Institutional Resources

Fact Book Glossary is the source for definitions of terms found in the University Fact Book.

Federal Resources

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related education.

IPEDS Data Center is used for retrieval and analysis of data on colleges and universities. It is used to access and evaluate the institutional-level data collected in the Integrated Post-secondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

College Navigator is a search tool that allows you to directly link to nearly 7,000 colleges and universities in the United States.

College Scorecard highlights key indicators about the cost and value of institutions across the country to help students choose a school that is well-suited to  meet their needs, priced affordably, and is consistent with their educational and career goals.

State and Local Resources

Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is the executive department of the state charged with publicly funded preschool, K-12 and adult educational budgeting, management and guidelines.

Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education (PCHE) is a voluntary, multi-purpose consortium of the ten accredited colleges and universities in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. PCHE's purposes are: to provide a means for sharing resources, insights, and information among the participating member institutions; to engage in joint or cooperative activities and projects; to offer a common voice on matters that affect all of the member institutions.

Organization and Association Resources

American Association of University Professors (AAUP) defends academic freedom and tenure, advocates collegial governance, and develops policies ensuring due process.

Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP) is the only statewide organization that serves exclusively the interests of private higher education within the Commonwealth. AICUP provides a variety of services and programs tailored specifically to the needs and situation of independent higher education in Pennsylvania.

Association of Institutional Research (AIR) is the world's largest professional organization for institutional researchers. AIR provides educational resources, best practices, and professional-development opportunities for its more than 4,000 members.

Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is a framework for classifying colleges and universities in the United States. The framework primarily serves educational and research purposes, where it is often important to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions.

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation in the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is one of six regional accrediting organizations for higher education institutions recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the United Sates Department of Education.

North East Association for Institutional Research (NEAIR) is an individual membership driven organization that promotes institutional effectiveness in post-secondary education through excellence in the field of institutional research.