GR Notes & Methodology

For general methodology notes, view About Us.

 

Graduation Rate dataset

To build the universe of institutions for the graduation rate dataset, we began with the latest IPEDS graduation rate (GR2019) survey data on total and by-race/ethnicity graduation cohorts. The most recently reported data (GR2019) reflect the graduation rate status as of August 31, 2019 for the cohort of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates in both four year (students who were enrolled in 2013) and two year institutions (students who were enrolled in 2016). The following cohorts (grtype) were isolated to calculate the within 100%  & within 150% of normal time graduation rates:

  • grtype 8 - starting cohort (denominator), 4-year, 100% GR (Bachelor's or equiv subcohort (4-yr institution) adjusted cohort (revised cohort minus exclusions))

  • grtype 2 - starting cohort (denominator), 4-year, 150% GR (4-year institutions, Adjusted cohort (revised cohort minus exclusions))

  • grtype 29 - starting cohort (denominator), 2-year, 100% and 150% GR (Degree/certif-seeking students ( 2-yr institution) Adjusted cohort (revised cohort minus exclusions))

  • grtype 13 - graduation cohort (numerator), 4-year, 100% (Bachelor's or equiv subcohort (4-yr institution) Completers of bachelor's or equiv degrees in 4 years or less)

  • grtype 3 - graduation cohort (numerator), 4-year, 150% (4-year institutions, Completers within 150% of normal time)

  • grtype 35 - graduation cohort (numerator), 2-year, 100% (Degree/certif-seeking students ( 2-yr institution) Completers within 100% of normal time total)*

  • grtype 30 - graduation cohort (numerator), 2-year, 150% (Degree/certif-seeking students ( 2-yr institution) Completers within 150% of normal time total)

*2-year institutions are not required by ED to report 100% GR by race/ethnicity and gender; significant data are missing.

 

The GR data were then joined to IPEDS Header (HD2019) data using IPEDS unit ID to bring in basic institutional characteristics such as name, state, and OPE ID.

 

These working data were then joined to IPEDS Pell Grant GR (GR2019_Pell_SSL) data describing graduation rates among Pell grant recipients and Pell grant non-recipients using IPEDS unit ID. The most recently reported data (2019) reflect the graduation rate status as of August 31, 2019 for the Pell grant receiving/non-receiving subcohorts of full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates in both four year (students who were enrolled in 2013, specifically psgrtype = 1) and two year institutions (students who were enrolled in 2016, specifically psgrtype = 4). For each subcohort, the following variables were isolated to calculate the within 150% of normal time graduation rates:

  • pgadjct - starting cohort (denominator), Pell recipients (Pell grant recipients in the revised cohort minus the number of exclusions)

  • pgcmtot - graduating cohort (numerator), Pell recipients (Pell grant recipients of the cohorts specified… that completed in 150% percent of normal time)

  • nradjct - starting cohort (denominator), Pell non-recipients (Students not receiving a Pell grant or subsidized Stafford loan in the revised cohort minus the number of exclusions.)

  • nrcmtot - graduating cohort (numerator), Pell non-recipients (Students not receiving a Pell grant or subsidized Stafford loan of the cohorts specified… that completed in 150% percent of normal time)

 

The resulting combined working data were then joined to the following IPEDS survey data using IPEDS unit ID to add contextualizing data:

  • 12-month unduplicated headcount data (EFFY2019) to get total undergraduate enrollment values (efytotlt)

  • Student Financial Aid (SFA1819) to get the share of undergraduates receiving federal student loans (ufloanp) and Pell grants (upgrntp)

  • Fall Enrollment, Component D (EFD2018D) to get the share of the entering class included in the graduating cohort (pgrcohrt)

 

As a final step, the resulting combined data were joined to College Scorecard data (most recent as of January 19, 2021), using the combination of OPE ID and IPEDS unit ID, to add minority serving institution designations (hbcu, pbi, annhi, tribal, aanapii, hsi, nanti) and institutions’ predominant degree (preddeg) used for recategorizing sector. 

 

 

