Annual Statistical Return
These pages are an information resource for institutions uploading annual statistical returns to the HEA's Student Records System. The latest definitions of the programme, course and survey files are available by clicking on the subnavigation buttons to the left of this page. For further information on these files and for xml schema information please see the information below and the links to the left.
Student Records System Users Login Here
Irish National Student Survey Users Login Here
About the Return
The HEA Annual Statistical Return contains data on two cohorts:
- Current STUDENTS
- GRADUATES: Those who have successfully completed a course/research for an award in the preceding academic year.
The data only relates to ACCREDITED THIRD LEVEL programmes. The valid programme types are:
Code Programme Type
0Z Junior Certificate
0Y Leaving Certificate
0X FETAC Certificate
0W FETAC Advanced Certificate
0A Second/Further Level Foundation
0B Non-3rd Level Access/Up-skilling (e.g ECDL)
10 Undergraduate General Degree
11 Undergraduate Honours Degree
12 Undergraduate Diploma
13 Undergraduate Certificate
14 Undergraduate Occasional
1A Foundation (Undergraduate)
1B Access (Undergraduate)
1C Postgraduate Qualifier (Undergraduate)
18 Professional Training Qualification(Undergraduate)
22 Postgraduate Diploma
23 Postgraduate Certificate
24 Postgraduate Occasional
25 Masters Taught (Postgraduate)
26 Masters Research (Postgraduate)
27 PhD (Postgraduate)
28 Professional Training Qualification (Postgraduate)
The following course categories are excluded from the return:
- Extra-mural/special interest
- Hobby/short-duration
The student population to be returned includes Irish students abroad on exchange schemes. Exam-only and Incoming Exchange students can be either left out at source or included in the return but tagged in the relevant fields (Non-Standard Attendance and Exchange).
Reporting Conjoint courses
Conjoint courses are courses for which there two co-ordinating institutions. For these courses, the institutions involved should agree on which institution should report the students for any given year. These students (and graduands) can only be reported by one institution for any given year. The HEA recommends the following guidelines:
- Students participating in conjoint courses involving more than one higher education institution are to be reported only by the institution in which they are based at the census date.
- In the case where the student is simultaneously attending both institutions (for different modules etc), the student is to be reported only by the institution in which they are conducting the main part of their study.
- In respect of graduation data, these graduates are to be reported only by the institution that is making the award.
Census Date
In relation to students a snap shot on census date approach is being adopted, as per the traditional returns. All activities of the HE institution during the academic year will not be captured. The census date for students is the 1st of March of the academic year. Graduate data relates to those who have successfully completed a course/research for an award in the preceding academic year.