Get the Data

Access archived historical and recent survey data from the HS&B:80 and NLS:72 cohorts. 

Public Access Data

Download historical data (HS&B:80/1980–1986; NLS:72/1972–1986) and associated code from EdSHARe Public Datasets GitHub. Public data files, originally made available through the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), include student, parent, teacher, and school survey responses, student assessments, high school transcript information, and some college transcript information.

Visit our Data Overview page to access documentation on both cohorts. 

Restricted-Use Data

To protect the confidentiality of survey respondents, data from the most recent follow-ups of HS&B:80 (the 2014-2015 and 2021 follow-ups) and NLS:72 (the 2025 follow-up) will be released only through a restricted-use data license.

Users will have access to:

  • Survey data,
  • Spatial data,
  • Measures derived from administrative records and physical assessments, and
  • Measures derived from blood, saliva, and pharmaceutical records.

Restricted-Use Data will be distributed to researchers affiliated with a US organization (university, research institution, company, state or local governmental agency) through the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Restricted-Use Data License.

  1. Researchers will need to complete an application using the Standard Application Process (SAP) Portal.
    • Application Example illustrates sufficient responses to questions in the application.
    • NCES Review Criteria describes the application evaluation criteria used by the National Center for Education Statistics.
  2. After receiving an initial review of the online application, the Licensee is responsible for submitting hard copies of the following: .
    • Completed and signed license document.
    • Security plan form.
    • Notarized affidavits of nondisclosure for all users on the license.

Additional Resources