Available Data
Student-level survey files are currently available for the Base Year (2009), First Follow-up (2012), 2013 Update collection (2013), and Second Follow-up (2016). A school-level file is available for the Base Year (2009). Administrative records files include High School Transcripts (2013–2014), Postsecondary Transcripts and Student Financial Aid Records (2016–2017), and the Postsecondary Education Administrative Records (PEAR; 2021). A supplementary geocodes file is available (restricted-use only) with residential geographic information in 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2016.
Which file should you use for your research?
See our HSLS Variable List (1017 KB) to determine which file(s) have the variables you’re looking for.
How do you get the data?
Public-use data is available for immediate download, here: https://nces.ed.gov/datalab/onlinecodebook
Restricted-use data is available under restricted-use license. Find out more about how to obtain a restricted-use license, here: http://nces.ed.gov/statprog/instruct.asp
We also recommend reviewing the documentation for each data file, which can answer many of your questions.
Postsecondary Education Transcript Study and Student Financial Aid Records documentation
Second Follow-up documentation including codebooks
2013 Update and High School Transcript documentation including codebooks
