292 (table 5). Public 4-

year institutions reported an average price of $14,320 for in-state undergraduates living 

on campus and $21,621 for out-of-state undergraduates living on campus (table 4).

• During 2004–05, private not-for-profit 4-year institutions reported an average price of 

$26,288 for undergraduates living off campus and not with family and $19,994 for 

undergraduates living off campus with family (table 5).

• Two-year public institutions offered the lowest price of attendance overall in 2004–05: 

$6,346 for in-state students living off campus with family (table 4). 

• Between 2001–02 and 2004–05, the average price of attendance for undergraduates 

attending 4-year public institutions and living on campus rose 22 percent for in-state and 

23 percent for out-of-state students (table 4). Likewise, the price for undergraduates 

living on campus at 4-year private not-for-profit institutions rose 16 percent over the 

same 4-year period, while the price for undergraduates living on campus at 4-year private 

for-profit institutions rose 20 percent (table 5).
7

Table 3. Average and median academic year tuition and required fees for full-time 

students at Title IV institutions, by control of institution, student level, 

level of institution, and first-professional program: United States, 

academic year 2004–05

Student level, level of institution, and first Public

professional program In-state Out-of-state

Private notfor-profit1Private forprofit1

Average tuition and required fees per institution

Undergraduate

4-year $4,936 $12,088 $16,046 $13,063

2-year 2,412 5,332 8,182 11,248

Less-than-2-year 5,497 5,829 8,226 9,826

Graduate 5,805212,475211,972 12,635

First-professional

Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.) † † 18,758 †

Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.) 17,029 34,432 40,595 †

Law (L.L.B. or J.D.) 11,854 21,926 26,149 ‡

Medicine (M.D.) 17,668 34,637 34,499 †

Optometry (O.D.) 12,614 26,852 23,499 †

Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) 16,873 32,241 31,659 †

Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) 10,430 21,243 23,279 †

Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.) ‡ ‡ 23,186 †

Theology (M.Div., M.H.L., B.D., or Ordination) † † 10,109 †

Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) 12,690 28,918 26,251 †

Median tuition and required fees per institution

Undergraduate

4-year 4,558 11,762 16,010 12,170

2-year 2,203 5,166 8,000 9,973

Less-than-2-year 4,900 4,904 6,652 9,988

Graduate 5,236211,758210,160 11,250

First-professional

Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.) † † 20,570 †

Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.) 17,702 33,801 40,797 †

Law (L.L.B. or J.D.) 10,906 21,479 26,747 ‡

Medicine (M.D.) 18,510 34,243 35,422 †

Optometry (O.D.) 12,291 27,419 24,258 †

Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) 16,150 30,957 32,704 †

Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) 10,205 21,755 22,353 †

Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.) ‡ ‡ 23,491 †

Theology (M.Div., M.H.L., B.D., or Ordination) † † 9,360 †

Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.) 12,732 28,768 30,795 †

† Not applicable.

‡ Reporting standards not met; fewer than three respondents .

1 Average and median tuition and required fees for private institutions were calculated using rates reported for 

out-of-state students.

2 Three 2-year institutions reported graduate-level tuition and/or fees in 2004–05.

NOTE: Tuition and required fees are average institutional charges, not average amounts paid by students (i.e., 

charges are not weighted by enrollment). Institutions that report tuitions by program are not included. U.S. 

service academies are not included. Averages and medians for first-professional programs were calculated 

based on only those institutions that offer degrees at the first-professional level. Medians were calculated using 

SAS, Version 8, Proc Univariate. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary 

Education Data System (IPEDS), Fall 2004.
8

Table 4. Changes in academic year average price of attendance and components of price for fulltime, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates at Title IV public institutions, 

by level of institution, residency, and student housing: United States, academic years 

2001–02 and 2004–05 

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

Residency and student housing

2001–

02

2004–

05

Percent 

change

2001–

02

2004–

05

Percent 

change

2001–

02

2004–

05

Percent 

change

Average price of attendance

In-district

On campus1$11,704 $14,319 22.3 $7,877 $9,257 17.5 ‡ † †

Off campus (not with family) 12,746 15,407 20.9 10,150 11,707 15.3 $11,661 $13,791 18.3

Off campus (with family) 7,224 8,950 23.9 5,118 5,947 16.2 7,229 9,116 26.1

In-state

On campus111,700 14,320 22.4 8,003 9,417 17.7 ‡ † †

Off campus (not with family) 12,744 15,408 20.9 10,486 12,105 15.4 11,747 13,858 18.0

Off campus (with family) 7,222 8,951 23.9 5,454 6,346 16.3 7,315 9,182 25.5

Out-of-state

On campus117,576 21,621 23.0 10,077 11,876 17.9 ‡ † †

Off campus (not with family) 18,470 22,462 21.6 13,081 15,032 14.9 12,081 14,190 17.5

Off campus (with family) 12,948 16,005 23.6 8,049 9,273 15.2 7,649 9,515 24.4

Components of price

Tuition and required fees

In-district 3,688 4,918 33.3 1,539 2,000 30.0 4,122 5,131 24.5

In-state 3,687 4,920 33.4 1,875 2,399 27.9 4,208 5,197 23.5

Out-of-state 9,412 11,973 27.2 4,470 5,326 19.1 4,543 5,530 21.7

Books and supplies 787 943 19.8 772 932 20.8 691 785 13.6

On campus1

Room and board 5,025 5,874 16.9 3,576 4,046 13.1 ‡ † †

Other expenses 2,223 2,561 15.2 1,905 2,224 16.7 ‡ † †

Off campus (not with family)

Room and board 5,687 6,539 15.0 5,314 5,926 11.5 4,571 5,486 20.0

Other expenses 2,584 3,006 16.3 2,525 2,849 12.8 2,276 2,390 5.0

Off campus (with family)

Other expenses 2,749 3,089 12.4 2,807 3,015 7.4 2,415 3,200 32.5

† Not applicable; there were no less-than-2-year academic year institutions offering on-campus housing and/or meal service for 

2004-05.

‡ Reporting standards not met; fewer than three respondents.

1 On-campus average price is based on those institutions that offer on-campus housing and/or meal service.

NOTE: Price data for 2001–02 are not imputed. The item response rates for all cells for 2001–02 range from 85.5 percent to 100.0 

percent. Price of attendance includes tuition and required fees, room and board charges, books and supplies, and other expenses. 

Prices are average institutional prices, not average amounts paid by students (i.e., charges are not weighted by enrollment). 

