Outcome Measures is an IPEDS survey component that reports completion and award rates for a broader set of student cohorts than the traditional Graduation Rates survey.
How it works
Institutions report entering cohorts of full-time first-time, part-time first-time, full-time non-first-time, and part-time non-first-time students. For each cohort they report the number who received an award within four, six, and eight years, and the number still enrolled. Data are submitted annually through IPEDS. Researchers and prospective students can compare the broader Outcome Measures rates with the narrower Graduation Rates figures.
Example: an online institution’s six-year Graduation Rate for full-time first-time students is 35 percent. Its Outcome Measures six-year award rate for part-time non-first-time students is 48 percent. Both figures are published; together they describe different segments of the student body.
How it differs
Graduation Rates focus on full-time, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates and a 150 percent window. Outcome Measures add part-time and transfer-in cohorts and longer windows. Retention rate is a single-year measure. College Scorecard completion metrics draw on related but not identical federal data.
Common errors
Treating Outcome Measures rates as directly interchangeable with Graduation Rates. Assuming all institutions have large full-time first-time cohorts when many online institutions do not. Ignoring the eight-year window when evaluating adult-learner completion.
References
- 1. IPEDS Outcome Measures surveyBroader completion metrics
- 2. NCES Outcome Measures documentationCohorts and award levels
Outcome Measures is an IPEDS survey component that reports completion and award rates for a broader set of student cohorts than the traditional Graduation Rates survey.