National Student Clearinghouse StudentTracker Data
Student-level data on nearly all enrollments at postsecondary, Title IV, degree-granting institutions in the US. Data are frequently updated with degrees awarded and student demographics, among a variety of additional student-level data.
Near-census of students enrolled at post-secondary education institutions in the United States
Access
To access student-level data, researchers must be affiliated with an organization or institution. This includes but is not limited to high schools, colleges, and universities, local and state education agencies, and federal agencies. In addition, outreach organizations that serve underserved populations and relevant offices at participating schools, such as financial aid offices, may request data.
To submit a request for data, researchers should direct initial contact to [email protected]. Initial inquiries should include a brief description of the research project, cohort in question, and contact information. Additional data access procedures are determined based on the specific circumstances and, are in large part, determined by the nature of the research and researcher requesting data.
As part of the application process, researchers must enter into a data use agreement. Research projects must comply with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements. Though NSC does not always require researchers to gain IRB approval prior to accessing data, researchers must meet NSC standards and demonstrate either a relationship with or right to use the information of the requested cohort.
See Dynarski et al. (2013) for more information on using NSC data for research, including the history of the NSC and sources of potential measurement error determined by case-study analyses.
Timeline for Access
NSC typically responds to initial contact within two business days. Once the researcher has answered all relevant follow-up questions, a DUA is provided within approximately five business days. After the finder file has been formatted to NSC standards and uploaded to the StudentTracker system, researchers receive the matched data in approximately five business days.
Methods and timelines of data disposal are determined on a case-by-case basis and are negotiated during the data request process.
Lag Time
Institutions typically submit data just after the beginning of the semester, after the add/drop deadline, and at the end of each semester. Since schools are allotted 45 days to submit data, in most cases, fall enrollment data are available in late November, fall completion data are available in late February, spring enrollment data are available in early March, and spring completion data are available by the end of June.
Cost
The cost of accessing NSC data depends on the type of data requestor and the nature of the research project. There are seven pricing models, each with different eligibility requirements, but the data returns are generally the same.
NSC designed StudentTracker for Other Educational Organizations with academic researchers in mind. Under this model, a fee is imposed based on the number of records the researcher submits for matching. Additionally, fees are imposed for operational expenses; there is a $500 set-up fee and a minimum fee of $425 per file for administrative costs.
Alternatively, researchers may qualify to access data through the other StudentTracker models, such as StudentTracker for Outreach, which is originally designed for programs that provide direct services to underserved populations. The other six pricing models involve an annual subscription that is priced in accordance with the amount of data requested. For detailed pricing models, please refer to Appendix B of the NSC Data Infrastructure Overview.
Linking
There is only one process by which researchers may acquire data from NSC.
- Researchers must submit a finder file containing a defined list of students with identifying information. At minimum, the file must include first name, last name, and date of birth. Note that NSC will not verify or fix incorrect identifiers.
- NSC Research Center will match this finder file with their records.
NSC can remove personally identifying information from data for special arrangements at an additional cost.
Since NSC will not produce or provide a finder file with identifying information, researchers may not request data based off a description of the desired sample; they must request data on a pre-specified list of individuals. For more information on NSC’s linking algorithms, consult Dynarski et al. (2013).
Identifiers Available for Linking
- Date of birth
- First and last name
- Social Security number
- NSC requires that researchers send a finder file with first name, last name, and date of birth for all students requested. Middle name or initial are optional data matching elements. If researchers gain consent from cohort members that meets NSC requireme
Linking to Outside Data Sources
Unknown.
Data Contents
Data are collected from two- and four-year, public and private colleges and universities. Data from fall 2015 is from 84 percent of all Title IV degree-granting institutions and represents 97 percent of all enrollments in Title IV degree-granting institutions. The extent of data provided varies between institutions. Institutions have submitted data to NSC individually since 1993; however, the portion of all enrollments captured in NSC data did not exceed 90 percent until 2007. See the Enrollment Coverage Workbook for more on yearly coverage rates.
NSC requires participating institutions to report the following student-level data elements:
• First name
• Last name
• Date of birth
• Enrollment status (e.g., full time, half time, etc.)
• Dates of attendance
• Graduation indicator and date
Many institutions provide optional data elements such as degrees awarded (e.g., degree type, level, and major) and student demographics. A set of optional data elements were introduced in 2008, and another set was introduced in 2014. For more information, please see the categories labeled “Optional Data Elements” in Appendix A of the NSC Infrastructure Overview and Reporting of NSC Additional Data Elements.
Partial List of Variables
School code, enrollment status, dates of attendance, institutions attended, anticipated graduation date, major course of study, degree, certificate, or credential title, student demographics, veteran’s status indicator, Pell Grant recipient flag, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Classification of Institutional Programs (CIP) code for major 1 and 2, high school name, disability code, Student Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
For a complete list, see Appendix A of the NSC Data Infrastructure Overview.
J-PAL Randomized Evaluations Using this Data Set
Angrist, Josh, David Autor, Sally Hudson, and Amanda Pallais. 2016. “Evaluating Post-Secondary Aid: Enrollment, Persistence, and Projected Completion Effects.” NBER Working Paper No. 23015. doi: 10.3386/w23015.
Other Research Using this Data Set
Dynarski, Susan M., Steven W. Hemelt, and Joshua M. Hyman. 2013. “The Missing Manual: Using National Student Clearinghouse Data to Track Postsecondary Outcomes.” Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis 37(1S), 53S-79S. doi: 10.1302/0162373715576078.
Other Documentation
Sharpiro, Doug, Afet Dundar, Phoebe Khasiala Wakhungu, Xin Yuan, Angel Nathan, and Youngsik Hwang. 2016. “Completing College: A National View of Student Attainment Rates.” Herndon, VA: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.