COURSE LEVEL: Involves the grouping of semester credit hours (SCH) into one of the followin course categories based on the Coordinating Board's course designation. Note that professional level courses are non-funded and excluded from SCH and Weighted SCH calculations. Thus, there is not a course level designation for this category.
Lower
Upper
Masters
PhD

COLLEGE: Specifies either a) the college to which a student's major is assigned or b) the college to which a course is assigned

COLLEGE GRADUATION/RETENTION: Very different from 'traditional' university-wide retention/graduation. This statistic measures how many students have been retained within or graduated from exactly the same college into which they first entered as First-Time Freshmen. A student may change majors and stay within the university and perhaps even graduate with a degree from a different college, however for the purposes of tis metric, that student would be considered as "dropped-out." Thus these figures will likely be lower than university-wide retention/graduation results.

DEPARTMENT: Designates the four-letter abbreviation specifying either a) the department to which a student's major is assigned or b) the department to which a course is assigned.

ENROLLMENT STATUS: This variable categorizes students into one of the following admissions categories:
1st Time in College: An undergraduate, degree seeking, student who applied and enrolled in college for the first time regardless of whether the student has acquired college level credit through testing, advanced placement or summer enrollment. This field is used only the first semester of a student's enrollment at TAMU
1st Time PB Undergraduate (Post Baccalaureate - U5): A student who has graduated with an undergraduate degree (BA or BS) but who is returning to obtain either another undergraduate degree or certification. This field is used only the first semester of a student's enrollment at TAMU.
1st Time Graduate: A graduate student who has never attended another post-secondary institution at the same level for which they have enrolled. This field is used only the first semester of a student's enrollment at TAMU.
1st Time Professional: A professional student who has never attended a professional program at another post-secondary institution. This field is used only the first semester of a student's enrollment at TAMU
1st Time Transfer: A student entering TAMU for the first time but who is known to have previously attended another post-secondary institution at the same level (e.g. undergraduate to undergraduate, or masters to masters, not undergraduate to masters). This does not include an institution's own graduates who re-enter for further education. This field is used only the first semester of a student's enrollment at TAMU
Readmitted: A student who previously attended TAMU and is enrolled after applying for readmission.
Continuing: An undergraduate, master's, doctoral or professional student who has completed at least one full semester at TAMU with no break in regular semester enrollment.

ETHNIC ORIGIN: The code indicating the ethnic origin of the student. Students are classified as "International" if they are not citizens of the United States but are in the United States on a temporary basis and do not have the right to remain indefinitely. Non-citizen students, who are lawfully admitted for permanent residence, or Resident Aliens, are reported in the appropriate racial/ethnic category along with United States Citizens. The unknown classification is reserved for students that have not selected a racial/ethnic designation.
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
American Indian
International
Unknown/Other

FIRST GENERATION: Neither parent, or guardian graduated from a four year college.

GENDER: Identifies a student as either "male" or "female."

GRADUATION: Lists the number of recipients of an academic degree who successfully completed all the essential work of the curriculum thus marking the completion of studies.

MAJOR: Designates the four-letter abbreviation specifying the student's declared major.

RESIDENCY STATUS: Categorizes students into one of the following three categories based on the state or foreign country in shich the student resides (where the student lives at the time of application).
Texas Resident
Non-TX, US Resident
Non-TX, Non-US Resident

RETENTION: The number of students in a beginning fall cohort who return to the institution in a subsequent fall semester.

STUDENT LEVEL & CLASSIFICATION: Involves the grouping of students into the following student level designation.

TOP 10%: The First-Time In College Students who have graduated in the top 10% of their high school class and are either from a Texas high school or are Texas residents for tuition purposes.

TUITION STATUS: Indicates a student's status for tuition purposes. (For specifics on the residence tuition policy contact the Office of Admissions.)
Resident Tuition - Students who pay "Resident Tuition" rates
Non-Resident Tuition - Students who pay "Non-Resident Tuition" rates
Tuition Exemptions/Waiver - Students who pay "Resident Tuition" rates because they are granted a tuition exemption or waive