Completions

Welcome to the IPEDS Completions survey component. The Completions component is one of several IPEDS components that is conducted during the Fall data collection period. It collects the number of degrees and certificates awarded by field of study, level of award, race/ethnicity, and gender. The reporting period for the Completions component is during the 12-month time period beginning July 1 of the previous calendar year and ending June 30 of the current calendar year. 

Completions Workflow
  1. Survey cycle opens and Student Success Research & Analysis (SSRA) downloads survey documentation from IPEDS for the current year Box folder. 
  2. SSRA Data Coordinator brings in data from files Submissions Data Warehouse – SIFD Degrees Awarded.
  3. SSRA Data Coordinator Selects a Cohort – Academic year.
  4. SSRA executes a Completions AppWorx job.
  5. SSRA creates the Completions Awards Conferred by 1st and 2nd Major – Gender – Ethnicity -CIP Code.
  6.  SSRA creates the Completions All Completers – total Awards – Number of Students - Gender and Ethnicity.
  7. SSRA creates the Completions Completers by Level  – Award Level - Gender – Ethnicity Age.
  8. SSRA Data Coordinator inputs data to IPEDS portal.
  9. SSRA Data Coordinator verifies survey data using queries. .
  10. SSRA reviews data with USF IPEDS Key-holder (Dr. Valeria Garcia) on changes and updates to the survey.
  11. SSRA Data Coordinator updates the source documents used to complete the survey to Box 
  12. First lock by USF IPEDS Key-holder
  13. Save and share a copy of the submitted survey to BOX and USF ODS website.
Reporting Documentation

Submission YearReporting CriteriaCommentsType

2024-25

The following changes were implemented for the 2024-25 data collection period: 


Added a question on whether institutions had zero students that were conferred an award between July l, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
Use the 2020 CIP codes for this year’s data collection.
The CIP 2020 Website includes a list of new CIP codes, a list of deleted CIP codes, a list of moved CIP Codes, and an online crosswalk of the 2010 CIP and 2020 CIP.


Change

2023-24

The following changes were implemented for the 2023-24 data collection period: 


Revised survey materials related to Gender Unknown or Another Gender reporting, including non-reporting for small cell size
Revised FAQ regarding what certificates should be reported
Added FAQ regarding including recognized postsecondary credentials awarded to incarcerated students
Added FAQ regarding experimental site participants
Revised FAQ with an additional note about verification of F-1 visa status for undocumented and DACA student


Change

2022-23The Board of Governors (BOG) has asked USF to add all late degrees that were processed in the summer 2022 to the IPEDS completions survey. Degree counts reported on IPEDS for the reporting year should match the degree counts submitted to the BOG through the SIFD file submission process. 
Change

2022-23 

The following changes were implemented for the 2022-23 data collection period: The ‘Nonresident alien’ category has been changed to 'U.S. Nonresident’ but should include the same category of students. A gender question has been added at the end of the collection to collect information about students for whom gender does not fit the binary gender (Men/Women) categories provided. Institutions should still allocate those students to the Men/Women category throughout the rest of the survey component at this time. There are also new FAQs to help with questions about the new reporting. Added FAQ (#20) on reporting of undocumented and DACA students in race/ethnicity categories. 

Changed the existing instructions for r/e reporting in student surveys to include information on reporting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and undocumented students

Method of reporting aggregate data - Institutions must report aggregate data to the U.S. Department of Education using the NINE categories below. Racial/ethnic designations are requested only for United States citizens, residents, and other eligible non-citizens. Eligible noncitizens include all students who completed high school or a GED equivalency within the United States (including DACA and undocumented students) and who were not on an F-1 non-immigrant student visa at the time of high school graduation. More information about other eligible (for financial aid purposes) non-citizens is available at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/requirements/non-us-citizens.

  • Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:

  • American Indian or Alaska Native
  • Asian
  • Black or African American
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
  • White
  • Two or more races

In addition, the following categories may be used:

  • S. Nonresident
  • Race and ethnicity unknown

Racial/ethnic descriptions - Racial/ethnic designations as used in this survey do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The categories are:

  • Hispanic or Latino- A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
  • American Indian or Alaska Native- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community attachment.
  • Asian- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.
  • Black or African American- A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.
  • White - A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Other descriptive categories

  • S. Nonresident - A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. Do not include DACA, undocumented, or other eligible noncitizens in this category. NOTE – U.S. Nonresidents are to be reported separately, in the boxes provided, rather than included in any of the seven racial/ethnic categories.
  • Race and ethnicity unknown - This category is used only if the person did not select EITHER a racial or ethnic designation.

New FAQ on reporting DACA/undocumented students

In which race/ethnicity category do I report undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students? Undocumented and DACA students who completed high school or a GED equivalency within the United States and who were not on an F-1 non-immigrant student visa at the time of high school graduation are considered eligible non-citizens and their race/ethnicity should be reported using the seven race/ethnicity categories provided:

  • Hispanic or Latino, regardless of race

For Non-Hispanic/Latino individuals:

  • American Indian or Alaska Native
  • Asian
  • Black or African American
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
  • White
  • Two or more races

If a student’s race/ethnicity is unknown, you can include them in the race/ethnicity unknown category.


Change 

2022-23The CIP 2020 Website includes a list of new CIP codes, a list of deleted CIP codes, a list of moved CIP Codes, and an online crosswalk of the 2010 CIP and 2020 CIP. 
Change 

2022-23 

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.


Reminder 

2021-22  

The onsite component checkboxes have been removed from the distance education question on the CIP Data screen.


Change 

2021-22 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 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 

2020-21

There is a new distance education question on the CIP Data screen.
Sub-baccalaureate certificates that are less than one year in length have been segmented into two subcategories based on duration. There is a new FAQ elaborating on certificates that should be included in this component.

Use the 2020 CIP codes for this year’s data collection.

The CIP 2020 Website includes a list of new CIP codes, a list of deleted CIP codes, a list of moved CIP Codes, and an online crosswalk of the 2010 CIP and 2020 CIP.


Change 

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 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