The varied roles and scope of the field of institutional research (IR) make any overview of this administrative function difficult. In the USA, colleges and universities may have a large, well-defined administrative unit performing data tasks to support decision-making, or they may have only a part-time individual who coordinates basic reporting functions. Thus, any overview of institutional research in the USA is likely to fail to portray adequately the work conducted on any particular campus. In spite of the limitations of a descriptive study of institutional research, the current condition of the field in the USA could be useful as the work spreads to other nations. This article offers a summary of the "State of IR" in the USA as a road map for planning. Like any map, it does not prescribe the journey, but does allow an advance look at the terrain ahead.