Institutions that report tuitions by program are not included. U.S. service academies are not included. All amounts are in current 

dollars. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data 

System (IPEDS), Fall 2001 and Fall 2004.
9

Table 5. Changes in academic year average price of attendance and components of price for fulltime, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates at Title IV private institutions, 

by level and control of institution and student housing: United States, academic years 

2001–02 and 2004–05

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

Control of institution and student 

housing

2001–

02

2004–

05

Percent 

change

2001–

02

2004–

05

Percent 

change

2001–

02

2004–

05

Percent 

change

Private not-for-profit

Average price of attendance

On campus1$22,606 $26,292 16.3 $15,487 $17,889 15.5 ‡ ‡ ‡

Off campus (not with family) 22,814 26,288 15.2 17,141 19,496 13.7 $17,692 $18,616 5.2

Off campus (with family) 17,262 19,994 15.8 10,839 12,789 18.0 12,050 12,241 1.6

Components of price

Tuition and required fees 13,748 16,222 18.0 7,082 8,325 17.5 7,803 8,796 12.7

Books and supplies 796 883 10.8 904 1,025 13.4 799 626 21.6

On campus1

Room and board 5,590 6,386 14.2 4,329 4,668 7.8 ‡ ‡ ‡

Other expenses 1,860 2,085 12.1 1,916 2,426 26.6 ‡ ‡ ‡

Off campus (not with family)

Room and board 5,993 6,657 11.1 6,276 7,015 11.8 6,913 6,601 4.5

Other expenses 2,277 2,527 11.0 2,879 3,131 8.7 2,178 2,592 19.0

Off campus (with family)

Other expenses 2,718 2,889 6.3 2,853 3,439 20.6 3,449 2,819 18.3

Private for-profit

Average price of attendance

On campus123,192 27,852 20.1 18,952 23,150 22.1 ‡ ‡ ‡

Off campus (not with family) 20,860 25,900 24.2 19,038 21,727 14.1 17,423 20,306 16.5

Off campus (with family) 15,504 18,336 18.3 13,982 15,644 11.9 12,179 13,866 13.9

Components of price

Tuition and required fees 10,641 12,965 21.8 9,510 10,910 14.7 8,683 9,863 13.6

Books and supplies 1,197 1,127 5.9 1,011 1,201 18.8 923 833 9.8

On campus1

Room and board 6,149 6,613 7.5 4,534 5,729 26.4 ‡ ‡ ‡

Other expenses 3,041 3,608 18.6 3,009 3,030 0.7 ‡ ‡ ‡

Off campus (not with family)

Room and board 6,230 8,273 32.8 5,623 6,449 14.7 5,34026,510 21.9

Other expenses 2,791 3,536 26.7 2,895 3,168 9.5 2,47733,100 25.2

Off campus (with family)

Other expenses 3,665 4,244 15.8 3,461 3,533 2.1 2,57343,170 23.2

‡ Reporting standards not met; fewer than three respondents.

1 On-campus average price is based on those institutions that offer on-campus housing and/or meal service.

2 The response rate for this item is 83.3 percent. 

3 The response rate for this item is 81.8 percent. 

4 The response rate for this item is 84.8 percent. 

NOTE: Price data for 2001–02 are not imputed. The item response rates for all cells for 2001–02 range from 90.7 percent to 100.0 

percent, except where indicated. Price of attendance includes tuition and required fees, room and board charges, books and 

supplies, and other expenses. Prices are average institutional prices, not average amounts paid by students (i.e., charges are not 

weighted by enrollment). Average tuition and required fees for private institutions were calculated using rates reported for out-ofstate students. Institutions that report tuitions by program are not included. All amounts are in current dollars. Detail may not sum to 

totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data 
10

System (IPEDS), Fall 2001 and Fall 2004.

Completions

The Completions component collects data annually on recognized program completions in 

postsecondary education programs by level of degree (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, doctor’s, 

and first-professional) and on other formal awards by length of program. Data are collected on 

the race/ethnicity and gender of recipients and their fields of study. In addition, completions data 

on the number of students with multiple majors are collected by field of study, degree level, 

race/ethnicity, and gender from those schools that award degrees with multiple majors. Data 

reflect all formal awards (i.e., degrees, diplomas, certificates) conferred between July 1, 2003, 

and June 30, 2004.

• For the 2003–04 academic year, about 2.2 million degrees were awarded by 4-year Title 

IV institutions and 542,177 were awarded by 2-year institutions (table 6). 

• Of the total number of degrees awarded in 2003–04 by 4-year institutions, 6 percent were 

associate’s degrees, 63 percent were bachelor’s degrees, 25 percent were master’s 

degrees, 2 percent were doctor’s degrees, and 4 percent were first-professional degrees 

(table 6).

• More degrees were awarded to women than to men in academic year 2003–04, about 57 

percent of all degrees awarded by 4-year institutions and 62 percent of all degrees 

awarded by 2-year institutions (table 6). 

• At 4-year institutions, approximately two-thirds (66 percent) of all degrees conferred 

during the 2003–04 academic year went to White, non-Hispanic students; 21 percent to 

members of groups other than Whites (includes Black, non-Hispanics; Hispanics; 

Asians/Pacific Islanders; and American Indians/Alaska Natives); and the remainder were 

awarded to nonresident aliens (6 percent) or individuals whose race/ethnicity was 

unknown (7 percent) (table 6).

• At 2-year institutions, approximately two-thirds (66 percent) of all degrees conferred 

during the 2003–04 academic year went to White, non-Hispanic students; 28 percent 

went to students of other race or ethnicity (Black, non-Hispanic; Hispanic; Asian/Pacific 

Islander; or American Indian/Alaska Native); and the remainder went to nonresident 

aliens (2 percent) or individuals whose race/ethnicity was unknown (5 percent) (table 6).

• For the 2003–04 academic year, about 3.5 million postsecondary awards were conferred 

by Title IV institutions (table 7).
11

Table 6. Number and percent distribution of degrees conferred at Title IV institutions within 

control of institution, by level of institution, gender, race/ethnicity, and level of award: 

