The American Community Survey (ACS), a product of the U.S. Census Bureau, is an ongoing survey that supplies vital information about the U.S. and its people. Information from the survey generates data that is used to inform a variety of state and federal policy decisions. As a robust source for detailed population and housing information in the U.S., the ACS disseminates information about jobs and occupations, educational attainment, veterans, whether people own or rent their homes, and other topics. Data from ACS have been published since 2005.

Since it was first published in 1988, the American College President Study (ACPS) has remained the most comprehensive source of information about the college presidency and higher education leadership pipeline. ACPS includes surveys conducted approximately every five years, the results of which are analyzed in corresponding reports that provide information on the demographics, career paths, and experiences of college and university presidents. College and university presidents occupy a leadership role unlike any other, and the ACPS includes insight into the presidential demographics and pathways to the college presidency. New data collected in 2022 included when respondents first aspired, applied, and were appointed to the presidency; information on the responsibilities that presidents balance with their jobs, such as caregiving for loved ones; and insights on their community and support networks. The American College President: 2023 Edition analyzed responses from 1,075 college and university presidents. 

The ACT, administered by the organization of the same name, is an exam designed for 10th, 11th, and 12th graders, measures what students have learned in high school and the skills that are important indicators for college and career readiness. The ACT includes four components: English, reading, math, and science. The ACT is used by many colleges and universities as a criteria of undergraduate admission.

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium launched the American Indian Measures of Success (AIHEC AIMS) in 2004 to define measures for success that are relevant to Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and the communities they serve. AIHEC AIMS seeks to build data collection capacity and accountability of TCUs to measure success and increase participation and success of American Indian students in postsecondary education. Qualitative data provides stories and narratives around the many types of quantitative data collected through AIHEC AIMS, such as enrollment, cost of attendance, TCU funding, and curricular programs.

The Adult Training and Education Survey (ATES) collects information on work experience programs, non-degree work certifications and licenses, and postsecondary educational certificates of adults ages 16 to 65 who are not enrolled in high school. The ATES survey also collects information on respondents’ demographic characteristics, educational attainment, labor force participation, earnings, and occupational field.

The Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study (B&B) examines students’ education and work experiences after they complete a bachelor’s degree, following several cohorts of students over time. The study draws its cohorts from NPSAS samples. The B&B sample is representative of graduating seniors in all majors. Following graduates for one, four, and 19 years after they have completed their bachelor’s degree, B&B looks at bachelor’s degree recipients’ workforce participation, income and debt repayment, and entry into and persistence through graduate school programs, among other indicators. B&B also gathers extensive information on bachelor’s degree recipients’ undergraduate experience, demographic backgrounds, expectations regarding graduate study and work, and participation in community service. Four cohorts have been followed. Students in the most recent cohort completed their bachelor’s degree in 2015–16 and were followed in 2017 and 2020. 

The Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS) currently surveys cohorts of first-time, beginning students at three points in time: at the end of their first year, and then three and six years after first starting in postsecondary education. The study draws its cohorts from NPSAS. As such, frequencies detailed in this report are estimates based on samples. BPS collects data on various topics, including student demographic characteristics, education and work experiences, persistence, transfer, and degree attainment. The BPS tracks students’ paths through postsecondary education to allow for a more in-depth exploration of what academic fields students pursue, how their persistence and completion is associated with financial aid, and–in some cases–why students leave higher education without completing their programs 

The Current Population Survey (CPS), sponsored jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is the primary source of labor force statistics for the population of the United States. The CPS is used to collect data for a variety of other studies that keep the nation informed of the economic and social well-being of its people. Providing information on many of the things that shape American life—work, earnings, and education—the CPS also conducts supplemental inquiries that vary month to month covering a wide variety of topics such as child support, volunteerism, health insurance coverage, and school enrollment. The CPS represents individuals who were ages 15 and older and not in the armed forces. People in institutions, such as prisons, long-term care hospitals, and nursing homes are ineligible to be interviewed in the CPS. Data from the CPS has been published since 1947. The survey also has one of the highest response rates among government household surveys, averaging around 90 percent.

The primary purpose of the Digest of Education Statistics is to provide a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of American education from prekindergarten through graduate school. The Digest includes a selection of data from government and private sources and survey results from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The publication contains information on schools and colleges, teachers, enrollments, and graduates, in addition to educational attainment, finances, federal funds for education, libraries, and international education. Additionally, supplemental information is collected on population trends, attitudes on education, education characteristics of the labor force, government finances, and economic trends to provide context for evaluating education data.

