CIP code
Also called Classification of Instructional Programs · CIP
No. The registrar picks the six-digit code that matches content, not the brochure title. 52.0201 is Business Administration and Management, General — the usual generic MBA, and it is not on the DHS STEM list. 52.1301 Management Science often is. Scorecard will still show 52.02 vs 52.13, which is the wrong grain for an immigration question.
CIP code is the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs identifier. Two digits are the series, four the group, six the program. Schools report six digits on IPEDS Completions; Scorecard rolls to four. STEM OPT reads the six-digit I-20 code against the DHS list (NCES CIP 2020; Scorecard FOS docs).
Does my MBA’s name tell me the CIP?
No. The registrar picks the six-digit code that matches content, not the brochure title. 52.0201 is Business Administration and Management, General — the usual generic MBA, and it is not on the DHS STEM list. 52.1301 Management Science often is. Scorecard will still show 52.02 vs 52.13, which is the wrong grain for an immigration question.
CIP grains that get mixed up
| Code | Grain | What it decides | Source / date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 2-digit series | Broad field (business) | NCES CIP 2020 |
| 52.02 | 4-digit | Scorecard field of study | ED FOS docs |
| 52.0201 | 6-digit | IPEDS completions; not DHS STEM | NCES / DHS list |
| 52.1301 | 6-digit | IPEDS completions; often STEM OPT | DHS list, 2024 |
In Scorecard files the decimal is stripped (5202). Restore it before comparing to NCES or SEVIS. Recoding an MBA from 52.0201 to 52.1301 to chase OPT is an IPEDS and SEVP facts question: the curriculum has to match the CIP description.
Example: School files 400 master’s in 52.0201 and 40 in 52.1301. Scorecard earnings live in 52.02 and 52.13 master’s cells. Only students whose I-20 shows a listed six-digit code can file STEM OPT.
Common errors
- Treating series 52 as STEM-eligible
- Reading a four-digit Scorecard CIP as the I-20 code
- Assuming the website title is the CIP title
- Equating 52.02 earnings with 52.1301 OPT eligibility
FAQ
Who assigns the CIP?
The institution reports it to IPEDS. SEVP reads the six-digit code from the I-20 for STEM OPT. Marketing does not assign it.
Does Scorecard use six-digit CIP?
No. Field-of-study files use four-digit CIP so more cells clear privacy suppression.
Is 52.0201 on the DHS STEM list?
No. Check the live six-digit DHS list. Do not infer from “analytics concentration” on a 52.0201 I-20.
Can CIP change after a CIP revision?
Yes. NCES revises about every ten years (2010, 2020). Use the crosswalk; STEM eligibility follows the current DHS list and the code on the I-20.
Related terms
Sources
- CIP 2020 Introduction (NCES) 2-/4-/6-digit taxonomy; six-digit codes on IPEDS Completions
- Field of Study Data Documentation Scorecard uses four-digit CIP; decimals stripped in files
- DHS STEM list update STEM OPT is a six-digit CIP match to the DHS list
