NIRSA Institutional Data Set

Supported by the NIRSA Foundation

Data collection and comparisons for the NIRSA Institutional Data Set are currently unavailable. Custom reports are still available; see below for details. Watch for an email or NIRSA news article in the coming months for more information about NIRSA’s research portfolio.

Data collection is currently open for the 2021-2022 school year.

The NIRSA Institutional Data Set is a powerful, online benchmarking tool designed to give NIRSA members point-and-click access to current and relevant data on collegiate recreation facilities, programs, and services.

Benchmarking and Assessment Tools

Benchmark your program against other institutions

The NIRSA Institutional Data Set (IDS), with the generous support of the NIRSA Foundation, offers members a user friendly platform to input and analyze data on collegiate recreation programs, services and facilities, as well as a myriad of ways to filter and compare across institutions. Full access to the NIRSA IDS is an institutional member benefit for both professional and student members. Members at nonmember institutions are able to enter their institutional data but have limited results capabilities in the platform. To update your institution’s membership and access the full potential of the platform’s capabilities, contact NIRSA Membership.

NIRSA Foundation Logo

This resource was created through the support of the NIRSA Foundation.

Learn more about the NIRSA Foundation »

Informed Consent

By logging into in the NIRSA IDS, you authorize NIRSA to use reported institutional data to update NIRSA records, to produce reports and/or for other purposes not yet identified. Personal, identifiable information will not be shared or presented in any format. No data will be shared with third party vendors.

NIRSA Custom Institutional Data Set Benchmarking Reports

NIRSA Custom IDS Benchmarking Reports are available to purchase while the survey instrument is offline.

Member Class Price
Member Institution $49.99
Nonmember Institution $79.00
Member Class Participated in Data Collection Did not participate in Data Collection
Member Institution $49.99 Not eligible
Nonmember Institution $79.00 Not eligible

Instructional Webinar

This webinar will help you get started entering your data and previewing the results capabilities of this new and improved benchmarking and assessment tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have additional questions, please contact us.

The NIRSA Institutional Data Set is a powerful online benchmarking tool that provides NIRSA members access to current and relevant data about collegiate recreation facilities, programs, and services.
There are currently five categories of data collected:

  • Institutional Details
  • Programs & Services
  • Participation
  • Facilities
  • Operations

NIRSA began annually collecting aggregate data as the Institutional Data Set in 2011. The Institutional Data Set transitioned to a new and improved online platform in early 2016. Data entry for the 2021-2022 academic year is now open.  Question by question comparisons are now available and full results capabilities, including personalized dynamic reports, will become available soon.

All professional members can now login to the platform and enter data on their institution directly in the platform. Data is automatically saved within the platform, so different members with different expertise can access and enter data at different times. A minimum 50% of survey questions about an institution must be answered before members from that institution can access results capabilities when they become available.

Most of the content within your institution’s data set will remain in the Institutional Data Set from year to year. Institutions will be asked to review and update their data annually. Additionally, public data on your institution or in your institution’s NIRSA member profile has been be pre-populated, making the collection of complete data sets for each institution a more manageable endeavor.

Full access to the Institutional Data Set, including easy comparisons, filtering, and personalized reporting functions, is a benefit for NIRSA members (professional and student) at member institutions. Members at nonmember institutions are now able to input their institutional data and will be able to try out limited reporting features of the new platform.
It was becoming clear that the quantity and frequency of surveys being conducted by both NIRSA members and the NIRSA Headquarters was creating “survey fatigue” amongst members. Additionally, it was evident that a need to better communicate information in aggregate about all NIRSA member institutions was present. The creation of this data set should serve as a step forward in making data more accessible to all members.
The Institutional Data Set allows you to instantly access data to answer questions about other institutions, or to compare programs similar in size and scope. By having access to this type of information, this tool should help reduce the quantity and length of surveys conducted in the field of campus recreation, while also limiting the frequency of information requests currently experienced by many professionals.

Members are able to set query data on hundreds of institutions, set parameters around the data you want to see and filter out unnecessary information.

The Research and Assessment Committee has established an intentional, strategic schedule of data collection moving forward. Please see the NIRSA Research Schedule for details on project descriptions and timelines.

For more information, contact NIRSA Research