Outcome Measures (OM)

Survey Component Overview

The purpose of the Outcome Measures (OM) component of IPEDS is to track the status of four undergraduate student cohorts at degree-granting institutions. These cohorts are further broken down into eight subcohorts of Pell Grant and non Pell Grant recipients. The component collects award status at three status points four-years, six-years and eight-years after entry. Enrollment status is also collected by the component at the eight-year status point.

The IPEDS Outcome Measures component is designed to provide consumers, policymakers, and researchers context for and an alternative to the graduation rates calculated for the purposes of the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990. It was developed in response to recommendations from the U.S. Department of Education’s Committee on Measures of Student Success and IPEDS Technical Review Panels. The Committee on Measures of Student Success recommended that the Department of Education broaden the coverage of student graduation data to reflect the diverse student populations at 2-year institutions and improve the collection of student progression and completion data. In response, the Department released an action plan for improving measures of postsecondary student success in support of the Administration’s college completion agenda and based on those recommendations.

Two IPEDS Technical Review Panel meetings were then convened to address these needs. Together, the panels suggested that the definition of a degree/certificate-seeking students for IPEDS reporting purposes be clarified and that additional outcome information be collected for first-time, part-time students; first-time, full-time students; and non-first time students.

From these recommendations, IPEDS developed the Outcome Measures component. More specifically, this component tracks the status of four undergraduate student cohorts at degree-granting institutions:

Full-time, first-time entering students
Part-time, first-time entering students
Full-time, non-first-time entering students
Part-time, non-first-time entering students

Two additional Technical Review Panels were convened to discuss the OM component and consider changes that would include collecting more information on Pell Grant recipients. Starting in 2017-18, the four cohorts will be broken down into eight subcohorts of Pell and non Pell Grant recipients. The component collects award status at three status points four-years, six-years and eight-years after entry. Enrollment status is also collected by the component at the eight-year status point.