Over 1,000 US colleges fail to submit student outcomes data by deadline

More than 1,000 colleges and universities in the United States failed to fully submit mandatory student outcomes data by the October 1 deadline, the US Department of Education said recently, raising fresh concerns over compliance with federal accountability requirements.

The latest update from the department shows that hundreds of institutions continue to fall short of reporting requirements covering the 2024 and 2025 data cycles, despite repeated warnings from federal officials.

The department’s Office of Federal Student Aid has cautioned institutions with incomplete submissions that their access to federal grants and student loans could be at risk if they fail to provide the required information by January 15. Officials reiterated that the deadline would not be extended.

When the department first released data on missing submissions in August, 1,930 institutions had failed to provide some or all of the required information under the new federal accountability rules. That number has since fallen to 1,396 for the 2024 and 2025 reporting cycles, according to the latest update.

However, the broader compliance picture remains concerning. Across all three reporting cycles, 1,726 institutions, or about 37% of those covered, are still missing some required files.

The department counts an institution as having missing files if it has underreported any portion of the required data or failed to submit it entirely.