IHEP Leads Coalition of 50 Organizations and Researchers in Comments on IES Redesign

Washington, DC (October 15, 2025) – Fifty members and partners of the IHEP-led Postsecondary Data Collaborative (PostsecData) recently shared nine key recommendations with the Education Department in response to its Request for Information about redesigning the Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

The coalition emphasized the critical importance of keeping the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the federal government and maintaining its ability to collect, manage, and release high-quality postsecondary data. The letter also offers recommendations for improving and streamlining NCES’s postsecondary data collections.

To ensure IES can best meet the needs of students and the higher education field, the coalition recommends that NCES:

• Remain within the federal government, rather than privatizing or shifting data collections to states
• Continue administering essential studies such as IPEDS, NPSAS, and BPS 
• Develop a longitudinal study of program completers, not limited to bachelor’s degree recipients
• Streamline data collection processes to improve efficiency and data quality 
• Maintain high standards for statistical rigor, data security, and privacy protections 
• Provide sufficient guidance and training for data reporters to ensure accuracy and consistency
• Ensure data are made publicly available in a timely fashion
• Meaningfully engage stakeholders on proposed data collection changes
• Ensure sufficient staffing to manage data collections and maintain data quality 

These recommendations highlight the coalition’s commitment to protecting the integrity and transparency of federal postsecondary data and to supporting evidence-based policymaking that serves students, institutions, states, and the public. 

Read the full letter and list of signatories.