Measuring Revenues Using IPEDS
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) is the most comprehensive source of information on revenues collected by U.S. colleges and universities. In my research note, Measuring the Revenues of Higher Education Institutions Using IPEDS, I outline a method for using IPEDS data to generate a range of revenue measures.
At the bottom of this post, you’ll find a table listing the eight general revenue categories and 25 specific subcategories captured by these measures. You can download a dataset containing these measures for all nonprofit two-year and four-year colleges, covering fiscal years 2004 through 2023.
In my own research, I often focus on what I call core revenues—those tied most directly to an institution’s central mission of instruction, research, and service. These include the first five general categories and their associated subcategories. Other revenue types tend to support more peripheral activities. For instance, auxiliary revenues (such as residence hall charges) typically fund auxiliary expenditures (like residence hall operations).
My revenue measures build upon the Delta Cost Project’s foundation, with the most important extension involving net tuition revenue (NTR). Rather than relying on a single NTR figure, I divide it between two general categories and five subcategories. Since tuition dollars come from a variety of sources—such as the federal and state governments, private donors, and students—this disaggregation provides a clearer and more nuanced picture of institutional finances.
If you’re interested in the full list of extensions and technical details, I encourage you to read the complete research note.
Revenue Categories and Subcategories
| General Categories | Subcategories |
|---|---|
| NTR: Government Scholarship Grants | NTR: Pell Scholarship Grants |
| NTR: Other Federal Scholarship Grants | |
| NTR: State Scholarship Grants | |
| NTR: Local Scholarship Grants | |
| NTR: Student-Based | NTR: Student-Based |
| Government Appropriations | Federal Appropriations |
| State Appropriations | |
| Local Appropriations | |
| Capital Appropriations (GASB only) | |
| Private Gifts, Grants, & Investment (GGI) | Private Gifts |
| Investment Revenue | |
| Private Grants | |
| Government Non-Scholarship Grants | Federal Non-Scholarship Grants |
| State Non-Scholarship Grants | |
| Local Non-Scholarship Grants | |
| Capital Grants & Gifts (GASB only) | |
| Other Scholarship Grants (OSG) | OSG: Pell Scholarship Grants |
| OSG: Other Federal Scholarship Grants | |
| OSG: State Scholarship Grants | |
| OSG: Local Scholarship Grants | |
| Sales, Services, & Independent Operations | Sales and Services of Auxiliary Enterprises |
| Sales and Services of Educational Activities | |
| Sales and Services of Hospitals | |
| Independent Operations | |
| Other Revenues | Other Revenues |