IPEDS definitions used in the “Peer Comparisons” dashboard are available in the IPEDS glossary.
Academic Year
The annual period of instruction that includes fall, spring, and summer terms. It is set based on the calendar year in which fall term falls, e.g., the academic year 2015-16 goes from Fall 2015 through Summer 2016.
Average Student Credit Hours
The total number of credits that count toward a student’s academic load/certification (full time, half time, etc.) divided by the number of academic terms completed by the student up to the current term.
BIPOC
Students who identify as United States citizens and identify as one of the following: American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Black/African American, or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.
Campus
The University of Minnesota locations at Crookston, Duluth, Morris, Rochester, Twin Cities and the entities that report to them.
Class
Class (Academic Level): A student’s class standing based on the student’s academic career and number of credits completed. For undergraduate students this is their academic level (Freshman, Sophom*ore, Junior, Senior, or Unknown) at the beginning of the academic term. For graduate students this is how they are classified by their academic program (Masters, Doctoral, or Other Grad). For professional students this is their year (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or Other Prfl) in their academic program. All other students are Non-Degree.
College
A unit of the University of Minnesota, offering courses of instruction, usually leading to a degree, that furthers the University’s teaching, research, and outreach mission.
Degree-seeking
Degree-seeking Students (IPEDS): Students enrolled in courses for credit who are seeking a degree, certificate, or other postsecondary credential.
Full-time Equivalent (FTE)
Student Full-Time Equivalent (FTE): The sum of credits attempted divided by pre-determined divisors representing a full-time credit load for a given academic term. Definitions of a full-time-equivalent credit load varies by student level. For undergraduates, a full-time-equivalent credit load is defined as 15 credits; for graduate students, a full-time-equivalent credit load is 10; for professional students, a full-time-equivalent credit load is 15 credits.
Full-time/Part-time
Full-Time/Part-Time (Academic Load): Status of a student’s academic load based on the units taken for academic progress. The threshold for the number of units varies by the student's academic career. For example, full-time status for undergraduates requires a minimum of 12 units per term while full-time status for graduate students requires a minimum of 6 units per term.
Gender (IPEDS)
The official university reporting to IPEDS, counted from the university’s Legal Sex field, but only allows values of Male and Female.
Home Location
Home Location (Midwest Grouping): A calculation based on a combination of the U.S. Citizenship Status and the Home Location Code, which is based on the home address a student self-reports during the admissions process. Individuals are grouped into categories of: Twin Cities Metro, Greater Minnesota, Minnesota Unknown, Wisconsin, N Dakota, S Dakota, Other US, Foreign, and Unknown to reflect student reciprocity status at a state level.
Legal Sex
The designation of sex on legal documents. An individual’s sex might differ from their sex assigned at birth (if, for example, legal steps have been taken to change the individual’s sex) and/or from their gender identity.
Median Student Credit Hours
The total number of credits that count toward a student’s academic load/certification (full time, half time, etc.) completed in an academic term that is the midpoint of all academic terms completed by the student up to the current term.
Non-Degree Seeking
Non-Degree-Seeking Students (IPEDS): Students enrolled in courses for credit who are not seeking a degree, certificate, or other postsecondary credential.
Peer Group
UMN Peer Group: University of Minnesota campuses, external public/not for profit universities, and BIG10 affiliated universities make up the University’s Peer Group.
Race/ethnicity (Inst/NR)
A person’s ethnicity for official reporting is based on a set of criteria in order to report a single ethnicity for each individual. Individuals with “Alien” or “Alien Temporary” citizenship status are listed as “US Nonresident”, regardless of their self-identified ethnicity.
Race/ethnicity (IPEDS)
A person’s ethnicity for official IPEDS external reporting is based on a set of criteria in order to report a single value for each individual based on the following rules, separating those with “Alien” or “Alien Temporary” citizenship status and those with multiple ethnicities into separate categories.
Race/ethnicity Group (Inst/NR)
An aggregation of Ethnicity (Institutional/U.S. Nonresident Calculation). “BIPOC” includes the following race and ethnicity categories: American Indian, Asian, Black, Hawaiian, and Hispanic, while individuals with “Alien” or “Alien Temporary” citizenship status are listed as “U.S. Nonresident”, regardless of their self-identified ethnicity.
Race/ethnicity Group (IPEDS)
An aggregation of the IPEDS definition of race and ethnicity. A person’s race/ethnicity for official IPEDS reporting is based on a set of criteria in order to report a single value for each individual, separating those with “Alien” or “Alien Temporary” citizenship status and those with multiple ethnicities into separate categories. In aggregate format, “BIPOC” includes the following race and ethnicity categories: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Two or more races.
Registration Status
A value indicating a student's registration context at the University in a given term. For example, if they are new, have transferred between UMN campuses or colleges, or have continued in their academic program.
Student Credit Hours (Academic Load)
Total number of credits that count toward a student's academic load/certification (full time, half time, etc.) for a specific term, summed up for the selected students and classes.
Student Headcount
The number of students enrolled at the University for a given academic term including current and past terms.
Student Level
A value combining the level of study for a student with their degree-seeking status. Values include undergraduate, graduate, professional, non-degree.
Term
Term (Academic): A defined period of instruction that is a subunit of an academic year. Examples: Fall Semester, Spring Semester, Summer Term. Note: Prior to Fall Semester 1999, the University of Minnesota operated on a quarter system (example Winter Quarter).
Total Student Credit Hours
The total number of credits that count toward a student’s academic load/certification (full time, half time, etc.) up to the current academic term.
Underrepresented (Ethnicity)
Students who identify as United States citizens and identify as one of the following: American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic/Latino, Black/African American, or Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander.
U.S. Nonresident
A person who is not a citizen or national of the United States and who is in this country on a visa or temporary basis and does not have the right to remain indefinitely. Does not include DACA, undocumented, or other eligible noncitizens. (Formerly categorized by IPEDS as “International” and "Nonresident Alien")
Year (Historical Student Headcounts)
The fall term of a calendar year.
