State agencies rely on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) as a core part of the nation’s postsecondary education data infrastructure. Its common definitions and standardized measures support comparisons across institutions and states, inform accountability systems, performance funding, legislative reporting, tuition and fee decisions, financial aid policy, and institutional funding. In collaboration with SHEEO and with support from Lumina Foundation, this study examines how state higher education agencies use IPEDS, drawing on a national survey and interviews with fourteen state higher education leaders.
The findings show that IPEDS remains essential for reliable national benchmarks, especially for analyses involving institutions outside state systems, including independent and proprietary colleges, and for measures such as tuition, financial aid, net price, and completion. However, state agencies also identified challenges, including delayed data releases, gaps in coverage such as non-credit activity, limitations in public tools, and inconsistencies in institutional reporting. Recent federal staffing and operational changes have raised concerns about IPEDS’ stability, yet few agencies are prepared to replace it if disrupted. Strengthening timeliness, coverage, data quality, and federal support will be critical to preserving a coherent national data system that serves policymakers, institutions, and the public.