The Case for IES Postsecondary Studies: How IPEDS Provides Key Consumer Information About College Costs, Outcomes, and More

The future of education tools that provide students, researchers, and policymakers with critical information about college costs, financial aid, and outcomes is now at serious risk. That’s because last week, nearly all employees at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) were laid off. These recent actions raise questions about the future of the statistical agency, a cornerstone of education data collection and analysis in the United States since 1867.  

One of NCES’s data collections is the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), a set of annual surveys that provide essential data on over 6,000 colleges and universities. IPEDS fulfills statutory requirements that the U.S. Department of Education publicly share consumer information on each college’s costs, financial aid, enrollment, graduation rates, and other metrics. IPEDS is uniquely comprehensive because all colleges that participate in federal financial aid programs are required to complete the surveys and thus, response rates are close to 100%. This federal framework for data collection makes it possible to compare colleges using consistent metrics and definitions, unlike state-level data. 

Without IPEDS, prospective students and their families cannot answer key questions about the likely costs and outcomes at colleges they’re considering. Publicly accessible tools like the College Scorecard use data from IPEDS and other sources to provide consumer information that empowers students to find the postsecondary pathway that best aligns with their goals. Institutions also use IPEDS data for benchmarking and peer comparisons, while policymakers and researchers analyze IPEDS data to understand who gets into college, who earns a degree or credential, and how affordable colleges are for students with different income backgrounds.  

The screenshots below highlight costs and outcomes information pulled from IPEDS for Michigan State University, as displayed on the College Scorecard. 

This March 12, 2025 screenshot from the College Scorecard shows the average annual costs for attending Michigan State University.

These metrics show the annual “net price” of attending Michigan State University and help prospective students understand whether it’s affordable for them. Net price is collected and calculated in IPEDS as the difference between the cost of attendance and the grants and scholarships students receive. At Michigan State University, the average student who receives federal financial aid faces a net price of around $19,000 per year, after considering grants and scholarships, which is similar to the average net price at four-year colleges nationwide. Students from families with low incomes face a smaller net price at this college, due to the larger grants and scholarships they receive.  

While considering what college to attend, students deserve to know what their likely outcomes will be. The screenshot below shows that more than eight in 10 first-time, full-time Michigan State University students complete bachelor’s degrees within eight years. That degree-completion timeline is higher than the average for four-year colleges nationwide. And 90% of first-time, full-time Michigan State University students return for a second year. The College Scorecard also highlights eight-year outcomes for different groups of students. Users can compare outcomes for students who began their studies at this college alongside outcomes for those who began elsewhere. Similar outcome comparisons can be made between students enrolled full-time and those enrolled part-time. All of these data are collected in IPEDS.  

This March 12, 2025 screenshot from the College Scorecard shows graduation and retention rates for Michigan State University.

 The reach of IPEDS data extends beyond consumer tools like the College Scorecard. IPEDS data are highlighted in every Google search for a college or university. The screenshot below shows key metrics for Louisiana State University at the top of the search results page. The availability of these data on Google puts key information at the fingertips of prospective students, their families, researchers, journalists, and the public.  

This March 13, 2025 screenshot from Google.com shows summary information for Louisiana State University, including the average costs after financial aid, graduation rate, and acceptance rate.

To guide students and families through college-going decisions, counselors and college access organizations rely on tools that require IPEDS data. The Data Rescue Project recently highlighted an illustrative anecdote from a data user: 

Policy leaders have long recognized the importance of consumer information for students facing one of the most impactful decisions of their lives—where to attend college. When the College Scorecard launched in 2013, former Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, “We know students and families are often overwhelmed in the college search process – but feel they lack the tools to sort through the information and decide which school is right for them. The College Scorecard provides a snapshot about an institution’s cost and value to help families make smart decisions about where to enroll.” During the first Trump Administration, former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos shared a commitment to students to “continually improve the College Scorecard so that they could access relevant, accurate and actionable data as they make decisions about their education after high school.”  

Key metrics in the College Scorecard and other tools are not possible without IPEDS. Statements from the Education Department indicate that neither IPEDS nor the College Scorecard would be impacted by the data collection contract cancellations announced in February. But without the NCES staff infrastructure and capacity to manage the data collections, the future of these tools is imperiled. It is vital that we protect the integrity of our educational data systems.