United States, academic year 2003–04

All institutions Public Private not-for profit Private for-profit

Level of institution,1 gender, 

race/ethnicity, and level of degree Number

Percent 

of total Number

Percent 

of total Number

Percent 

of total Number

Percent 

of total

4-year institutions

Total degrees 2,213,225 100.0 1,304,327 100.0 797,312 100.0 111,586 100.0

Gender 

Men 946,700 42.8 555,319 42.6 334,901 42.0 56,480 50.6

Women 1,266,525 57.2 749,008 57.4 462,411 58.0 55,106 49.4

Race/ethnicity 

White, non-Hispanic 1,456,657 65.8 889,220 68.2 519,395 65.1 48,042 43.1

Black, non-Hispanic 193,648 8.7 108,812 8.3 69,812 8.8 15,024 13.5

Hispanic 133,838 6.0 82,034 6.3 41,610 5.2 10,194 9.1

Asian/Pacific Islander 129,928 5.9 80,700 6.2 43,905 5.5 5,323 4.8

American Indian/Alaska Native 15,275 0.7 10,311 0.8 3,913 0.5 1,051 0.9

Race/ethnicity unknown 146,861 6.6 54,470 4.2 64,086 8.0 28,305 25.4

Nonresident alien 137,018 6.2 78,780 6.0 54,591 6.8 3,647 3.3

Degree level

Associate’s degrees 123,324 5.6 49,266 3.8 34,453 4.3 39,605 35.5

Bachelor’s degrees 1,399,542 63.2 905,718 69.4 451,518 56.6 42,306 37.9

Master’s degrees 558,940 25.3 285,138 21.9 245,562 30.8 28,240 25.3

Doctor’s degrees 48,378 2.2 29,706 2.3 17,501 2.2 1,171 1.0

First-professional degrees 283,041 3.8 34,499 2.6 48,278 6.1 264 0.2

2-year institutions

Total degrees 542,177 100.0 475,781 100.0 11,316 100.0 55,080 100.0

Gender 

Men 205,860 38.0 176,055 37.0 4,921 43.5 24,884 45.2

Women 336,317 62.0 299,726 63.0 6,395 56.5 30,196 54.8

Race/ethnicity 

White, non-Hispanic 356,589 65.8 319,367 67.1 5,984 52.9 31,238 56.7

Black, non-Hispanic 60,214 11.1 49,102 10.3 1,480 13.1 9,632 17.5

Hispanic 55,632 10.3 46,632 9.8 1,171 10.3 7,829 14.2

Asian/Pacific Islander 27,234 5.0 23,812 5.0 1,223 10.8 2,199 4.0

American Indian/Alaska Native 6,035 1.1 5,389 1.1 259 2.3 387 0.7

Race/ethnicity unknown 24,552 4.5 20,168 4.2 954 8.4 3,430 6.2

Nonresident alien 11,921 2.2 11,311 2.4 245 2.2 365 0.7

Degree level

Associate’s degrees 542,177 100.0 475,781 100.0 11,316 100.0 55,080 100.0

1 Institutions are classified as 4-year or 2-year based on the highest level of awards offered in the collection year.

2 First-professional degrees are awarded after completion of the academic requirements to begin practice in the following 

professions: chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.); dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.); law (L.L.B. or J.D.); medicine (M.D.); optometry (O.D.); 

osteopathic medicine (D.O.); pharmacy (Pharm.D.); podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.); theology (M.Div., M.H.L., B.D., or 

Ordination); or veterinary medicine (D.V.M.).

NOTE: Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data 

System (IPEDS), Fall 2004.
12

Table 7. Awards conferred by Title IV institutions, by race/ethnicity, level of award, and gender: 

United States, academic year 2003–04

Level of award and gender

Total

awards

White,

nonHispanic

Black,

nonHispanic Hispanic

Asian/ 

Pacific

Islander

American

Indian/

Alaska

Native

Race/ 

ethnicity

unknown

Nonresident

alien

Total awards 3,476,732 2,211,602 378,361 291,764 189,351 29,334 218,211 158,109

Men 1,421,053 919,278 120,439 107,670 82,302 10,909 93,201 87,254

Women 2,055,679 1,292,324 257,922 184,094 107,049 18,425 125,010 70,855

Less than 1 year 355,452 188,185 63,562 53,889 17,932 3,691 24,533 3,660

Men 136,743 79,535 21,363 17,158 6,795 1,312 9,020 1,560

Women 218,709 108,650 42,199 36,731 11,137 2,379 15,513 2,100

At least 1 but less than 2 years 303,377 169,517 55,120 43,355 11,549 3,860 17,519 2,457

Men 107,434 63,462 15,832 14,825 4,438 1,499 6,458 920

Women 195,943 106,055 39,288 28,530 7,111 2,361 11,061 1,537

Associate’s degrees 665,5081431,529 76,922 68,324 31,308 7,692 35,200 14,533

Men 260,103 172,414 24,317 26,071 13,039 2,569 15,915 5,778

Women 405,405 259,115 52,605 42,253 18,269 5,123 19,285 8,755

At least 2 but less than 4 years 28,958 19,785 3,059 3,017 1,329 295 1,093 380

Men 12,961 8,484 1,138 1,732 658 133 656 160

Women 15,997 11,301 1,921 1,285 671 162 437 220

Bachelor’s degrees 1,399,542 967,899 123,464 89,060 86,438 10,020 77,829 44,832

Men 595,425 418,664 41,127 34,993 38,727 3,986 34,729 23,199

Women 804,117 549,235 82,337 54,067 47,711 6,034 43,100 21,633

Post-baccalaureate certificates 19,932 12,531 1,242 1,573 1,027 127 2,029 1,403

Men 6,787 4,224 370 529 371 48 738 507

Women 13,145 8,307 872 1,044 656 79 1,291 896

Master’s degrees 558,940 330,193 45,116 26,486 27,434 2,856 51,964 74,891

Men 229,545 126,962 12,897 9,544 12,612 999 21,753 44,778

Women 329,395 203,231 32,219 16,942 14,822 1,857 30,211 30,113

Post-master’s certificates 12,699 7,969 1,478 426 245 49 1,586 946

Men 4,070 2,473 308 131 95 19 522 522

Women 8,629 5,496 1,170 295 150 30 1,064 424

Doctor’s degrees 48,378 26,425 2,725 1,557 2,464 206 2,248 12,753

Men 25,323 12,645 947 713 1,204 84 1,138 8,592

Women 23,055 13,780 1,778 844 1,260 122 1,110 4,161

First-professional degrees 83,041 57,207 5,635 4,043 9,518 536 4,172 1,930

Men 42,169 30,211 2,127 1,961 4,311 260 2,255 1,044

Women 40,872 26,996 3,508 2,082 5,207 276 1,917 886

First-professional certificates 905 362 38 34 107 2 38 324

Men 493 204 13 13 52 0 17 194

Women 412 158 25 21 55 2 21 130

1 Includes seven associate’s degrees awarded by two institutions that were 2-year institutions in the reporting year (2003–04) but 

became less-than-2-year institutions in the collection year (2004–05).

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System 

(IPEDS), Fall 2004. 
A-1

Appendix A:

Survey Methodology

Overview

IPEDS defines a postsecondary institution as an organization that is open to the public and has a 

primary mission of providing education or training beyond the high school level. The primary 

focus of the IPEDS fall 2004 data collection was to collect data from Title IV institutions. These 

institutions have Program Participation Agreements (PPAs) with the Office of Postsecondary 

Education (OPE) within the U.S. Department of Education and thus are eligible to participate in 

Title IV student financial aid programs. There were 6,631 Title IV entities1 located in the United 

States and the other jurisdictions,2 at the beginning of the 2004–05 academic year. 

