Ethnicity and race data presented on the Institutional Research website follow standards established by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). These categories were developed in 1997 by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or are identified with by their community. The categories are not based on scientific or anthropological definitions, and apply to U.S. citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.
For complete category definitions, see:
How Data Are Collected
IPEDS uses a two-part question to capture race and ethnicity.
Step 1 — Ethnicity: Individuals indicate whether they are Hispanic or Latino.
Step 2 — Race: Individuals select one or more races that apply:
• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Asian
• Black or African American
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• White
IPEDS Trumping Rules
IPEDS applies a priority-based hierarchy — known as "trumping rules" — to assign each person to a single reporting category. Responses are interpreted in the following order:
| Priority | Category |
|---|---|
| 1 | U.S. Nonresident |
| 2 | Hispanic or Latino (any race) |
| 3 | Two or More Races (non-Hispanic) |
| 4 | Single race (non-Hispanic): American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African American; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; White |
| 5 | Race and Ethnicity Unknown |
Key rules to note:
• Any person who identifies as Hispanic or Latino is reported in that category, regardless of any additional race selections.
• Non-Hispanic individuals who select two or more races are reported as "Two or More Races."
• U.S. nonresidents are categorized as such prior to any race or ethnicity identification.
Institutional Research Data Fields
Institutional Research maintains two race/ethnicity fields based on IPEDS standards:
IPEDS_Ethn_NR — Follows IPEDS standards as defined, including the U.S. Nonresident designation. Used for all official external reporting.
IPEDS_Ethn — Follows IPEDS standards, but replaces the U.S. Nonresident designation with the individual's self-identified race or ethnicity. Available for internal analysis only.