9 Must-Attend Institutional Research Conferences in 2025-2026

If you’re in Institutional Research (IR), you already know how overwhelming it can be to keep up with all the conferences, workshops, webinars, and forums out there. Between IPEDS training, regional association meetups, and the big national gatherings, the calendar feels endless.

But here’s the kicker: missing the right events can mean missing out on critical regulatory updates, networking with peers, or discovering tools that make your job a whole lot easier.

You skip that one webinar on finance requirements, and suddenly you’re scrambling when reporting deadlines hit. Or you miss a regional IR meeting where everyone else is swapping dashboard tips, and you’re left reinventing the wheel.

Even worse? Sometimes you hear about a great event after it’s already happened. That’s the reality for a lot of IR professionals - too much noise, not enough clarity.

Streamline How You Find and Attend Conferences

Here’s the good news: you don’t have to track this all manually. BlockSurvey’s IR Directory is here to help you discover associations, events, sponsors, courses, and even job opportunities in one place. No more endless Googling. No more “I wish I had known about that.”

To get you started, I’ve pulled together 10 of the most valuable IR events coming up in 2025–2026. These are the ones worth circling on your calendar.

Top 9 Institutional Research Conferences in 2025-2026

You can explore the updated list of events and conferences in our Institutional Research Events Directory.

1. SAIR 2025 Annual Conference (Sep 27–30, 2025 - Alexandria, VA)
The Southern Association for Institutional Research (SAIR) has been gathering IR pros since the 1970s, and their annual conference is one of the friendliest, most engaging events around. Last year’s meeting in Point Clear, AL, featured sessions on predictive analytics, dashboards, and diversity-focused assessment. 

This year’s theme Where History Meets Innovation is especially fitting in Alexandria, a city steeped in history but just a stone’s throw from D.C. Expect sessions that balance traditional IR skill-building with forward-looking conversations on AI, regional policies, and data governance. And yes, you’ll also get a dose of southern hospitality (networking at SAIR is as warm as the weather).

2. FVT/GE Reporting Refresher (Oct 1, 2025 - Webinar)
This free joint webinar from AIR and the National Student Clearinghouse is all about compliance without the fluff. If you were around last year, you’ll remember the scramble when the Department of Education finalized new reporting formats. That session walked through the templates line by line. 

This year, the focus is on refreshing your knowledge and preparing for the latest changes to Financial Value Transparency (FVT) and Gainful Employment (GE) reporting. Expect real examples, clarification of common errors, and a straight-shooting approach that saves you hours of decoding federal guidance.

3. Comparing PDP and IPEDS Metrics (Oct 2, 2025 - Virtual)
If you’ve ever had to explain to your VP why your student success numbers look different in PDP versus IPEDS, you know the pain. Last year’s workshop had attendees work through case studies to better align metrics across both systems — and people raved about the clarity it brought. This year, expect more interactive exercises that go beyond definitions into strategy: when to use PDP for narrative storytelling, when to lean on IPEDS for compliance, and how to bridge the two for a holistic view. It’s practical, hands-on, and guaranteed to make your next cabinet meeting less stressful.

4. Foundations of Survey Design (Oct 14, 2025 - Virtual)
Surveys are the bread-and-butter of institutional research, but designing one that actually yields usable insights? That’s the art. This AIR workshop, limited to just 25 participants, is highly interactive - last year, participants built a survey from scratch, critiqued each other’s work, and walked away with templates ready to use back on campus. 

This year, you can expect more of the same: deep dives into question wording, scaling, response rates, and administration tips. If you’ve ever been frustrated that your survey “looked good” but the data flopped, this is worth the investment.

5. 2025 OAIRP Fall Conference (Oct 23–24, 2025 - Springfield, OH)
The Ohio Association for Institutional Research and Planning (OAIRP) has a reputation for rolling up its sleeves. Last year’s Fall Conference in Columbus featured workshops on Tableau storytelling, student equity metrics, and building a culture of evidence. 

This year’s theme, Harvest What Matters, promises more of that hands-on energy. Expect to leave with tools you can actually implement on Monday morning - whether that’s an Excel trick, a dashboard template, or a new way to present findings to faculty. Small, collegial, and practical - that’s OAIRP’s sweet spot.

6. NEAIR 2025 Annual Conference (Nov 8–11, 2025 - Bethesda, MD)
The North East Association for Institutional Research (NEAIR) is known for being vibrant, forward-looking, and a little bit buzzy. Last year’s event in Philadelphia leaned heavily into equity dashboards, predictive modeling, and data governance. 

This year in Bethesda, the focus is squarely on dashboards and analytics. Expect lots of show-and-tell sessions on data visualization, storytelling with numbers, and practical ways to make data digestible for leadership. NEAIR is also famous for its networking - the receptions, workshops, and hallway conversations often spark collaborations that last well beyond the conference.

7. CAIR 50th Annual Conference (Nov 19–21, 2025 - San Diego, CA)
California AIR is hitting a milestone: 50 years. Their conferences have always been a mix of practical IR sessions and big-picture California-specific issues like transfer pathways and state policy. Last year in Sacramento, the focus was on equity and student outcomes. 

This year, the theme Honoring Our Roots, Growing For Our Future sets the tone for celebrating history while eyeing the future. Expect anniversary panels with long-time CAIR members, as well as future-focused sessions on AI, data ethics, and institutional storytelling. Plus, it’s San Diego in November - you’ll get sun, ocean views, and a celebratory vibe.

8. Managing the IPEDS Spring Collection (Feb 17, 2026 - Virtual)
This AIR workshop has become a staple for IR folks who want to avoid last-minute panic. Last year’s session broke down common pitfalls in Finance and HR reporting, with live walk-throughs that people said were “worth the price alone.” 

This upcoming session will do the same for the Spring Collection: Fall Enrollment, Finance, and HR. Expect step-by-step strategies, checklists, and live demos - basically, a survival guide to get you through the reporting crunch with fewer headaches.

9. AIR Forum 2026 (May 26–29, 2026 – Washington, D.C.)
The AIR Forum is the event for institutional research - if you can only pick one conference, this is the one. Last year in Denver, more than 2,000 professionals gathered for 300+ sessions covering everything from data ethics to machine learning in higher ed. The exhibit hall buzzed with new tools, and the networking was next-level. In 2026, it’s headed to Washington, D.C., bringing together an even broader mix of voices from across the country (and internationally). You can expect big-name keynotes, sessions for every level of IR professional, and conversations that set the tone for the year ahead. Think of it as the Super Bowl of IR, complete with the energy, scale, and inspiration to match.

Final Word

Institutional Research isn’t just about crunching numbers. It’s about telling the story of your institution with clarity, accuracy, and foresight. Attending the right events - whether a one-hour webinar or a three-day forum gives you the tools to do just that.

And if you’re an IR professional looking for an AI-driven survey research tool, BlockSurvey is the right choice - helping you design smarter surveys, analyze data faster, and make evidence-based decisions with confidence. Sign up now!

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