National Survey of College Graduates

The National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) began in 1993 and has been conducted biennially to provide individuals, educational institutions, businesses and the Federal Government with the information they need to make important decisions. The survey provides data on the number and characteristics of individuals with a bachelor's or higher degree, with a special focus on individuals with education and/or employment in science or engineering. The survey includes age, educational history, citizenship, disability status, occupational/employment information, race and ethnicity, salary, sex, student loan debt, job satisfaction and work-related training. It samples individuals who are living in the United States or Puerto Rico during the survey reference week, have at least a bachelor's degree, and are younger than 76.

PLEASE NOTE: There are two versions of the NSCG. This metadata file refers to the NSCG data available through the NCSES Secure Data Access Facility (SDAF), a virtual data enclave that can only be accessed within the United States. This version of the NSCG data includes the variables found in the public use data files but allows for the ability to conduct longitudinal analyses of linked cases starting with the 2010 survey cycle. Additional linkages using this version are very limited. This version of the NSCG data does not include the restricted use data variables, such as state and institution level data. Researchers can apply for the NSCG restricted use data by selecting the NSCG version available through the U.S. Census Bureau's Federal Statistical Research Data Centers.

NCSES is updating their data linkage policy to better meet the data linkage needs of NCSES and external researchers. Currently, NCSES does not support researcher access to direct Personally Identifiable Information (PII). NCSES encourages researchers interested in developing an SAP application that includes linking NCSES restricted data to non-NCSES data sources to contact NCSES at NCSES_Licensing@nsf.gov to assess feasibility and appropriateness.