OpenDecisions
Schema Reference

Identifiers

Global identifier patterns used across the OpenDecisions v1 schema

Identifiers (global)

Stable, namespaced IDs used across the schema. All are strings. Use these patterns when creating or validating IDs.

Namespace: https://schema.opendecisions.org/v1/


Identifier reference

PropertyPatternExampleUsed in
institutionIdinst:{country}:{authority}:{id}inst:us:ipeds:166027Institution, CostProfile, OutcomeStats, CohortStats, AdmissionCycle, DerivedIndex
programIdprog:{country}:{authority}:{inst_id}:{cip}:{cred_level}prog:us:ipeds:166027:1105:3Program, DerivedIndex
cycleIdcycle:{inst_id}:{year}:{term}cycle:inst:us:ipeds:166027:2024:fallAdmissionCycle
sourceIdsource:{country}:{publisher}:{year}:{dataset}source:us:scorecard:2024:institutionSource
indexIdindex:{inst_id}:{scope}:{version}index:inst:us:ipeds:166027:public:v1DerivedIndex

Components

  • country: ISO country code (e.g. us).
  • authority: Data authority (e.g. ipeds, scorecard).
  • id: Authority-specific institution ID (e.g. IPEDS Unit ID).
  • inst_id: Full institutionId when embedded in cycle or index IDs.
  • cip: CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code.
  • cred_level: Credential level code (e.g. 3 = bachelors).
  • year: Academic or calendar year (e.g. 2024).
  • term: Admission term (e.g. fall, spring).
  • publisher: Source publisher slug.
  • dataset: Dataset or release name.
  • scope: Index scope (e.g. public).
  • version: Index formula/schema version (e.g. v1).

Crosswalk identifiers (Institution.identifiers)

Used inside Institution.identifiers for entity resolution. Not the same as institutionId; these are external system keys.

PropertyTypeDescription
ipedsUnitIdstringIPEDS Unit ID (NCES). Primary federal identifier for US institutions.
opeIdstringOffice of Postsecondary Education ID (8-digit).
opeId6stringOPE ID 6-digit variant.
scorecardIdstringCollege Scorecard institution ID (often same as IPEDS Unit ID).
federalSchoolCodestringFederal school code used for financial aid (FAFSA).