We are pleased to present resources and information on changes in the reporting of race and ethnicity groups to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). These changes conform to the revisions of the standards for classification of federal data on race and ethnicity promulgated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in October 1997.

GENERAL INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND

history of the changes
Guidance for new race and ethnicity standards
comparison of old reporting standards to new reporting standards

implementation of the new race and ethnicity standards

Implications of the change in Race & Ethnicity reporting standards

Frequently asked Questions

Online resources

General Information and Background

The purpose of this communication and associated material is to provide information and guidance to state postsecondary data coordinators on the changes in the collection and reporting of race and ethnicity for students and employees to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). These changes conform to the revisions of the standards for classification of federal data on race and ethnicity promulgated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in October 1997.

history of the changes

Old Race and Ethnicity Standards

In 1977, the OMB issued Statistical Policy Directive Number 15, “Race and Ethnic Standards for Federal Statistics and Administrative Reporting.” In these standards, four racial categories were established: 1) American Indian or Alaskan Native, 2) Asian or Pacific Islander, 3) Black, and 4) White. Additionally, two ethnicity categories were established: 1) Hispanic Origin and 2) Not of Hispanic Origin.

For IPEDS reporting, the two ethnicity categories were collapsed into the four minimum race categories with additional categories of Race/Ethnicity Unknown and Non-Resident Alien included.

The IPEDS reporting categories include: 1) Non-Resident Alien, 2) Race/Ethnicity Unknown, 3) American Indian or Alaskan Native, 4) Asian or Pacific Islander, 5) Black, Non-Hispanic, 6) Hispanic, and 7) White, Non-Hispanic.

New Race and Ethnicity Standards

In 1997, the OMB issued “Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity” (http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/1997standards.html). In these new standards, two modifications included: 1) the Asian or Pacific Islander category was separated into two categories -- "Asian" and "Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander," and 2) the term "Hispanic" was changed to "Hispanic or Latino" (the term “Spanish Origin” may also be used in addition to Hispanic or Latino).

There are five new categories for data on race:

1) American Indian or Alaska Native,
2) Asian,
3) Black or African American,
4) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and
5) White.

Instead of allowing a multiracial category, the OMB adopted a standard of allowing respondents to select one or more races when they self-identify.

There are two categories for data on ethnicity:

1) Hispanic or Latino or Spanish Origin, and
2) Not Hispanic or Latino or Spanish Origin.

Additionally, the new standards call for separate questions to be used, wherever feasible, for reporting race and ethnicity.

Reason for Changing the Standards

Responding to growing criticism that the 1977 racial and ethnic standards did not reflect the diversity of the nation’s current population, the OMB initiated a comprehensive review in 1993. The review included: 1) organizing a workshop to address the issues by the National Academy of Science, 2) convening four public hearings, and 3) appointing an Interagency Committee for the Review of Racial and Ethnic Standards, which later developed a research agenda and conducted several research studies. The result of the Committee's efforts was a report describing recommended changes with most of those recommendations being accepted by the OMB in its 1997 Standards. These recommendations led to the guidance and new standards.

Guidance for New Race and Ethnicity Standards

On October 19, 2007, the U.S. Department of Education posted to the Federal Register the "Final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic Data to the U.S. Department of Education" (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-20613.pdf) to implement OMB’s 1997 Standards. The guidance issued by the Department covers two issues: 1) the collection of race and ethnicity data by institutions, and 2) the reporting of aggregate data to the Department.

For collecting race and ethnicity data, postsecondary institutions must use a two-question format as follows:

• The first question is whether the respondent is “Hispanic or Latino or Spanish Origin” or “Not Hispanic or Latino or Spanish Origin” (The term “Hispanic or Latino or Spanish Origin” is defined as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race).
• The second question is whether the respondent is from one or more races from the following list: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White. Postsecondary institutions cannot use a multi-race category in collecting data from respondents.

For reporting aggregate data to the Department, the guidance identifies nine categories that will be used for IPEDS. The current and new race/ethnicity categories for reporting data to IPEDS are outlined below.

Comparison of Old Reporting Standards to New Reporting Standards