The fall 2004 data collection was entirely web-based. Institutions in the universe were asked to 

enter their survey responses using the IPEDS data collection website. The fall 2004 IPEDS data 

were collected between September 8, 2004, and October 20, 2004. The collection had two 

components: Institutional Characteristics and Completions. 

Terminology Used in the IPEDS Web Collection

Please refer to the Glossary in Appendix B for definitions of various terms.

Universe, Institutions Surveyed, and Response Rates

Each year, the IPEDS universe is established during the fall collection period. For the 2004–05 

cycle, 30 institutions included in prior IPEDS data collections were declared to be outside the 

scope of IPEDS. This happened because they were closed or were merged with another 

institution. Furthermore, another 136 institutions included separately in prior IPEDS data 

collections were reclassified and are now reported by a parent institution. In addition, 182 

institutions were added to the universe. These schools were identified from several sources, 

including a universe review by state coordinators, a review of the data file maintained by OPE, 

and information provided by the institutions themselves.

The full set of 6,631 Title IV entities was validated by matching the IPEDS universe file with 

OPE’s Postsecondary Education Participation System (PEPS) file. Because most of the studies 

that use IPEDS data concentrate on the Title IV institutions, this group is the main focus of 

IPEDS. Also, according to Section 490 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1992 (P.L. 102-

325), IPEDS is mandatory for any institutions that participate in or are applicants for 

 

1

 Includes 6,548 institutions and 83 administrative offices (central or system offices). The administrative offices are 

required to complete the Institutional Characteristics component in the fall, the Staff component in the winter (if 

they have more than 15 full-time staff), and the Finance component in the spring (if they have their own separate 

budget). Also includes the U.S. service academies.

2

 The other jurisdictions surveyed in IPEDS are American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the 

Marshall Islands, the Northern Marianas, Palau, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
A-2

participation in any federal financial assistance program authorized by Title IV of the Higher 

Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 USC 1094(a)(17)). Non–Title IV institutions are not 

required to respond to IPEDS but are encouraged to provide data. 

The IPEDS database includes institutions that do not participate in Title IV financial aid 

programs. These institutions are invited to participate in the IPEDS program, and if they 

voluntarily respond to the surveys, the institutions are included in College Opportunities On-Line 

(IPEDS COOL). IPEDS COOL is a website developed to help parents and students make 

informed decisions about postsecondary education. 

Table A-1 provides the number of Title IV institutions and the survey response rates by degreegranting status and level and control of institution for the United States and other jurisdictions. 

Because Title IV institutions are the primary focus of IPEDS and they are required to respond, 

response rates for the Title IV institutions in the fall 2004 IPEDS collection were quite high. The 

final universe counts for the Institutional Characteristics component include 6,548 institutions 

and 83 administrative offices (central and system offices). The Institutional Characteristics 

component response rate among all Title IV entities was almost 100 percent (6,628 of the 6,631 

Title IV entities responded). The response rate for the Completions component was 99.8 percent; 

6,536 out of 6,548 eligible institutions responded. Private for-profit less-than-2-year institutions 

had the lowest response rate for completions data (99.4 percent). The following types of 

institutions had a response rate of exactly 100 percent for Completions data: public 4-year, 

private for-profit 4-year, public 2-year, public less-than-2-year, and private not-for-profit lessthan-2-year institutions. 

Table A-1a provides the number of Title IV institutions and the survey response rates by degreegranting status and level and control of institution for those institutions located in the United 

States (excluding the other jurisdictions). 

NCES requires that the potential for nonresponse bias for all institutions (including those in the 

other jurisdictions) be analyzed for sectors for which the response rate was less than 90 percent. 

As shown in table A-1, no sectors require this analysis.

Survey Procedures

The fall 2004 IPEDS data collection was a web-based IPEDS data collection. Each institution 

appointed a keyholder who was responsible for ensuring that survey data submitted by the 

institution were correct. The keyholder could generate UserIDs and passwords for up to six 

additional survey respondents who could also enter or review data. For many institutions, 

keyholders were also required to edit and “lock” the data; locking is equivalent to submitting 

completed data to NCES. Additionally, many states or systems had one or more coordinators. 

Coordinators are individuals who take responsibility for a specified group of institutions to 

ensure that all data were entered correctly. Some coordinators may be responsible for a system of 

institutions (e.g., SUNY—the State University of New York); others may coordinate all or some 

institutions in a state. Also, coordinators may elect to provide different levels of review. For 

example, some may only view data provided by their institutions, while others may upload, 

review, or lock data for their institutions. 
A-3

Table A-1. Title IV institutions and administrative offices responding to the 

IPEDS fall 2004 data collection, by degree-granting status and level 

and control of institution: United States and other jurisdictions

Degree-granting status and Institutional Characteristics Completions

level and control of 

institution

Final 

universe

Number 

responded

Response 

rate (%)

Final 

universe

Number 

responded

Response 

rate (%)

