Resources and Web Tools

To assist you in research and planning, the Office of Institutional Research and Planning recommends the following resources and web tools to find information on various organizations, guides, publications and comparative data websites.

IR Organizations and Resources:

Association for Institutional Research - The mission of the Association for Institutional Research is to support members in their efforts to continuously improve the practice of institutional research for postsecondary planning, management and operations, and to further develop and promote the institutional research profession.

Northeast Association for Institutional Research - A regional organization affiliated with the Association for Institutional Research

Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania - The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania, the only statewide organization that serves exclusively the interests of private higher education within the Commonwealth, exists to complement and support the work of campus leaders. 85 private colleges and universities within Pennsylvania are members of the Association, which provides services and programs tailored specifically to the needs of independent higher education.

Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education - The Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education is a consortium of 10 accredited colleges and universities in Allegheny County, including: Carlow University, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, Community College of Allegheny County, Duquesne University, La Roche College, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Point Park University, Robert Morris University and the University of Pittsburgh.

The Carnegie Foundation of Institutions of Higher Education - In 1970, the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education developed a classification of colleges and universities to support its program of research and policy analysis. The Carnegie Classification is a leading framework for describing institutional diversity in U.S. higher education.

Federal Resources:

National Center for Education Statistics - The National Center for Education Statistics, located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences, is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) - IPEDS is the core postsecondary education data collection program for NCES. Data are collected from all primary providers of postsecondary education in the country in such areas as enrollments, program completions, graduation rates, faculty, staff, finances, institutional prices and student financial aid.

Helpful links include:
IPEDS - Home page
IPEDS - College Navigator
IPEDS - Peer Analysis System

Other comparative data websites and useful publications include:

College Results Online - Created by The Education Trust, this site provides information about student graduation rates at four-year colleges and universities.

College InSight - An initiative of the Institute for College Access & Success, makes data on college affordability, diversity and student success easy to find, compare and analyze. College InSight is the successor to EconomicDiversity.org and provides data for almost 7,000 U.S. colleges and universities.

The College Board - The College Board is a not-for-profit examination board that manages many different standardized tests for high school juniors and seniors. The most familiar test, the SAT, is widely used for admission to universities in the United States.

Peterson's Guide
U.S. News & World Report
The Chronicle of Higher Education