The Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) represents one of the most significant expansions to IPEDS in recent years. As institutions work through evolving requirements, tight timelines, and outstanding questions, AIR has created this Resource Center to support clarity, preparation, and informed decision-making.
The information on this page is offered as a resource for the higher education community. It is not intended to be official guidance or a substitute for information from the U.S. Department of Education.
Background
Under the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS), the U.S. Department of Education (ED) requires four-year institutions with selective admissions to submit detailed, disaggregated data on applications, admissions, enrollment, and aid — by race-sex pairings; and further broken out by GPA quintiles, test-score quintiles, family income ranges, Pell-grant eligibility, parental education (first-generation status), application round (e.g. early action/decision vs. regular), and more. For graduate/professional programs, data would be reported by field of study (CIP code).
Read more about ACTS background, timeline, and requirements.
Documents and Publications
Training
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ACTS Reporting Bootcamp: Building and Submitting Your Student-Level File
Preparing for ACTS requires institutions to complete a detailed student-level file that meets strict formatting, coding, and structural requirements. This training is about execution—moving institutions from awareness to a technically correct submission ready for ACTS processing.
All Levels • Live Online Bootcamp • Multi-Day • $0/$0
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Navigating in Uncertainty: How to Prepare for ACTS
This session focuses on what institutions can do today to prepare for ACTS: identifying available data, documenting gaps, and developing a feasible plan for compliant reporting as requirements are finalized.
All Levels • On-Demand Webinar • 1 Hour • $0/$0
AIR Data & Decisions Consulting Support
ACTS Advisory Hours
Access flexible guidance to help you understand requirements, interpret expectations, and prepare your institution for this work. This advisory-only service offers dedicated time with a consultant who can answer questions, review approaches, and support your team with ACTS submission.
Peer-to-Peer Resources
Upcoming ACTS Coffee Chats
Coffee chats provide our community with a casual, virtual opportunity to connect thoughtfully around various questions and challenges.
AIR Advocacy and News
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AIR Joins Postsecondary Data Collaborative Letter on ACTS to U.S. Department of Education
The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) has joined a coalition of 34 organizations in signing a formal letter submitted to the U.S. Department of Education regarding the proposed Admissions and Consumer Transpar...Read Moreabout: AIR Joins Postsecondary Data Collaborative Letter on ACTS to U.S. Department of Education -
AIR Submits Additional Comments on Proposed ACTS Survey
On December 15, 2025, the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) submitted additional written comments to the U.S. Department of Education in response to new documentation released for the proposed Admissions and C...Read Moreabout: AIR Submits Additional Comments on Proposed ACTS Survey -
AIR Submits Comments on Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) Proposal
On October 14, 2025, AIR submitted formal comments to National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) regarding the proposed ACTS expansion to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The letter expres...Read Moreabout: AIR Submits Comments on Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) Proposal -
AIR Joins PostsecData Coalition in Recommending Improvements to Proposed Admissions Data Collection
The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) has joined the PostsecData coalition and other higher education organizations in signing a letter responding to the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed Admission...Read Moreabout: AIR Joins PostsecData Coalition in Recommending Improvements to Proposed Admissions Data Collection -
AIR Joins Higher Education Organizations in Providing Feedback on Proposed Admissions Data Collection
The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) joined a coalition of higher education associations that submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Education expressing concerns about the proposed Admissions and Consu...Read Moreabout: AIR Joins Higher Education Organizations in Providing Feedback on Proposed Admissions Data Collection -
Beyond Compliance and Through Uncertainty: Our Commitment Endures
As data professionals, we find ourselves in one of the most unsettling reporting environments higher education has faced. The uncertainty is real; shifting federal priorities, new requirements, and unclear guidance makes...Read Moreabout: Beyond Compliance and Through Uncertainty: Our Commitment Endures -
Proposed IPEDS ACTS Component: AIR Community Survey Results
When the U.S. Department of Education proposed adding an Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) to IPEDS beginning in 2025–26, AIR recognized the importance of elevating institutional voices in that...Read Moreabout: Proposed IPEDS ACTS Component: AIR Community Survey Results -
AIR Executive Director Weighs In: Proposed IPEDS Supplement Could Undermine Reliability of Admissions Data
In an Inside Higher Ed opinion piece published September 15, 2025, Bryan Cook, vice president of data and policy analysis at the American Council on Education, and Christine M. Keller, executive director and CEO of the A...Read Moreabout: AIR Executive Director Weighs In: Proposed IPEDS Supplement Could Undermine Reliability of Admissions Data -
Proposed New IPEDS Data Component Would Have Significant Impacts on Institutions
The U.S. Department of Education has proposed adding the Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) to this year’s IPEDS data collection. https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-15536.pdf &nb...Read Moreabout: Proposed New IPEDS Data Component Would Have Significant Impacts on Institutions