Research Resources

National and regional-level resources and help guides that provide detailed information, datasets, tools, and more on many topics related to post-secondary education and institutional research.

Jump to: Guides | National Resources | Regional Resources

Guides

  • Guide to Survey Questions
    This guide summarizes the most common types of survey questions, as well as best practices related to their creation and use. Content has been adapted from materials from the AIR 2022-2023 Data Literacy Institute.

Return to top.

National Resources

  • IPEDS
    IPEDS (Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System) is part of the National Center for Educational Statistics. This site provides detailed information on an institution’s enrollment, expenditures and revenues, faculty and staff, financial aid, and much more.
  • Guide to the data tools available through IPEDS: IPEDS Data Tools Guide
  • Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU)
    This is the official site of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), which UMaine is a member of. APLU’s primary objectives are to advance the mission of public research universities and advocate for federal higher education policy.
  • National Center for Educational Statistics
    Home page of the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), this site contains volumes of well-organized, and easily accessible, data about all levels of education in the U.S. (e.g., degrees conferred by sex and race, information about distance learning, etc.).
  • NCHEMS Information Center
    This site, created by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS), contains useful information about key issues in higher education. It is particularly helpful by providing comparable data across states.
  • State Higher Education Executive Officers
    Maintained by the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO), this site provides links to many other higher education websites, as well as information and SHEEO-sponsored reports a regarding variety of topical issues.
  • U.S. Census Bureau
    This site contains the 2000 census data and features easy-to-use tools to access demographic, economic, and population data at the county, state, and national level. The site also offers a data profile section for states, counties, and towns.

Return to top.

Regional Resources

  • Maine Community College System
    This site provides links to Maine’s seven community colleges, links to pertinent technical and community education sources in Maine, and other information about post-secondary education in the state.
  • Maine Department of Education
    The Maine Department of Education web site contains much information about educational issues in Maine, including statewide educational directories, Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) data, detailed information about high school graduates by school, and information on colleges and universities in Maine.

Return to top.