All institutions 6,631 6,628 100.0 6,548 6,536 99.8

Public 2,126 2,126 100.0 2,056 2,056 100.0

Private not-for-profit 1,933 1,931 99.9 1,925 1,922 99.8

Private for-profit 2,572 2,571 100.0 2,567 2,558 99.6

4-year 2,663 2,663 100.0 2,615 2,613 99.9

Public 697 697 100.0 658 658 100.0

Private not-for-profit 1,587 1,587 100.0 1,580 1,578 99.9

Private for-profit 379 379 100.0 377 377 100.0

2-year 2,221 2,220 100.0 2,190 2,188 99.9

Public 1,185 1,185 100.0 1,154 1,154 100.0

Private not-for-profit 229 228 99.6 229 228 99.6

Private for-profit 807 807 100.0 807 806 99.9

Less-than-2-year 1,747 1,745 99.9 1,743 1,735 99.5

Public 244 244 100.0 244 244 100.0

Private not-for-profit 117 116 99.1 116 116 100.0

Private for-profit 1,386 1,385 99.9 1,383 1,375 99.4

Degree-granting 4,385 4,385 100.0 4,306 4,303 99.9

4-year 2,643 2,643 100.0 2,595 2,593 99.9

Public 696 696 100.0 657 657 100.0

Private not-for-profit 1,569 1,569 100.0 1,562 1,560 99.9

Private for-profit 378 378 100.0 376 376 100.0

2-year 1,742 1,742 100.0 1,711 1,710 99.9

Public 1,103 1,103 100.0 1,072 1,072 100.0

Private not-for-profit 116 116 100.0 116 116 100.0

Private for-profit 523 523 100.0 523 522 99.8

Non-degree-granting 2,246 2,243 99.9 2,242 2,233 99.6

4-year120 20 100.0 20 20 100.0

Public 1 1 100.0 1 1 100.0

Private not-for-profit 18 18 100.0 18 18 100.0

Private for-profit 1 1 100.0 1 1 100.0

2-year 479 478 99.8 479 478 99.8

Public 82 82 100.0 82 82 100.0

Private not-for-profit 113 112 99.1 113 112 99.1

Private for-profit 284 284 100.0 284 284 100.0

Less-than-2-year 1,747 1,745 99.9 1,743 1,735 99.5

Public 244 244 100.0 244 244 100.0

Private not-for-profit 117 116 99.1 116 116 100.0

Private for-profit 1,386 1,385 99.9 1,383 1,375 99.4

1 These institutions grant certificates only at the post-baccalaureate, post-master’s, and post-doctorate 

levels.

NOTE: For the Institutional Characteristics response rates, administrative offices (central and system offices) 

are included in the counts according to the highest level of the institution(s) they serve because they 

complete the Institutional Characteristics component. The other jurisdictions include American Samoa, the 

Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, the Marshall Islands, the Northern Marianas, Palau, Puerto Rico, 

and the Virgin Islands. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary 

Education Data System (IPEDS), Fall 2004.
A-4

Table A-1a. Title IV institutions and administrative offices responding to the 

IPEDS fall 2004 data collection, by degree-granting status and level 

and control of institution: United States

Degree-granting status and Institutional Characteristics Completions

level and control of 

institution

Final 

universe

Number 

responded

Response 

rate (%)

Final 

universe

Number 

responded

Response 

rate (%)

All institutions 6,463 6,460 100.0 6,383 6,371 99.8

Public 2,096 2,096 100.0 2,027 2,027 100.0

Private not-for-profit 1,881 1,879 99.9 1,875 1,872 99.8

Private for-profit 2,486 2,485 100.0 2,481 2,472 99.6

4-year 2,598 2,598 100.0 2,553 2,551 99.9

Public 678 678 100.0 640 640 100.0

Private not-for-profit 1,548 1,548 100.0 1,543 1,541 99.9

Private for-profit 372 372 100.0 370 370 100.0

2-year 2,192 2,191 100.0 2,161 2,159 99.9

Public 1,174 1,174 100.0 1,143 1,143 100.0

Private not-for-profit 225 224 99.6 225 224 99.6

Private for-profit 793 793 100.0 793 792 99.9

Less-than-2-year 1,673 1,671 99.9 1,669 1,661 99.5

Public 244 244 100.0 244 244 100.0

Private not-for-profit 108 107 99.1 107 107 100.0

Private for-profit 1,321 1,320 99.9 1,318 1,310 99.4

Degree-granting 4,292 4,292 100.0 4,216 4,213 99.9

4-year 2,578 2,578 100.0 2,533 2,531 99.9

Public 677 677 100.0 639 639 100.0

Private not-for-profit 1,530 1,530 100.0 1,525 1,523 99.9

Private for-profit 371 371 100.0 369 369 100.0

2-year 1,714 1,714 100.0 1,683 1,682 99.9

Public 1,092 1,092 100.0 1,061 1,061 100.0

Private not-for-profit 112 112 100.0 112 112 100.0

Private for-profit 510 510 100.0 510 509 99.8

Non-degree-granting 2,171 2,168 99.9 2,167 2,158 99.6

4-year120 20 100.0 20 20 100.0

Public 1 1 100.0 1 1 100.0

Private not-for-profit 18 18 100.0 18 18 100.0

Private for-profit 1 1 100.0 1 1 100.0

2-year 478 477 99.8 478 477 99.8

Public 82 82 100.0 82 82 100.0

Private not-for-profit 113 112 99.1 113 112 99.1

Private for-profit 283 283 100.0 283 283 100.0

Less-than-2-year 1,673 1,671 99.9 1,669 1,661 99.5

Public 244 244 100.0 244 244 100.0

Private not-for-profit 108 107 99.1 107 107 100.0

Private for-profit 1,321 1,320 99.9 1,318 1,310 99.4

1 These institutions grant certificates only at the post-baccalaureate, post-master’s, and post-doctorate 

levels.

NOTE: For the Institutional Characteristics response rates, administrative units are included in the counts 

according to the level of the institution(s) they serve because they complete the Institutional Characteristics 

component. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary 

Education Data System (IPEDS), Fall 2004.
A-5

In mid-July, letters were sent to chief executive officers (CEOs) at institutions without 

preexisting keyholders requesting that they appoint a keyholder for the 2004–05 collection year. 

The package included a letter for the keyholder and a registration certificate with the institution’s 

UserID and password for the entire 2004–05 collection period. Additionally, in mid-July, e-mail 

messages were sent to keyholders and coordinators who were continuing in their respective roles, 

providing them with their new UserID and password and requesting that they update or confirm 

their registration information beginning July 30, 2004. As with previous IPEDS studies, followup for nonresponse was conducted. Follow-up activities began September 3, 2004, with a letter 

to CEOs of institutions where the keyholder had not registered. Additional follow-ups were 

conducted via mail, e-mail, and telephone throughout the collection period with CEOs, 

coordinators, and keyholders. Due to severe hurricanes in the fall of 2004, several institutions in 

Florida were given extensions to enter the Completions data; all responses were complete by 

December 2004.

The web-based survey instruments offered many features to improve the quality and timeliness 

of the data. As indicated above, survey respondents were required to register before entering 

2004–05 data to provide a point of contact between NCES/IPEDS and the institution. 

Online data entry forms were tailored to each institution based on characteristics such as 

institutional control (public, private not-for-profit, private for-profit), level of institution (4-year, 

2-year, and less-than-2-year), and calendar system (standard academic terms vs. enrollment by 

program). 

When data from previous years were available for an institution, they were preloaded on the 

customized forms for easy reference and comparison purposes. Once the 2004–05 data were 

entered, either manually or through file upload, the keyholders were required to run edit checks 

and resolve all errors before they were able to lock their data. Once data were locked, they were 

considered “submitted,” regardless of whether or not the coordinator had reviewed the 

submission.

Once the data were complete and all locks were applied, IPEDS help desk staff conducted a final 

review. If any additional problems were detected, the help desk staff contacted the institutions to 

resolve any remaining questions. When all problems were resolved, the final data were migrated 

to the Peer Analysis Tool, where they were available to other responding institutions for 

comparison purposes. 

