Welcome to the Institutional Characteristics (IC) component. This component collects important information about your institution's mission, student services, and student charges.
Much of the data reported on IC appear on College Navigator, which is updated once after IC data have been reviewed. Thus, errors may stay on College Navigator for a full year.
Additionally, the cost of attendance data are used to calculate the net price of attendance in the Student Financial Aid component. This has important implications for what students see about your institution, and also for the College Affordability and Transparency Center's lists. Revisions or changes to costs can ONLY be made in the Student Financial Aid component and not in the prior year revision system.
Remember, it is the responsibility of the keyholder to submit accurate data about the institution. Please contact the IPEDS Help Desk for clarifications to make sure that you are reporting correctly.
Submission Year | Reporting Criteria | Comments | Type | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2020-21 | The term ‘dual credit’ has been replaced with the term ‘dual enrollment’ | Change | |
2 | 2020-21 | Report data to accurately reflect the time period corresponding with the IPEDS survey component, even if such reporting is seemingly inconsistent with prior-year reporting. For example, if a summer term began later than usual due to to Coronavirus Pandemic postponements, continue to report using the timeframes as defined in the IPEDS instructions. NCES expects that some data reported during the 2020-21 data collection year will vary from established prior trends due to the impacts of Coronavirus Pandemic. If an error edit is triggered even when submitting accurate data, please indicate in the corresponding context box or verbally to the Help Desk that the seemingly inconsistent data are accurate and reflect the effects of Coronavirus Pandemic. | Reminder | |
3 | 2020-21 | Quality control reviews of past IC data indicate frequently made errors. Please review the common errors below to ensure accurate reporting.
| Common Errors |
Box Folders
IPEDS Survey Materials
Jira Issues