National Student Clearinghouse Postsecondary Data Partnership

The National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) launched the Postsecondary Data Partnership (PDP) to equip postsecondary institutions with more timely access to effective data, thus empowering institutions to make more data-driven decisions to address disparities in outcomes. Currently, obtaining actionable data on postsecondary student outcomes can be costly, delayed, and incomplete. For example, some data are available through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), but not all outcomes can be disaggregated by important characteristics such as race and ethnicity, first-generation status, and Pell Grant status. Without this information, policy and program change often falls short of addressing the structural causes of disparities in progression and outcomes.  

By joining the Postsecondary Data Partnership, system leaders commit to improving and sharing data to identify and advance strategies that ensure every student can achieve a college degree or credential of value. The Postsecondary Data Partnership tracks data on all students, including transfer and part-time students, students who transferred out, and those who enrolled in a four-year institution from a two-year program. Postsecondary Data Partnership metrics include enrollment, credit accumulation, gateway course completion, two-year retention, term-to-term retention, transfer rates, transfer completions, and credential completion rates. Participating states and institutions also have access to a collaborative dynamic set of dashboards, enabling timely analysis, cross-institution comparison, and state-level comparison. These tools provide institution and system leaders with the information they need to make informed decisions to improve student outcomes. 

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