Survey Components

Institutional Characteristics—This component of the web-based survey collects basic data on 

each institution, such as identification, educational offerings, control or affiliation, admission 

requirements, and student services. In addition, data are collected on student charges for 

academic year 2004–05 for each level of enrollment (undergraduate, graduate, first-professional) 

or for the institution’s six largest programs (if programs are primarily occupational/vocational). 

Finally, price of attendance for full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking (undergraduate) 

students is requested, which includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, and 

other expenses (such as transportation, laundry, and entertainment). Price data are those used by 

the institutions’ financial aid office to determine student need.
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Completions—This component of the web-based survey collects detailed data on the number of 

degrees or other formal awards conferred in academic year 2003–04—by race/ethnicity and 

gender and 6-digit Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code. Completions data on the 

number of students with multiple majors are collected by 6-digit CIP code, degree level, 

race/ethnicity, and gender from institutions that award degrees with multiple majors. 

Edit Procedures

Edit checks were built into the web-based instrument to detect major reporting errors. The 

system automatically generated percentages and totals on each collection component (i.e., 

Completions and Institutional Characteristics); edit checks compared current responses to data 

reported the previous year. The edit checks could be run at any time during the collection. As 

edit checks were executed, survey respondents were allowed to correct any errors detected by the 

system. If data were entered correctly but failed the edit checks, the survey respondents were 

asked either to confirm the data were correct as entered or to explain why the data appeared to be 

out of the expected data range. All edit checks had to be resolved (confirmed or explained) 

before each survey was permitted to be locked. Survey respondents were also provided with one 

or more caveats boxes on each survey component and were encouraged to use this area to 

explain any special circumstances that might not be evident in their reported data. In addition, 

the data were manually reviewed for additional errors by coordinators and the IPEDS help desk 

staff. When necessary, keyholders were contacted to verify the accuracy of the data.

For the Completions component of the collection, CIP codes were preloaded using the 2000 

edition of the Classification of Instructional Programs. Institutions that chose to use the 1990 

version of the CIP for responding in fall 2004 were provided with the list of programs they 

reported last year to facilitate their response. While the choice of the CIP edition was at the 

discretion of each institution this year, all institutions will be required to use CIP:2000 for 

reporting Completions data in fall 2005. Award levels reported for each CIP code were checked 

against a predetermined list (of valid award levels for each 6-digit CIP code) developed by 

subject matter experts. Award levels also were checked against those indicated on the prior 

year’s Institutional Characteristics component. CIP codes and award levels were compared to the 

prior year’s data for consistency. For each award level except first-professional, 3 the gender 

totals for each two-digit CIP were compared to the information from the prior year. The firstprofessional categories were compared to the prior year’s response at the six-digit CIP level, by 

gender. For large current year and prior year values, the absolute relative percent difference of 

current year values versus prior year values was not expected to be more than 50 percent. Small 

values, numbers less than 20 for both years, were not subjected to comparisons. Also, the 

number of awards for each race/ethnicity and gender combination, within each award level, was 

compared to values from the prior year. Finally, the number of awards was expected to be less 

than the total enrollment reported on the fall 2003 Enrollment component, by level of enrollment 

(undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional) and by gender. 

 

3

 First-professional degrees are awarded after completion of the academic requirements to begin practice in the 

following professions: chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.); dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.); law (L.L.B. or J.D.); medicine 

(M.D.); optometry (O.D.); osteopathic medicine (D.O.); pharmacy (Pharm.D.); podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.); 

theology (M.Div., M.H.L., B.D., or Ordination); or veterinary medicine (D.V.M.).
A-7

Edits were also applied to the Institutional Characteristics component of the collection. The types 

of educational offerings were checked to determine whether the institution qualified as primarily 

postsecondary and thus should be considered in scope for IPEDS. All levels of offering and 

levels of awards, admission requirements, application fees, tuition and fees, and room and board 

charges were compared to the prior year’s data for consistency. Large changes in the student 

charges section were flagged for follow-up; for example, the absolute relative percent differences 

of current year versus prior year data were not expected to exceed 50 percent for application 

fees, 30 percent for tuition and fees, and 40 percent for room and board charges.

Inconsistencies noted: Two institutions indicated in the Institutional Characteristics component 

that they did not award associate’s degrees yet together they reported a total of 38 associate’s 

degrees in the Completions component. These two schools are classified in the IPEDS universe 

as “non-degree-granting” based on their levels of offering reported in the Institutional 

Characteristics component. The associate’s degrees granted by these institutions are not included 

in tables restricted to institutions classified as “degree-granting.”

Imputation Procedures

Institutional Characteristics—Part D, Student Charges, of the Institutional Characteristics 

component were subject to imputation for nonresponse—both total (institutional) nonresponse 

and partial (item) nonresponse. In addition, the imputation base was restricted to institutions 

satisfying the following conditions:

• Institutions must participate in Title IV student financial aid programs.

• Institutions must be currently active 4 in IPEDS.

• The institution must not be an administrative unit.

For Part D, 31 imputation groups were formed primarily based on institutional sector and levels 

of offering. Then the following imputation method was used to impute missing data:

• Carry Forward—Reported 2003–04 institutional characteristics data were carried 

forward to the current year. A year-to-year adjustment factor was applied to some 

variables. 

Table A-2 provides the prices of attendance and the percentages imputed for full-time, first-time 

degree/certificate-seeking students at Title IV institutions, by type of institutional reporting and 

student expenses.

 

4

Institutions that did not respond were verified as currently active (open for business) prior to imputation through 

telephone calls and/or e-mail.
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Table A-2. Average price of attendance and imputed amounts for first-time entering students at 

Title IV institutions reporting by program, by type of student expense: United States, 

academic year 2004–05

Imputed amounts

Student expenses

Average reported

 amounts Minimum Maximum

Tuition and required fees $9,466 $3,500 $9,861

Books and supplies 826 100 1,450

On-campus room and board 6,087 † †

On-campus other expenses 2,226 † †

Off-campus (not with family) room and board 6,422 1,259 9,144

Off-campus (not with family) other expenses 3,198 1,000 1,200

Off-campus (with family) other expenses 3,486 1,200 4,000

† Not applicable.

NOTE: Table is restricted to U.S. institutions only. All institutions that reported by academic year responded to these items, thus no 

imputations were required. Average reported amounts are for all largest programs regardless of program length. Student expenses 

were imputed for 2 institutions that reported by program. 

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data 

System (IPEDS), Fall 2004.

Completions—The completions data were subject to imputation for nonresponse—both total 

(institutional) nonresponse and partial (item) nonresponse, yet no institutions qualified for partial 

imputation. In addition, the imputation base was restricted to institutions satisfying the following 

conditions:

• Institutions must participate in Title IV student financial aid programs.

