Introduction
The IPEDS AI agent takes plain-English questions and returns IPEDS figures with the source and component shown. The quality of the answer depends on the quality of the prompt. This post covers the prompt patterns that produce sourced, defensible figures and the disambiguation that prevents the most common errors.
The Prompt Structure
- Metric: name the figure (retention rate, 150% graduation rate, FTE, tuition, operating revenue per FTE).
- Population: specify the cohort (first-time, full-time; undergraduate; all students; total enrollment).
- Scope: single institution, peer group, or comparison across multiple institutions.
- Year: name the IPEDS collection year if you have one in mind, or ask for the latest available.
Disambiguate Cohort and Year
The two most common sources of error in an IPEDS pull are cohort definition and year. "Graduation rate" is ambiguous: it could mean four-year, six-year, or 150% time. "Enrollment" could mean headcount or FTE. Always specify the cohort and the year window.
A good prompt is: "What is the 150% graduation rate for first-time, full-time students in the fall 2018 cohort at our institution, using the latest published IPEDS year?" That prompt names the metric definition, the cohort, the cohort year, and instructs Clema to use the latest published data.
Run the Source Check
After Clema returns an answer, run the source check. Ask: "Where did that number come from?" Clema should return the IPEDS component (e.g. GRS 200 or GRS 150% time), the IPEDS collection year, the institution unit ID, and the calculation method. If any of those are missing, ask again; an IPEDS figure without a source is not defensible to an accreditor.
Four Worked Examples
Single-institution metric
Prompt: "What is our fall-to-fall retention rate for first-time, full-time students using the latest IPEDS year?"
Clema returns the cohort size, the re-enrolled share, the IPEDS component (GRS), the collection year, and the source link.
Peer comparison
Prompt: "Compare our 150% graduation rate to our Carnegie peers in our state for the latest IPEDS year, with our institution highlighted."
Clema returns the comparison table, the peer criteria, and the source. Save the peer set if it is right.
Finance ratio
Prompt: "What is our total operating revenue per FTE student for the latest IPEDS Finance survey year?"
Clema pulls operating revenue from the Finance component and FTE from Fall Enrollment, computes the ratio, and shows both source components.
Faculty composition
Prompt: "What share of our faculty are full-time versus part-time, by the latest IPEDS HR survey year?"
Clema returns the headcount by employment status from the HR component and computes the share.
Ask IPEDS in plain English
Start a 14-day free trial and run these four IPEDS prompts in your first session, or book a demo with IR scenarios.
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