The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) collects institution-level data from postsecondary institutions in the United States (the 50 states and the District of Columbia) and other jurisdictions, such as Puerto Rico. For IPEDS, a postsecondary institution is defined as an organization that is open to the public and has as its primary mission the provision of postsecondary education, i.e., formal instructional programs with a curriculum designed primarily for students who are beyond the compulsory age for high school. This definition includes academic, vocational, and continuing professional education programs and excludes institutions that offer only avocational (leisure) and adult basic education programs. This First Look presents findings from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Fall 2008 data collection, which included three survey components: Institutional Characteristics for the 2008-09 academic year, Completions covering the period July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008. and data on 12-Month Enrollment for the 2007-08 academic year. These data were collected through the IPEDS web-based data collection system. It is based on the collection of data from more than 6,700 postsecondary education institutions that participate in Title IV federal student financial aid programs. Appended are: (1) Survey Methodology; and (2) Glossary of IPEDS Terms. (Contains 11 tables and 6 footnotes.)