| Dataset | Source File | Data Points | Match Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPEDS Completions | C2024_A.csv | 121,120 | 100.0% | ✓ |
| College Scorecard | Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution.csv | 20,879 | 100.0% | ✓ |
Every program-level completions record in the Semantic Insight backend was compared against the NCES Completions survey file C2024_A — the authoritative federal source for postsecondary program completions data. This file contains 307,707 rows covering awards conferred from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024, across 6,429 institutions. Downloaded from nces.ed.gov.
IPEDS Completions — Exhaustive Source Comparison
The NCES source file reports at the (UNITID, CIPCODE, AWLEVEL, MAJORNUM) grain. Completions were aggregated across award levels and major number, then every row in ipeds_programs_6digit.json (keyed by UNITID + 6-digit CIP code) was matched against the NCES source. Four fields per record were compared: UNITID, CIPCODE, CTOTALT (total completions), and AWLEVEL (award levels present).
Results — 121,120 of 121,120 Records Verified
Of the 121,120 backend records: 106,076 (87.6%) were exact matches against NCES grand totals. The remaining 15,044 (12.4%) differ because the backend uses MAJORNUM=1 only (first-major students), excluding double-major second-major counts. In every case, the backend value exactly equals the NCES MAJORNUM=1 subtotal. Zero unexplained discrepancies.
| Category | Records | Percentage | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exact match (all completions) | 106,076 | 87.6% | ✓ |
| Match on MAJORNUM=1 (first-major only) | 15,044 | 12.4% | ✓ |
| Unexplained discrepancies | 0 | 0.0% | ✓ |
| Total | 121,120 | 100.0% | ✓ |
Five institutional outcome fields were compared against the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard "Most Recent Institution-Level Data" file (6,429 institutions, last updated November 17, 2025). Downloaded from collegescorecard.ed.gov/data.
| Backend Field | Scorecard Column | Description | Verified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| completion_rate | C150_4 / C150_L4 | Graduation rate (150% normal time) | 4,313 | ✓ |
| median_debt | GRAD_DEBT_MDN | Median debt at graduation | 3,824 | ✓ |
| employment_rate | COUNT_WNE_P10 / COUNT_NWNE_P10 | Employment rate, 10yr post-entry | 4,004 | ✓ |
| enrollment | UGDS | Undergraduate enrollment | 4,734 | ✓ |
| median_earnings | MD_EARN_WNE_P10 | Median earnings, 10yr post-entry | 4,004 | ✓ |
| Total data points verified | 20,879 | ✓ | ||
Both datasets were validated exhaustively by automated comparison. The following is a spot-check of Old Dominion University (UNITID 232982), also verified manually against IPEDS Institution Profile and College Scorecard on February 14, 2026.
| Field | Backend | Scorecard Source | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | 44.4% | 44.35% (C150_4 = 0.4435) | ✓ |
| Median Debt | $24,000 | $24,000 | ✓ |
| Employment Rate | 86.8% | 86.8% (6,004 ÷ 6,916) | ✓ |
| Enrollment | 17,521 | 17,521 | ✓ |
| Median Earnings (10yr) | $54,914 | $54,914 | ✓ |
| CIP | Program | Backend | NCES M1 | NCES Total | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52.0101 | Business/Commerce, General | 1,003 | 1,003 | 1,005 | ✓ |
| 11.0101 | Computer & Info Sciences, General | 824 | 824 | 824 | ✓ |
| 11.0103 | Information Technology | 480 | 480 | 480 | ✓ |
| 42.0101 | Psychology, General | 406 | 406 | 409 | ✓ |
| 11.0802 | Data Modeling/Warehousing | 346 | 346 | 346 | ✓ |
| 26.0101 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | 329 | 329 | 335 | ✓ |
| 43.0107 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | 328 | 328 | 331 | ✓ |
| 13.1001 | Special Education, General | 285 | 285 | 285 | ✓ |
| 13.0301 | Curriculum and Instruction | 261 | 261 | 261 | ✓ |
| 51.3801 | Registered Nursing | 260 | 260 | 260 | ✓ |
| 22.0101 | Law | 237 | 237 | 237 | ✓ |
| 52.0201 | Business Admin & Management | 223 | 223 | 224 | ✓ |
| 44.0701 | Social Work | 183 | 183 | 183 | ✓ |
| 51.2208 | Community Health & Preventive Med | 157 | 157 | 157 | ✓ |
| 45.0601 | Economics, General | 155 | 155 | 157 | ✓ |
All 180 ODU programs verified. Backend = Semantic Insight value. NCES M1 = MAJORNUM=1 subtotal (should match). NCES Total = grand total including double majors.
MAJORNUM=1 filter. The backend counts first-major students only. For programs where students commonly double-major, the backend total will be slightly lower than the NCES grand total. This affects 15,044 of 121,120 records (12.4%); the median difference is 1 completer. This is standard methodology matching the College Scorecard.
Award-level aggregation. Completions are summed across all award levels (certificates, bachelor's, master's, doctoral) into a single per-program total. The individual levels present are retained in metadata.
Derived metrics. The roi_ratio field (3,683 institutions) and employment_rate field (4,004 institutions) are calculated from verified source values using deterministic formulas. Accurate inputs guarantee accurate outputs.
Null/suppressed values. The College Scorecard publishes "NA" or "PrivacySuppressed" when sample sizes are too small. The backend correctly stores these as null. Of the 5,141 backend institutions, 150 are system offices or very new branch campuses not independently present in the Scorecard file.
| Dataset | Current Version | Publication Cycle | Next Expected Release |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPEDS Completions | 2023-24 (C2024_A) | Annual (fall) | ~Fall 2026 (2024-25 data) |
| College Scorecard | Nov 2025 release | ~Twice per year | ~Spring 2026 |
When NCES or the Department of Education publishes updated data, we re-run this validation process against the new source files before deploying updates.