Where to Find Postsecondary Education Information and Resources on ed.gov

Updated

Start at ed.gov, the U.S. Department of Education's official site, and look for the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) section. OPE is the part of the Department that handles postsecondary education information and resources, so it is the right entry point for questions about colleges, universities, and other education after high school. The homepage describes ED as the agency that helps students pay for school, supports families, gives educators tools, protects students' rights, and works toward equal access to education.

Step-by-step: Getting to postsecondary content

  1. Open ed.gov. The homepage is the starting point for all agency content.
  2. Use site navigation or search. Look for links or menus related to postsecondary education, colleges, or OPE. If you don't see a direct link, use the site's search function with terms like "postsecondary education" or "Office of Postsecondary Education."
  3. Confirm you're on an official OPE page. Check that the page is hosted on ed.gov and clearly labeled as part of the Office of Postsecondary Education.
  4. Read the page's own headings and links. The OPE landing page may provide limited headings, so rely on the site's navigation and search to reach specific topics.

Expected result: You land on official ed.gov content about postsecondary education, with links to the resources OPE provides.

What to expect and common sticking points

  • Limited headings on the landing page. The OPE page itself may not list every topic in its headings. If a topic isn't visible, use search rather than guessing at URLs.
  • Navigation varies. Menu labels and link placement can change. If a link isn't where you expect, search the site instead of assuming the content is gone.
  • Verify on official pages. Third-party summaries of ED programs can be outdated or incomplete. Confirm details on the ed.gov page itself before relying on them.

Related questions this site can answer

The Department's site covers several areas that connect to postsecondary education:

Topic Where it fits on ed.gov
Paying for school ED's student aid and funding information
Students' rights and equal access ED's civil rights and access content
Postsecondary programs and resources Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)

If your question is about financial aid, start with the paying-for-school content. If it's about discrimination or access, start with the rights and access content. For general college and university information, OPE is the relevant section.

Bottom line

Go to ed.gov, then navigate to or search for the Office of Postsecondary Education. Use the site's own navigation and search tools, and verify details on official ed.gov pages rather than third-party sources.