The GED^® test is made up of four subjects, broken into separate exams. By collecting information on mathematical reasoning, reasoning through language arts, social studies, and science, the GED Testing Service has comprehensive data on prospective students in higher education. With college readiness being an integral issue of equity for American higher education, these nationwide data provide information to assess current curricula and work toward more coherent and relevant instruction that better aligns with students’ career goals and provides an entrance for students into higher education and the U.S. labor market.

The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS), is a nationally representative longitudinal study of 23,000 ninth grade students in 2009. Designed to examine the pathways of students through secondary education into postsecondary education and the workforce, the study utilizes surveys of students, their families, and school staff during students’ 9^th, 11^th, and 12^th grade years, high school transcripts, as well as three years following high school completion. Once completed, HSLS will also include data from postsecondary transcripts and a final follow-up survey of participants scheduled for 2025.

The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is the primary source for information on U.S. colleges, universities, and technical and vocational institutions. IPEDS is a system of interrelated surveys conducted annually by NCES. IPEDS gathers information from more than 7,000 colleges, universities, and technical and vocational institutions that participate in federal student aid programs in fundamental areas such as enrollment, program completion and graduation rates, institutional costs, student financial aid and human resources. Frequencies detailed in this report from IPEDS data are actual counts of students, faculty, and staff on U.S. campuses. Data collected through IPEDS are publicly released and can be accessed through the IPEDS Data Center.

Also known as the Nation’s Report Card, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative assessment that measures 4^th grade, 8^th grade, and 12^th grade students’ knowledge, educational achievement, and progress in a range of subjects. A congressionally mandated project administered through the U.S. Department of Education, NAEP has been used to measure students’ progress in subjects since 1969. Unlike the various assessments offered by each state, NAEP assessments are the same across states, allowing a common measure of student achievement and performance across the nation.

National Population Projections, a product of the U.S. Census Bureau, is a set of projections based on the 2010 census. The 2017 series uses the official estimates of the resident population on July 1, 2016 to project the U.S. population from 2017 to 2060. The series uses the cohort-component method and historical trends in births, deaths, and international migration to project the future size and composition of the national population. The series also accounts for the generally lower mortality rates and longer life expectancy of the foreign-born people and accounts for the effects of international migration on the population of the United States.  

The National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS) examines the characteristics of students in postsecondary education, with special focus on how they finance their education. NPSAS sample surveys provide access to nationally representative data for undergraduate and graduate students. NPSAS is a comprehensive research dataset, based on student-level records provided by the federal government, the states, postsecondary institutions, employers, and private agencies, along with student demographic and enrollment data. NPSAS is one of the sources of information used by the federal government (and others, such as researchers and higher education associations) to analyze student financial aid and to inform public policy on such programs as the Pell Grants and Direct or Stafford loans. The frequencies and averages reported were based on random samples, not populations. They represent estimates with margins of error. We do not report these margins of error, but we do note if the small sample sizes and large variances make the estimates unreliable.

The National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) is a nonprofit and nongovernmental organization that contracts with colleges and universities to provide educational reporting, data exchange, verification, and research services. Given its direct relationship with college enrollment, completion and tracking, NSC has an expansive network of information, data and resources about student-level educational outcomes nationwide. With increasing participation from colleges and universities, as of spring 2018 the NSC data account for 97 percent of the enrollments at U.S. Title IV, degree-granting institutions. By tracking students across institutions, NSC data is robust and can be used to more fully understand trends in college enrollment and completion. The research arm of NSC works with higher education institutions, states, districts, high schools, and educational organizations to better inform practitioners and policymakers about student educational pathways and enable informed decision making.

The SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report, produced by the College Board, contains information on the graduating cohort of high school seniors who took the new SAT during their high school career, as well as the number of students who took related PSAT assessments (PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and PSAT 8/9) in a given school year. Used by many colleges and universities as a criteria of undergraduate admission, the SAT suite of assessments includes exams for students in eighth grade through 12th grade, and can help identify readiness for AP courses, as well as college and career readiness.

The Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), is an annual census of all individuals who received a research doctorate from accredited U.S. institutions in a given year. The SED identifies characteristics and trends in doctoral education through the collection of doctoral degree recipients’ demographic information, educational history, and postgraduation plans and outcomes. It also includes a follow-up survey designed to identify characteristics and trends of the population of doctoral recipients. The SED has been administered annually since 1957, and it is a joint product of the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Education, and National Endowment for the Humanities.