• Institutions must be currently active 5 in IPEDS.

• The institution must not be an administrative office.

• The institution must not be a child6 institution (a child institution’s data are reported by 

another institution, referred to as the “parent”).

• The institution must not be new to the IPEDS universe.

For the Completions component, 106 imputation groups were formed primarily based on 

institutional sector and levels of offering. Then the following imputation methods were used to 

impute missing data:

• Carry Forward—Reported 2002–03 (or 2001–02) completions data, including 

race/ethnicity and CIP, were carried forward to the current year. The number of awards 

base value was then multiplied by the ratio of current year mean completions to past year 

mean completions within the imputation group to adjust for year-to-year change. For the 

Carry Forward procedure, some of the imputation groups were collapsed. There were a 

total of 32 collapsed imputation groups. 

 

5

 Institutions that did not respond were verified as currently active (open for business) prior to imputation through 

telephone calls and/or e-mail.

6

 A child institution has all of its data reported by the parent institution.
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• Nearest Neighbor—The fall enrollment data for 2003 (or 2002, if the 2003 data were not 

available) were used in defining the distance measure for this method. In particular, the 

distance between two institutions was defined as the maximum relative difference in fall 

enrollment among the levels of study (undergraduate, graduate, first-professional). The 

nearest neighbor, also referred to as the donor, of the imputee was selected from the 

responding institutions in the same imputation group as the donor. The donor’s 

completions count was multiplied by the ratio of the imputee’s fall enrollment to the 

donor’s fall enrollment to adjust for the difference between the two institutions. These 

adjusted values were used as the imputed values. 

• Group Median—Within the same imputation group as the imputee, if there were at least 

three responding institutions offering all the award levels offered by the imputee, then the 

median values of these institutions were used as the imputed values. Otherwise, the 

award level was imputed by the median values of all responding institutions in the 

imputation group.

For total nonrespondents, if there were past completions data, then the Carry Forward method 

was used. Alternately, if there were past enrollment data, the Nearest Neighbor method was used. 

Otherwise the Group Median method was used. Partial nonresponse was determined by 

comparison with the existing past data. It was determined that there were no partial 

nonrespondents.

Table A-3 provides the total awards and percentages of awards that were imputed for all Title IV 

institutions in the United States, by control of institution, level of award, and gender. Numbers of 

students with second majors would have been imputed by the Carry Forward procedure; 

however, all institutions that reported students with second majors last year also reported 

students with second majors this year, so no imputation was necessary.
A-10

Table A-3. Total awards and percentages of awards imputed for Title IV institutions, by control of institution, level 

of award, and gender: United States, academic year 2003–04

Total Public Private not-for-profit Private for-profit

Imputed Imputed Imputed Imputed

Level of award and gender

Degrees/

certificates Number Percent

Degrees/

certificates Number Percent

Degrees/

certificates Number Percent

Degrees/

certificates Number Percent

Total 3,476,732 909 # 2,157,299 0 0 863,331 134 # 456,102 775 0.2

Men 1,421,053 371 # 899,525 0 0 359,935 77 # 161,593 294 0.2

Women 2,055,679 538 # 1,257,774 0 0 503,396 57 # 294,509 481 0.2

Less than 1 year 355,452 534 0.2 205,603 0 0 15,706 5 # 134,143 529 0.4

Men 136,743 226 0.2 98,516 0 0 6,542 0 0 31,685 226 0.7

Women 218,709 308 0.1 107,087 0 0 9,164 5 0.1 102,458 303 0.3

At least 1 but less than 2 years 303,377 246 0.1 147,180 0 0 14,277 0 0 141,920 246 0.2

Men 107,434 68 0.1 59,381 0 0 5,218 0 0 42,835 68 0.2

Women 195,943 178 0.1 87,799 0 0 9,059 0 0 99,085 178 0.2

Associate’s degrees 665,50810 0 525,047 0 0 45,769 0 0 94,692 0 0

Men 260,103 0 0 195,553 0 0 17,694 0 0 46,856 0 0

Women 405,405 0 0 329,494 0 0 28,075 0 0 47,836 0 0

At least 2 but less than 4 years 28,958 52 0.2 11,270 0 0 5,333 52 1.0 12,355 0 0

Men 12,961 2 # 5,980 0 0 1,512 2 0.1 5,469 0 0

Women 15,997 50 0.3 5,290 0 0 3,821 50 1.3 6,886 0 0

Bachelor’s degrees 1,399,542 63 # 905,718 0 0 451,518 63 # 42,306 0 0

Men 595,425 62 # 387,034 0 0 186,145 62 # 22,246 0 0

Women 804,117 1 # 518,684 0 0 265,373 1 # 20,060 0 0

Postbaccalaureate certificates 19,932 0 0 5,940 0 0 12,994 0 0 998 0 0

Men 6,787 0 0 1,992 0 0 4,563 0 0 232 0 0

Women 13,145 0 0 3,948 0 0 8,431 0 0 766 0 0

Master’s degrees 558,940 14 # 285,138 0 0 245,562 14 # 28,240 0 0

Men 229,545 13 # 115,962 0 0 101,898 13 # 11,685 0 0

Women 329,395 1 # 169,176 0 0 143,664 1 # 16,555 0 0

Post-master’s certificates 12,699 0 0 7,025 0 0 5,661 0 0 13 0 0

Men 4,070 0 0 2,174 0 0 1,893 0 0 3 0 0

Women 8,629 0 0 4,851 0 0 3,768 0 0 10 0 0

Doctor’s degrees 48,378 0 0 29,706 0 0 17,501 0 0 1,171 0 0

Men 25,323 0 0 15,944 0 0 8,949 0 0 430 0 0

Women 23,055 0 0 13,762 0 0 8,552 0 0 741 0 0

First-professional degrees 283,041 0 0 34,499 0 0 48,278 0 0 264 0 0

Men 42,169 0 0 16,881 0 0 25,136 0 0 152 0 0

Women 40,872 0 0 17,618 0 0 23,142 0 0 112 0 0

First-professional certificates 905 0 0 173 0 0 732 0 0 0 0 †

Men 493 0 0 108 0 0 385 0 0 0 0 †

Women 412 0 0 65 0 0 347 0 0 0 0 †

† Not applicable.

# Rounds to zero.

1 Includes seven associate’s degrees awarded by two institutions that were 2-year institutions in the reporting year (2003–04) but became less-than-2-

year institutions in the collection year (2004–05).

