It is recommended that users build custom data sets in Investigator for their particular research instead of downloading entire sets due to the extraordinarily large amount of NLS data. Users may access custom sets via the NLS Investigator, the NLS online search and extraction tool.
For users who have the capacity to utilize extremely large data files and the programs to handle them, downloads are available for NLSY97, NLSY79, and NLSCYA. Currently, the original cohorts: Mature Women, Young Women, Older Men, and Young Men are unavailable. Please visit the Investigator website to access these cohorts.
Each download file includes a data file (.dat); a codebook file (.cdb); an Excel file (.csv); programs to read the data into SAS (.sas) and R (.R); and a tagset file listing all reference numbers (.COHORT NAME). Stata and SPSS programs are available through Investigator but are not included here.
National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS) cohort data sets
- NLS Youth 1997 (NLSY97) Updated October 10, 2024
- Men and women born in the years 1980-84
- NLS Youth 1979 (NLSY79) Updated December 5, 2024
- Men and women born in the years 1957-64
- NLSY79 Child and Young Adult (NLSCYA) Updated April 17, 2023
- Biological children of women in the NLSY79
Currently unavailable:
- NLS Mature Women
- Mature women born in the years 1922-37
- NLS Young Women
- Young women born in the years 1943-53
- NLS Older Men
- Older men born in the years 1906-21
- NLS Young Men
- Young men born in the years 1941-52