The fall 2026-27 collection for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) opened September 16, 2026. A few support resources are new this cycle, so keyholders will want to get oriented before the fall deadlines.

The fall collection covers the Institutional Characteristics, Completions, and 12-month Enrollment components. Registration opened August 19, 2026. For the exact keyholder and reporting due dates, check the official 2026-27 data collection schedule.

One practical change to note: the IPEDS Help Desk has new contact information as of August 12, 2026—877-994-7337 (877-99-IPEDS). Update your saved contacts and use the contact form on the IPEDS portal for written questions.

The IPEDS Training and Community of Practice site is the hub for this cycle. It houses the 2026-27 Keyholder Handbook, the Data Collection System login, survey materials, and a Training Center of webinars, recorded walkthroughs, and short how-to videos organized by survey topic, including a set on Institutional Characteristics reporting for 2026-27. Familiar data tools such as College Navigator, the Trend Generator, and the Data Explorer are linked there as well.

Because a few tools are new this year, Institutional Research and Effectiveness (IR/IE) teams can save time by bookmarking the portal, saving the new Help Desk number, and starting with the Training Center before diving into submission.