2 First-professional degrees are awarded after completion of the academic requirements to begin practice in the following professions: chiropractic (D.C. 

or D.C.M.); dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.); law (L.L.B. or J.D.); medicine (M.D.); optometry (O.D.); osteopathic medicine (D.O.); pharmacy (Pharm.D.); 

podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.); theology (M.Div., M.H.L., B.D. or Ordination); or veterinary medicine (D.V.M.).

NOTE: Table is restricted to U.S. institutions only. For institutions in other jurisdictions, no awards were imputed. Detail may not sum to totals because of 

rounding.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Fall 2004.
B-1

Appendix B:

Glossary of IPEDS Terms

academic program: An instructional program leading toward an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, 

doctor’s, or first-professional degree or resulting in credits that can be applied to one of these 

degrees.

associate’s degree: An award that normally requires at least 2 but less than 4 years of full-timeequivalent college work.

bachelor’s degree: An award (baccalaureate or equivalent degree, as determined by the 

Secretary, U.S. Department of Education) that normally requires at least 4 but not more than 5 

years of full-time equivalent college-level work. This includes all bachelor’s degrees conferred 

in a 5-year cooperative (work-study) program. A cooperative plan provides for alternate class 

attendance and employment in business, industry, or government; thus, it allows students to 

combine actual work experience with their college studies. Also includes bachelor’s degrees in 

which the normal 4 years of work are completed in 3 years.

board charges: charges assessed students for an academic year for meals.

certificate: A formal award certifying the satisfactory completion of a postsecondary education 

program.

child institution: An institution that has its data reported by another institution, known as the 

parent institution.

Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP): A taxonomic coding scheme for secondary and 

postsecondary instructional programs. It is intended to facilitate the organization, collection, and 

reporting of program data using classifications that capture the majority of reportable data. The 

CIP is the accepted federal government statistical standard on instructional program 

classifications and is used in a variety of education information surveys and databases.

Completions: One of nine components in IPEDS. This component collects data annually from all 

Title IV institutions on the number of recognized degree completions in postsecondary education 

programs by level (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, doctor’s, and first-professional).

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). 

coordinator: The person responsible for Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 

survey related coordination activities for a specified group of schools within a state. This person may 

have certain viewing, verifying, and locking privileges on the data collection system.

degree: An award conferred by a college, university, or other postsecondary education institution 

as official recognition for the successful completion of a program of studies.

degree-granting institution: An institution offering an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, doctor’s, 

or first-professional degree.
B-2

doctor’s degree: The highest award a student can earn for graduate study. The doctor’s degree 

classification includes such degrees as Doctor of Education, Doctor of Juridical Science, Doctor 

of Public Health, and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in any field such as agronomy, food 

technology, education, engineering, public administration, ophthalmology, or radiology.

donor: A responding institution whose values are assigned to the imputee.

first-professional certificate (post-degree): An award that requires completion of an organized 

program of study designed for persons who have completed the first-professional degree. 

Examples could be refresher courses or additional units of study in a specialty or subspecialty.

first-professional degree: An award that requires completion of a program that meets all of the 

following criteria: (1) completion of the academic requirements to begin practice in the 

profession; (2) at least 2 years of college work prior to entering the program; and (3) a total of at 

least 6 academic years of college work to complete the degree program, including prior required 

college work plus the length of the professional program itself. First-professional degrees may be 

awarded in the following 10 fields:

Chiropractic (D.C. or D.C.M.) Osteopathic medicine (D.O.)

Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.) Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

Law (L.L.B. or J.D.) Podiatry (D.P.M., D.P., or Pod.D.)

Medicine (M.D.) Theology (M.Div., M.H.L., B.D., or Ordination)

Optometry (O.D.) Veterinary medicine (D.V.M.)

imputee: A nonresponding institution that has its values imputed.

institutional affiliation: A classification that indicates whether a private not-for-profit institution is 

associated with a religious group or denomination. Private not-for-profit institutions may be either 

independent or religiously affiliated.

keyholder: The person designated by an official institutional representative to have in their 

possession the necessary UserID and password to gain access to the Integrated Postsecondary 

Education Data System (IPEDS) data collection system to complete the survey. The keyholder is 

responsible for entering data and locking the site by each survey completion date.

level (of institution): A classification of whether an institution’s programs are 4-year or higher 

(4-year), 2-but-less-than-4-year (2-year), or less-than-2-year.

master’s degree: An award that requires the successful completion of a program of study of at 

least the full-time equivalent of 1 but not more than 2 academic years of work beyond the 

bachelor’s degree.

non-degree-granting institution: An institution offering only postbaccalaureate, post-master’s, or 

first-professional certificates, or certificates or diplomas of 4 years or less.

OPE: Office of Postsecondary Education.

other expenses: The amount of money (estimated by the financial aid office) needed by a student 

to cover expenses such as laundry, transportation, and entertainment.

parent institution: An institution that reports data for another institution, known as the child 

institution.
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PEPS: Postsecondary Education Participation System (database used by OPE to track all 

institutions eligible for Title IV federal student financial aid programs).

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

missions, the provision of postsecondary education. Postsecondary education is 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. For IPEDS, these institutions must be open to the public. 

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.

price of attendance: The amount of tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and 

other expenses that a full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking student can expect to pay to 

go to college. Prices reported by the institutions are those amounts used by the financial aid 

office to determine student need. 

race/ethnicity: Categories 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. A person may be counted in only one group. The groups used to 

categorize U.S. citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens are as follows: American 

Indian/Alaska Native; Asian/Pacific Islander; Black, non-Hispanic; Hispanic; White, nonHispanic.

required fees: Fixed sum charged to students for items not covered by tuition and required of 

such a large proportion of all students that the student who does not pay the charge is an 

exception.

room charges: The charges for an academic year for rooming accommodations for a typical 

student sharing a room with one other student.

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

control and level. Control categories are public, private not-for-profit, and private for-profit. 

Level categories are 4-year and higher (4-year), 2-but-less-than 4-year (2-year), and less-than-2-

year. For example: public 4-year institutions.

student charges: Average amount for tuition and fees, room and board charged to all students by 

the institution. Tuition and fees may vary by the level of student (undergraduate, graduate, or 

first-professional).

Title IV institution: An institution that has a written agreement with the Secretary of Education that 

allows the institution to participate in any of the Title IV federal student financial assistance 

programs (other than the State Student Incentive Grant (SSIG) and the National Early Intervention 

Scholarship and Partnership [NEISP] programs). 
B-4

tuition: Amount of money charged to students for instructional services. Tuition may be charged 

per term, per course, or per credit. 

UserID: A series of numbers possibly with an alpha prefix that is created for a specific user to be 

able to access a system. Each user is required to have a UserID and a password in order to access 

the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data collection system for security 

purposes.
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