CIP 2020 Code Lookup

CIP 2020. 2-digit series, 4-digit groups, and 6-digit programs. National Center for Education Statistics.

Search by title or code. Examples: culinary, 12.0501, engineering.

Key facts

Edition
CIP 2020
Series
50 2-digit
Groups
464 4-digit
Programs
2,173 6-digit
Reporting
6-digit code for IPEDS completions
Occupations
CIP to SOC crosswalk
Updated
October 23, 2026

The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) is the federal taxonomy of instructional programs, maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics. Schools use it to report degrees and certificates. CIP 2020 is organized in three levels: a 2-digit series, a 4-digit series, and a 6-digit program. To map educational programs to commercial workforce data, use our CIP to SOC crosswalk and read our Classification Data Governance methodology.

Titles name the category, not a college's own major name. Examples on a program page are common catalog titles, not a complete list. Some codes are not valid for IPEDS reporting. CIP is not an industry code system. The SOC crosswalk relates a program to occupations a graduate may enter.

  1. 2-digit series 01 Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields
  2. 4-digit series 01.01 Agricultural Business and Management
  3. 6-digit program 01.0101 Agricultural Business and Management, General

CIP 2020 series

Each row is one 2-digit series. Open it to see the 4-digit groups and 6-digit programs.

Questions & Answers

Which CIP level should I use for IPEDS reporting?

The 6-digit CIP code is the required level used to report program completions for IPEDS. To find the correct code, start by identifying the broad 2-digit series, then select the precise 6-digit program that matches your instructional content. The 4-digit series is used only to group related programs.

Do CIP code examples list every specific college major name?

No, CIP code examples do not list every possible college major name. They provide common program titles to help institutions identify the correct classification category. Schools frequently use custom catalog names for identical instructional content.

How does the CIP system relate to SOC occupation codes?

CIP 2020 instructional programs are linked to SOC 2018 occupations through the official NCES and BLS crosswalk. This crosswalk descriptively maps educational programs to potential occupations graduates may enter, though it does not represent actual employment counts. Not all programs or occupations have a direct crosswalk match.

Conversions

CIPSOC Find the occupations for a program CIP 2020 instructional programs are linked to SOC 2018 occupations through the official NCES and BLS crosswalk. This crosswalk descriptively maps educational programs to potential occupations graduates may enter, though it does not represent actual employment counts. Open CIP to SOC conversion SOCCIP Find the programs for an occupation Start with a SOC occupation. The same NCES and BLS crosswalk lists the CIP 2020 programs linked to that occupation. Not all programs or occupations have a direct crosswalk match. Open SOC to CIP conversion

Sources

  • Official classification source National Center for Education Statistics. Classification of Instructional Programs, CIP 2020. NCES CIP 2020
  • Occupation crosswalk NCES and BLS CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. The match describes related work. It is not an employment count.

Published by SICCODE.com from the NCES CIP 2020 structure. Page updated October 23, 2026.