Module 6: External Data sources

What other data is already publicly available? This section will explore select external data sources and benchmarks available to your institution.

U.S. Department of Education Links to an external site.
Institute of Education Sciences (IES Links to an external site.): IES funds non-partisan research, evaluation, and statistics related to education in the United States and is comprised of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), National Center for Education Research (NCER), and National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER). Introduction to the Institute of Education Sciences Links to an external site.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES Links to an external site.): NCES is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education. NCES Annual Reports Links to an external site., publications Links to an external site., and fast facts Links to an external site. provide a rich resource for education related data and trends. Check out the Data and Tools section to explore a variety of education related data sources.
Integrated Postsecondary Data Systems (IPEDS Links to an external site.): IPEDS collects institution-level data on student enrollment, graduation rates, student charges, program completions, faculty, staff, and finances. Click here to access the IPEDS Data Center Links to an external site..
- College Navigator Links to an external site.: College Navigator utilized IPEDS data and is an online tool aimed to assist in the college search process.
College Scorecard Links to an external site.: While this site is aimed to guide counselors, students and families to identify what to look for in choosing a college and how to search for it using the College Scorecard, this is another great resource for fast facts about an institution or tools to help students make important decisions regarding college attendance. This handout Links to an external site. shows the types of information you can find in College Scorecard.
National Student Clearing House Links to an external site.: The National Student Clearinghouse is a leading source for degree and enrollment verification. This is a great tool to utilize when analyzing enrollment patterns of your students. Want to know where you students go when they transfer out of your institution? Use the National Student Clearinghouse to find out.
United States Census Bureau Links to an external site.: Access census data through products and tools including data visualizations, mobile apps, interactive web apps and other software.
Economic Development & Employer Planning System (EDEPS Links to an external site.): EDEPS is an analytical tool for business, education, workforce and economic planners. EDEPS facilitates the analysis of economic health, industry performance, population trends, labor supply and demand, training resources, income characteristics, and market potential.

Sticky Points and Road Blocks

Knowing where to go for existing data sets may be difficult as you are unsure of all the places where data could be. While institutional research and assessment individuals may be one of the most well-known sources of data, there may be other people in your unit, division, department, or institution that you need to build relationships with in order to get information. For example, the university librarian may keep information about student’s use and requests that can provide information into their needs.
Getting access to existing data sets can be a political process depending on who has the data, what access protocols they have in place, and their “data personality.” Some individuals are data hoarders and do not like to share information; there are also individuals who are not fully aware of all the data they have access to so do not give you all of the data that is available.
After receiving the data, how do you know how to translate the data into useable form? How do you create a story with the data you have? Identify individuals who can help you to interpret the data set, including the individual who provided you with the information. Even more so, develop relationships with colleagues who will be a source to help you validate your interpretation of the data and your findings.

Reflection Question

What other external data sources do you use on your campus?