Data Glossary

State Reporting: The 12-month period from September 1 to August 31, reflecting the calendar year it ends. For example, September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021, is Academic Year 2021. The year is divided into three semesters, i.e. Fall, Spring, and Summer. This is used in reporting for the State of Texas, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), and some internal institutional reports.  

Federal Reporting: The 12-month period from July 1 to June 31, reflecting the calendar year it ends. For example, July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, is Academic Year 2021. The year is divided into three semesters, i.e. Fall, Spring, and Summer. This is used in reporting to the federal government, The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and some internal institutional reports.  

Age is calculated by subtracting the individual’s date of birth from the begin date of the reporting period. For fall, the begin date is September 1; for spring, it is January 1; for summer, it is June 1; and for applications, it is the date of the application.

Date that application was submitted. 

Sequential number assigned to a student's applications in the order they are received.  

The period of time running from January to December.

A designation based on a student's citizenship status at time of application, i.e. US Citizen, Permanent Resident, and Non-Resident International.  

The CIP Code is used to identify subject matter content of courses and major area of concentration of students. It is a taxonomic coding scheme for secondary and postsecondary instructional programs. It is intended to facilitate the organization, collection, and reporting of program data using classifications that capture the majority of reportable data. The CIP is the accepted federal government statistical standard on instructional program classifications and is used in a variety of education information surveys and databases. It can be presented as 2, 4, or 6 digits.

At TXST, CIP codes are used in reporting to IPEDS, THECB, and other agencies. Texas adds a 2-digit suffix to the federal 6-digit code to identify instructional program specialties and a second two digits to identify the funding area. 

An organizational unit of the university comprised of academic departments and related offices, i.e. Applied Arts, Business, Education, etc.  

A subset of courses within a major that allows students to focus on a specific area of study, also known as an emphasis, option, specialization, or track. It is designed to provide depth in a subject matter and typically complements the core curriculum of the major.  

An award conferred by a college, university, or other postsecondary education institution as official recognition for the successful completion of a program of studies, i.e. Bachelor of Arts in Education, Master of Science in Nursing, Doctor of Health Administration, Teacher’s Certification, Special Professional, etc.  

An organizational unit of the university comprised of faculty and staff grouped within a College offering academic programs and fields of study. Departments are assigned administrative unit IDs by the THECB.  

A status based on whether an applicant/student is registered for a course(s) as of the official census date. This status is typically seen as the last step for an admitted applicant.  

A 12-month period used for financial reporting and tax purposes. For Texas State, this period runs from September 1 to August 31.

An individual's first name, middle name (or initial), and last name.  

The rate at which a cohort of degree-seeking students graduate within a specified time period, usually represented with a percentage. For undergraduates, this includes first-time, full-time students who begin their studies in the Fall, as well as those who start in the Summer and continue full-time into the Fall semester. The Summer students do not need to be full-time in the Summer. This is not to be confused with the Graduation Ratio.  

The proportion of students who complete their degree program relative to the total number of students who were enrolled in that program within a specified timeframe. This is not to be confused with the Graduation Rate.  

The rate at which a cohort of students enrolled in a semester who persist to the following semester or year, usually represented by a percentage. This is not to be confused with the Retention Rate.  

A classification based on a student's ethnicity, race, and US Residency/Visa status. Categories are used to describe groups to which individuals belong, identify with, or belong in the eyes of the community. The categories do not denote scientific definitions of anthropological origins. The designations are used to categorize U.S. citizens, resident aliens, and other eligible non-citizens.

Individuals are first asked to indicate their status as a citizen, permanent resident, or non-resident alien. Those who are not a US citizen or permanent resident are categorized as "International".

Next, individuals are asked to designate ethnicity as:

• Hispanic or Latino or
• Not Hispanic or Latino

Those indicating a Hispanic or Latino ethnicity are categorized as “Hispanic”.

Finally, individuals who have not been categorized as International or Hispanic are asked to indicate all races that apply among the following:

• American Indian or Alaska Native
• Asian
• Black or African American
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• White

For reporting in the State of Texas, including to the Texas Higher Education Cooordinating Board (THECB), when only one race is selected, an individual is assigned to that group. Any combination including Black or African American are listed as Black or African American. Other combinations are classified as "Two or more races, non-Hispanic, non-Black".

For reporting at the federal level, including the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), when only one race is selected, an individual is assigned to that group. Any combination of races is classified as "Two or more races".

A status based on whether an applicant/student is registered for a course(s) prior to courses commencing and before census date.  

The rate at which a cohort of incoming, first-time, full-time students enrolled in a Fall semester who persist to the following Fall semester, usually represented by a percentage. This is not to be confused with the Persistence Rate.  

The difference in years between the students first semester and the semester when the degree is awarded.