This guide contains links to a wide range of data sources about education from Federal and state governments and other institutional sources.
Last updated : 2025 Apr. 24
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data related to education in the United States. As part of the U.S. Department of Education, NCES provides comprehensive statistical information on elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education, including enrollment trends, academic performance, school finances, and educational outcomes.
Click HERE to access NCES home page
Direct URL : https://nces.ed.gov/
Complete list of Programs can be found HERE
Direct URL : https://nces.ed.gov/use-work/data-collection-programs
The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) is an American political science and social science research consortium, based at the University of Michigan. It was founded in 1962, and is an integral part of the social sciences research infrastructure. ICPSR maintains and provides access to a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction with over 16,000 discrete studies/surveys and more than 70,000 datasets.
Description: EdFacts is a U.S. Department of Education initiative to centralize performance data on K-12 education across states. It contains data on academic performance, graduation rates, assessments, and other education indicators.
Key Datasets:
Assessment Results: Statewide test results in math, reading, science, and other subjects.
Graduation and Dropout Rates: Longitudinal data on high school graduation and dropout rates across states.
Accountability Reports: Information on how schools are meeting federal accountability requirements.
Description: Data.gov provides access to a variety of federal datasets, including education-related data on topics like school performance, graduation rates, teacher salaries, and college admissions.
Key Datasets:
Teacher Salaries by State: Information on average teacher compensation.
School District Finance Data: Data on revenue and spending across school districts.
Early Childhood Education: Data on participation in early education programs such as Head Start.
U.S. Department of Education (ED) Open Data
Description: The U.S. Department of Education provides a variety of datasets on K-12 and higher education, focusing on school performance, graduation rates, college enrollment, and student loans.
Key Datasets:
School Performance Data: School accountability data for public schools across states.
Student Loan Data: Data on federal student loans, including default rates and repayment plans.
College Scorecard: Detailed information on college outcomes, costs, and student debt by institution.
National Student Clearinghouse Research Center
Description: The National Student Clearinghouse provides comprehensive data on college enrollment, persistence, and completion rates across the U.S.
Key Datasets:
High School Benchmarks: Reports on college enrollment, persistence, and completion rates among high school graduates.
Postsecondary Enrollment: Data on national and state-level enrollment patterns by institution type (e.g., 2-year vs. 4-year colleges).
Transfer and Mobility: Data on student transfers between institutions.
Description: The College Scorecard provides comprehensive data on higher education institutions in the U.S., including graduation rates, post-graduation earnings, average student loan debt, and loan repayment rates.
Key Datasets:
Earnings Data: Post-graduation earnings for students at various institutions.
Loan Repayment Rates: Default rates and repayment success by institution.
Institutional Characteristics: Data on enrollment, faculty, and student demographics.
