NCEs

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal source of data about education in the United States. It operates within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education and is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistics on education from prekindergarten through postsecondary levels, as well as related international indicators when available.

NCES conducts major surveys and data collections that cover school enrollment, student achievement, graduation and attainment rates, finances, and the characteristics of teachers and other education staff. It publishes long-running reference products such as the Digest of Education Statistics and The Condition of Education, and it administers the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The center also maintains data tools and public datasets for researchers and the public.

Data from NCES support policy making, research, program evaluation, and public accountability. The information informs decisions at federal and state levels, guides resource allocation, and helps track educational trends over time. Most data are accessible through the NCES website, with downloadable tables, visualization tools, and microdata available under appropriate safeguards.

NCES collaborates with international organizations and participates in global education statistics initiatives to enable cross-national comparisons and to place U.S. education data in a broader context.