Does the Department of Education update the IPEDS program classification for 2026 and where is it hosted?

1. What change process is underway and why it matters

NCES has proposed and submitted revisions to IPEDS data collections for the 2025‑26 through 2026‑27 cycle and asked OMB to review the information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act, signaling substantive instrument changes and expanded reporting ^{[1] [6]}. Federal filings describe additions such as an “Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement” and other ADM (admissions) component revisions, indicating program‑level classification and reporting practices are being updated and that institutions should expect new requirements and guidance ^{[6] [1]}.

2. Who is driving the 2025–26 changes

The Federal Register and related documents connect the timing and scope of the recent IPEDS changes to policy direction issued in August 2025 and subsequent Department directives to NCES (a Presidential Memorandum and Secretary of Education direction) that directed expanded admissions transparency within 120 days, prompting NCES actions to change IPEDS for the 2025–26 reporting period ^{[6] [1]}.

3. Where the IPEDS program classification and tools live

The IPEDS data collection system and its user resources are hosted and maintained by NCES and accessible through NCES domains: the IPEDS Data Collection System (surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds) for institutional reporting and NCES IPEDS pages (nces.ed.gov/ipeds) for public data tools and documentation, including CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) lookup pages ^{[2] [3] [5]}. NCES also publishes change summaries and release schedules on its IPEDS site ^{[4] [7]}.

4. Is NCES “updating the IPEDS program classification for 2026”?

Available documents show NCES is implementing changes to IPEDS survey components for 2025–26 (including admissions and other components) and updating instructions and classifications in response to stakeholder feedback and technical review processes; the proposal package and appendices list detailed proposed changes and instruction clarifications ^{[1] [8]}. The IPEDS program uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) for program‑level coding, and NCES hosts the CIP browsing/lookup service ^{[5] [9]}. The filings and appendices indicate updates to survey instructions and component structure rather than a wholesale relocation of the classification system ^{[8] [10]}.

5. Timing, burden and controversy to watch

OMB/Department notices quantify the scale and burden of the proposed revisions: the November 2025 Federal Register filing lists an estimated 70,152 annual responses and 750,793 annual burden hours for the IPEDS 2025‑26 through 2026‑27 collection, and outside commentary (and NCES responses) indicate stakeholder concerns about timing, burden and clarity of new ADM items ^{[11] [12] [10]}. Comment responses and appendices show NCES has been working on ADM modernization since 2018 and is attempting to reconcile technical feedback with accelerated policy timelines ^[10].

6. How institutions should find the updated classifications and guidance

NCES is the authoritative host: institutions seeking the current program classification guidance, CIP codes, IPEDS instructions, change summaries and data release schedule should consult the NCES IPEDS webpages and the NCES data collection portal (surveys.nces.ed.gov/ipeds and nces.ed.gov/ipeds), where the agency posts the public‑inspection Federal Register filings, change appendices, and CIP browsing tools ^{[2] [3] [7] [5]}.

7. Open questions and reporting limitations

Public filings and NCES materials document the proposed changes and where they are hosted, but available sources do not provide a single labeled “2026 program classification” file distinct from standard CIP/IPEDS materials; instead, changes are embedded in the 2025–26 IPEDS instrument proposals, appendices and NCES site updates ^{[1] [8]}. If you want a concrete, downloadable “2026 program classification” artifact or instrument, available sources do not mention a single consolidated 2026 classification file separate from the IPEDS/CIP pages and the Federal Register/OMB submission materials ^{[1] [5]}.

8. Bottom line for readers and institutional data officers

NCES (part of the Department of Education) is actively updating IPEDS for the 2025–26/2026‑27 cycle with admissions and program‑level changes driven by recent policy direction; NCES hosts the IPEDS system, CIP code service, and documentation on its surveys.nces.ed.gov and nces.ed.gov domains where institutions must monitor postings and Federal Register/OMB notices for final instruments and reporting guidance ^{[1] [2] [3] [5]}.