What are the standard 4-digit CIP codes for medicine (health professions) used in U.S. higher education data?

1. What “4‑digit CIP” means and why it matters

The CIP is a hierarchical taxonomy maintained by NCES that identifies instructional programs; the first two digits are the broad subject area (for health professions, “51”), the first four digits define an intermediate program group, and the full six digits pinpoint the specific program instance — institutions and federal rulemaking often refer to the four‑digit series to categorize professional fields for reporting or regulatory definitions ^{[1] [4]}.

2. The basic 51.xx series that cover medicine and core clinical professions

Within the 51 series, several four‑digit groups are routinely used to identify major health professions: 51.12 is associated with medicine/Doctor of Medicine programs (MD) as shown by institutional lists (example: MD – 51.1201) and 51.20 is associated with pharmacy at the four‑digit level ^{[2] [3]}. Federal notices listing “qualifying fields” for graduate‑level measures explicitly group medicine, dentistry, osteopathy and clinical psychology among the fields tied to CIP codes in this taxonomy ^[4].

3. Examples institutions publish that demonstrate standard mapping

Medical schools, health science centers and colleges publish program lists showing the four‑digit series and the full six‑digit program codes; for example Morehouse School of Medicine lists Doctor of Medicine (MD) as 51.1201, and other colleges show dental hygiene (51.0602), registered nursing clusters (51.38 series), and pharmacy under the 51.20 family — illustrating how the four‑digit series are used across campuses ^{[2] [5] [1]}.

4. Federal policy use: why regulators sometimes cite groups rather than single programs

The Department of Education’s Federal Register rulemaking on Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment used lists of CIP codes to identify “qualifying graduate programs” and explicitly tied program groups (like medicine, dentistry, clinical psychology) to CIP taxonomy for multi‑year measures — demonstrating that policymakers use the CIP four‑digit series to group professional fields for outcomes and accountability ^[4].

5. Where to look for authoritative, up‑to‑date four‑digit lists

NCES/IPEDS is the canonical source and provides searchable CIP detail and browse tools; state systems and institutions also maintain lists (IPEDS CIP search/browse and institutional program-to‑CIP PDFs). For consolidated work, practitioners commonly use the NCES CIP site and institution program lists to confirm which four‑digit series map to their local program names ^{[6] [1] [2]}.

6. Common pitfalls and divergent practices you should expect

Be aware institutions sometimes assign the most appropriate six‑digit CIP within a four‑digit series and that some federal rules or press reporting refer to a four‑digit series (e.g., “51.20”) as shorthand for several related six‑digit programs — this can create confusion when a rule intends to include or exclude specific degrees ^{[3] [1]}. Also, while the four‑digit groupings are widely used in policy, the legal and regulatory definitions typically rely on institution‑reported six‑digit CIP codes for specific program identification ^[4].

7. How to confirm the exact four‑digit code for a given program

To identify the correct four‑digit grouping for a particular program, consult the NCES/IPEDS CIP search or an institution’s published program‑CIP list; these resources show the six‑digit program code and its parent four‑digit series ^{[6] [2]}. If a policymaker or reporter cites a four‑digit series, cross‑check whether the discussion refers to the series as a whole or to specific six‑digit programs within it ^{[4] [1]}.

Limitations and final note: available sources used here document the CIP hierarchy and give concrete examples (MD = 51.1201; Pharmacy referenced as 51.20) and federal uses of CIP groupings ^{[1] [2] [4]}, but a single, exhaustive printed list of every four‑digit CIP under "Health Professions" was not provided among these search results — for a complete, authoritative roster of all four‑digit 51.xx series, consult the NCES/IPEDS CIP browse or search pages directly ^{[6] [1]}.