Common Data Set (CDS)
The
Common Data Set (CDS) initiative is a collaborative effort among data providers in the higher education
community and publishers as represented by the College Board, Peterson's, and U.S.
News and World Report. The combined goal of this collaboraion is to improve the quality
and accuracy of information provided to all involved in a student's transition into
higher education, as well as to reduce the reporting burden on data providers.
IPEDS
IPEDS is the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. It is a system of interrelated
surveys conducted annually by the U.S. Department of Education’s National
Center for
Education Statistics (NCES). IPEDS gathers information from every college,
university,
and technical and vocational institution that participates in the federal
student
financial aid programs. The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended,
requires that
institutions that participate in federal student aid programs report data
on enrollments,
program completions, graduation rates, faculty and staff, finances, institutional
prices, and student financial aid. These data are made available to students
and parents
through the College Navigator college search Web site and to researchers and others through the IPEDS Data Center.
