Results of the 1980-81 Survey of Institutional Characteristics of Colleges and Universities, as part of the Higher Education General Information Survey (HEGIS), are presented. The survey sample consisted of 3,270 accredited institutions and branches and an additional 141 systems and central offices. Eighty more institutions/branches had accreditation during the 1980-81 school year than the previous year. Private two-year schools accounted for more than two-thirds of the increase, and the balance was dominated by a rise in the number of public two-year institutions. Data are presented indicating the growth in the number of institutions and their branches participating in the HEGIS program during the past decade. Increases in the number of public institutions outpaced that of their private counterparts until 1977, and since that time, private institutions have been added at a ratio of nearly five to one over public institutions. Information is also provided on: the number of institutions by state, control, level, sex of student body, and calendar system. The number of institutions by control and level accredited by each of the recognized accrediting agencies is also indicated, along with information on administrative staff, dates of establishment of institutions, and the number with summer or evening programs. The low turnover rates among selected administrative staff indicate the possibility of increased stability among the deans and directors of the various academic programs. Nearly two thirds of these positions had a lower turnover rate than the previous year. (SW)