Elements Source Source Year Note
opeid IPEDS (all) - OPE ID (8-digit)
unitid IPEDS (all) - IPEDS unit ID
instnm IPEDS HD2019 2019 Institution name
stabbr IPEDS HD2019 2019 State abbreviation
sector College Scorecard Most Recent Institution-Level (Jan 19, 2021) Institutional sector reflects the cross of institutional level (2-year, 4-year, less-than-2-year when using the Scorecard's predominant degree variable) and institutional control (public, not for profit, for profit) Pub4yr - Public 4-year or above Pub2yr - Public 2-Year Pub<2yr - Public less-than-2-year NFP4yr - Private nonprofit 4-year or above NFP2yr - Private for-profit 2-year NFP<2yr - Private nonprofit less-than-2-year FP4yr - Private for-profit 4-year or above FP2yr - Private for-profit 2-year FP<2yr - Private for-profit less-than-2-year
level College Scorecard Most Recent Institution-Level (Jan 19, 2021) Institutional Level, using the Scorecard's predominant degree variable (preddeg) 4yr = 4-year or higher 2yr = 2-but-less-than 4-year <2yr = less than 2-year
control IPEDS HD2019 2019 1=Public Institution 2=Private nonprofit Institution 3=Private for-profit institution
msi_stat College Scorecard Most Recent Institution-Level (Jan 19, 2021) Minority Serving Institution flag; msi_stat = 1 if any Scorecard MSI element (hbcu, pbi, annhi, tribal, aanapii, hsi, nanti) = 1
efytotlt IPEDS EFFY2019 2019 Grand total men and women enrolled for credit during the 12-month reporting period.
gr_100 [and all by-race/ethnicity breakouts, e.g. gr_100_aiant] IPEDS GR2019 2019 [100% normal time to completion] 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: Denominator (starting cohort) = Bachelor's or equiv subcohort (4-yr institution) adjusted cohort (revised cohort minus exclusions) (grtype=8) Numerator (graduating cohort) = Bachelor's or equivalent subcohort who completed within 4 years or less (grtype=13) 2-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: Denominator (starting cohort) = degree-seeking adjusted cohort (grtype=29) Numerator (graduating cohort) = degree-seeking cohort who completed within 100% of normal time (grtype=35) NOTE: by-race/ethnicity on-time (100%) graduation is only reported by 4-year institutions
gr_150 [and all by-race/ethnicity breakouts, e.g. gr_100_aiant] IPEDS GR2019 2019 [150% normal time to completion] 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: Denominator (starting cohort) = adjusted cohort (grtype=2) Numerator (graduating cohort) = completers within 150% of normal time (grtype=3) 2-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: Denominator (starting cohort) = degree-seeking adjusted cohort (grtype=29) Numerator (graduating cohort) = degree-seeking cohort who completed within 150% of normal time (grtype=30)
numer100_totlt [and all by-race/ethnicity breakouts, e.g. gr_100_aiant] IPEDS GR2019 2019 [100% normal time to completion] The numerator value (graduating cohort) used to calculate the graduation rate. 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: bachelors or equivalent subcohort who completed within 4 years or less (grtype=13) 2-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: degree-seeking cohort who completed within 100% of normal time (grtype=35)
numer150_totlt [and all by-race/ethnicity breakouts, e.g. gr_100_aiant] IPEDS GR2019 2019 [150% normal time to completion] The numerator value (graduating cohort) used to calculate the graduation rate. 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: completers within 150% of normal time (grtype=3) 2-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: degree-seeking cohort who completed within 150% of normal time (grtype=30)
denom100_totlt [and all by-race/ethnicity breakouts, e.g. gr_100_aiant] IPEDS GR2019 2019 [100% normal time to completion] The denominator value (starting cohort) used to calculate the graduation rate. 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: Bachelor's or equiv subcohort (4-yr institution) adjusted cohort (revised cohort minus exclusions) (grtype=8) 2-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: degree-seeking adjusted cohort (grtype=29)
denom150_totlt [and all by-race/ethnicity breakouts, e.g. gr_100_aiant] IPEDS GR2019 2019 [150% normal time to completion] The denominator value (starting cohort) used to calculate the graduation rate. 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: adjusted cohort (grtype=2) 2-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: degree-seeking adjusted cohort (grtype=29)
gr_150_pell [and related breakouts, e.g. gr_150_pell_denom] IPEDS GR2019_PELL_SSL 2019 [150% normal time to completion (100% not reported)] Denominator (starting cohort) = Pell Recipients, adjusted cohort (pgadjct) Numerator (graduating cohort) = Pell Recipients, total number that completed an award within 150% of normal time (pgcmtot) 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: psgrtype = 1 (Total 2013 cohort (Bachelor's and other degree/certificate seeking) - four-year institutions) 2-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: psgrtype = 4 (Degree/certificate seeking 2016 cohort (less than four-year institutions))
gr_150_nopell [and related breakouts, e.g. gr_150_nopell_denom] IPEDS GR2019_PELL_SSL 2019 [150% normal time to completion (100% not reported)] Denominator (starting cohort) = Pell Non-recipients, adjusted cohort (nradjct) Numerator (graduating cohort) = Pell Non-recipients, total number that completed an award within 150% of normal time (nrcmtot) 4-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: psgrtype = 1 (Total 2013 cohort (Bachelor's and other degree/certificate seeking) - four-year institutions) 2-YEAR INSTITUTIONS: psgrtype = 4 (Degree/certificate seeking 2016 cohort (less than four-year institutions))
ufloann IPEDS SFA1819 2019 Number of undergraduate students awarded federal student loans
ufloanp     Percent of undergraduate students awarded federal student loans
upgrntn     Number of undergraduate students awarded Pell grants
upgrntp     Percent of undergraduate students awarded Pell grants
bwequitygap Calculated   Black/White Equity Gap (gr_150_bkaat - gr_150_whitt; NA if either is missing)
pgrcohrt IPEDS EF2018D 2018 Percent of entering class represented by your current year GR cohort
hbcu College Scorecard Most Recent Institution-Level (Jan 19, 2021) Flag for Historically Black College and University
pbi     Flag for predominantly black institution
annhi     Flag for Alaska Native Native Hawaiian serving institution
tribal     Flag for tribal college and university
aanapii     Flag for Asian American Native American Pacific Islander-serving institution
hsi     Flag for Hispanic-serving institution
nanti     Flag for Native American non-tribal institution