National Longitudinal Survey of Youth | 1979
The NLSY79 Cohort is a longitudinal project that follows the lives of a sample of American youth born between 1957-64. The cohort originally included 12,686 respondents ages 14-22 when first interviewed in 1979; after two subsamples were dropped, 9,964 respondents remain in the eligible samples. Data are now available from Round 1 (1979 survey year) to Round 28 (2018 survey year).
Topical Guide to the Data
Topic-by-topic descriptions of the NLS Youth 1979 data, a crosswalk between the NLS Investigator’s Areas of Interest, and a glossary of terms.
Introduction to the Sample
Description of the sample, the sample design and screening process, interview methods, retention and reason for non-interview, and confidentiality.Using and Understanding the Data
Information on survey instruments, variables types, the interviewing process, item nonresponse, sample weights and design effects, data documentation, and how to access the data.Asterisk Tables
Table of NLS Youth 1979 topics across all survey rounds (often referred to as the "Asterisk Table.")
Other Documentation
Tutorials, NLS Youth 1979 Codebook Supplement, Geocode Supplement, Technical Sampling Report, List of Errata, and questionnaires for all rounds.