The IPEDS 2025 completions dataset has officially landed, and the top-line numbers bring some of the most notable higher-ed news we’ve seen in years! Beyond the macro trends, our team has been updating data mappings, logic, and search metrics to ensure your analysis in Gray DI PES Markets remains as accurate and actionable as possible.
Here is a breakdown of the latest data to keep your insights ahead of the curve.
The Big Picture: A Historic 4.5 Percent Jump in Completions
Total completions surged 4.5 percent year-over-year to 5,802,727—marking the largest annual increase in postsecondary completions since 2011.
While growth was positive across every single award level, short-term and non-degree credentials led the charge:
Source: Gray DI
Context Note: The sharp rise in undergraduate certificates partly reflects evolving institutional reporting practices, specifically, the capture of embedded certificates and minors awarded within larger degree programs.
Refining the Data: CIP & UNITID Logic Updates
An annual update always brings new code combinations, giving us the opportunity to fine-tune our mapping logic for maximum precision. For example:
- Targeted Logic Refinement: We resolved a common overlap between two closely titled health science CIPs:
- CIP 51.1004 (Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technician) → Standardized to Associate degrees
- CIP 51.1005 (Clinical Lab Science/Medical Tech) → Standardized to Bachelor’s degrees or higher
Forcing this distinction improves matching accuracy across competitor supply, student demand, and regional labor market outcomes.
Feature Spotlight: Award-Level Google Search Data
Thanks to some heavy lifting by our team, our Google search demand dataset has been completely revised to display by award level.
- Why this matters: Previously, high search interest for a general topic could artificially inflate student demand metrics for an award level where the program didn’t make practical sense (e.g., searches for a professional degree showing demand at the associate certificate level).
- What’s next: This update eliminates those mismatches. The app update will publish shortly, and these level-specific search metrics will be fully integrated into our next PES Markets release!
We’ll keep digging into these 2025 numbers and sharing more findings as we uncover them. Stay tuned for further takeaways, and reach out if you would like us to cover a particular program.
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