WLS Data
Some survey variables are either not included or modified in the public download. Researchers wanting access to the protected data should follow these instructions.
Downloads
main dataset
Core dataset containing variables from all rounds of WLS surveys and ancillary data captures.
marriage roster
Information combined from each survey round to create a cross-wave marital history for each participant.
More information here.
spouse sample
Data from the spouse sample in R05.
NOTE: This repository is under review for potential modification in compliance with Administration directives.
Researchers are reminded that WLS data are considered Human Subject Data and any research involving Human Subject Data should be submitted for IRB review. WLS researchers are also reminded that they should not publish any tables with cell sizes less than or equal to five.
Researchers may not upload WLS data to public large language models (LLMs) or AI platforms including, but not limited to, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and other similar systems that process data externally and do not guarantee data confidentiality or non-retention. Public LLMs and AI platforms retain data provided by the user and can be used for any purpose, including training the platforms. Uploading data to public LLMs or AI platforms constitutes data sharing and thus is not allowed.
Cite the WLS
Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) [graduates, siblings, and spouses]: 1957-2026 Version 2026_v1. [machine-readable data file] / Hauser, Robert M., William H. Sewell, Herd, Pamela, and Engelman, Michal. [principal investigators]. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin–Madison, WLS. [distributor]; <https://researchers.wls.wisc.edu/documentation/>
To summarize the data we suggest you cite this article in your research:
Herd, P., Carr, D., & Roan, C. (2014). Cohort Profile: Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS). International Journal of Epidemiology, 43, 34–41. PMCID: PMC3937969
Researchers wanting access to genomic data should follow these instructions.
The first wave has ~7000 cases and information on ~80 SNPs.
- SNPs available in WLS Wave 1 Biomarker Data
- Codebook of WLS Wave 1 DNA data in wide form (person records)
- Codebook of WLS Wave 1 DNA data in long form (person-SNP records)
Please note that the labels for A and T alleles in SNP rs821616 are transposed in all data released on and prior to 10/01/2011. See cor1021a and cor1021b in Appendix W for details.
The second wave has ~9000 cases with genetic data from The Illumina HumanOmniExpress BeadChip and are available from either dbGaP or WLS. More information about the wave two data can be found here. If you want to link these data to the phenotypic (survey) data you will need to apply for those data from WLS. Thus we strongly recommend you apply to WLS for both types of data so you only need to complete one application.
The wave two data has been imputed to the 1000 Genomes Project phase 3 reference panel. More information about the imputation can be found here.
What is a polygenic score?
A polygenic score collapses the effects of genetic variants across the entire genome into a single quantitative measure of genetic risk for a chosen phenotype. Polygenic scores use effect sizes from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for that phenotype as weights. The predictive power of polygenic scores increases with the sample size of the underlying GWAS.
Population stratification can bias the estimated association between the outcome of interest and the polygenic score. This will happen when there are differences in the distribution of the score across ancestry groups. Controlling for either the top 5 or top 10 principal components of the covariance matrix of the individuals’ genotypic data is a common way to account for population stratification. For that reason all scores found on this page are accompanied by principal components. However, since principal components can reveal fine grain ancestry, they have been randomly shuffled in sets of 5. Users must either include principal components 1-5 or 1-10 in their analysis to control for population stratification.
Polygenic Index Repository (version 2.0)
New– Includes polygenic indices for parents, based on simulated parental genotypes
Note– Version 2.0 is not a simple update of the repository. Version 1.1 indices were constructed using a larger sample and contain some discontinued phenotypes
Source study: “An Updated Polygenic Index Repository: Expanded Phenotypes, New Cohorts, and Improved Causal Inference”
Polygenic Index Repository User Guide (updated)
Phenotypes in Repository (updated)
Polygenic Index Repository (version 1.1)
Source study: “Resource Profile and User Guide of the Polygenic Index Repository”
Polygenic Index Repository User Guide
Phenotypes in Repository
Researchers wanting access to the data listed below should follow these instructions.
The basic county-specific Area Resource File (ARF) is the nucleus of the overall ARF System. It is a database containing more than 6,000 variables for each of the nation’s counties. ARF contains information on health facilities, health professions, measures of resource scarcity, health status, economic activity, health training programs, and socioeconomic and environmental characteristics. In addition, the basic file contains geographic codes and descriptors which enable it to be linked to many other files and to aggregate counties into various geographic groupings.
Please see https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/ahrf for details regarding the ARF data.
Area Resource File
With support from NIH (R01AG050300 “Linking 1940 U.S. Census Data to Five Modern Surveys of Health and Aging”) we’ve linked WLS data to full-count 1940 US Census data for the WLS graduates and their parents.
Please see this for more information.
Please see this for more information.
Please see this for more information.
Please see this for more information.
Please see this for more information.
2011-2026
- August 25th, 2026. The WLS 2026 v1 dataset is now available. Please see Change Notice #50 for details.
- May 12, 2025. The WLS 15.2 dataset is now available. Please see Change Notice #49 for details.
- November 12, 2024. The WLS 15.1 dataset is now available. Please see Change Notice #48 for details.
- September 28th, 2023. The WLS 14.03 dataset is now available. Please see Change Notice #47 for details.
- June 28th, 2023. The WLS 14.02 dataset is now available. Please see Change Notice #46 for details.
- October 24th, 2022. The WLS 14.01 dataset is now available. New data from the ILIAD short interview are now available. Please see Change Notice #45 for details.
- September 16, 2020. The WLS 13.08 dataset is now available. We have updated mortality status, now current through December 2019, and we are providing more standardized information about the R6 Medication Roster. Please see Change Notice #44 for details.
- February 27, 2019. The WLS 13.07 dataset is now available. We have continued work on harmonizing graduate and sibling measures for use in the long form of the data. The change notice includes tables showing recodes of data to harmonize values, new harmonized versions of retained measures, and archived variables and their replacements. We also updated mortality status (livgrad, deatyr, deatmn, xlivsib, xdeatyr, and xdeatmn). These variables now reflect the best information we have for our participant’s death status through 2017. Please see Change Notice #43 for details.
- June 20, 2017. The WLS 13.06 dataset is now available. hh116/kh116 and hh117/kh117 have been archived and replaced by hh116rec/kh116rec and hh117rec/kh117rec, respectively; rq006bp has been updated; the measure linking the phenotypic and genetic data has been updated to account for identical twins. Please see Change Notice #42 for details.
- April 24, 2017. The WLS 13.05 dataset is now available. We are now releasing WLS data in both wide and long formats. Please see Change Notice #41 for details.
- January 12, 2017. The WLS 13.04 dataset is now available. New measures were added (h/ka930re) 2013 Rural-Urban Continuum Code based on Participant’s home address at the time of 2011 interview. Also minor corrections to cmbrdx, brdxdy, deatyr, deatmn, and xcmbrdx (7 cases) and h/ka020re. Please see Change Notice #40 for details.
- November 18, 2014. The WLS 13.03 dataset is now available. This release includes updated mortality status and dates of death and updated cause of death data from the National Death Index. Please see Change Notice #39 for details.
- July 17, 2014. The WLS 13.02 dataset is now available. This release includes new measures from the 2011 in-person interview such as linguistic functioning and geocode variables as well as a new ancillary dataset on voting behavior. Most of the variables from the 2011 wave have also been updated to include the previously uncoded responses. Please see Change Notice #38 for details.
- September 6, 2013. The WLS 13.01 dataset is now available. This new release includes the 2011 wave of in-person interviews. Mortality status is also updated. Please see Change Notice #37 for details.
- August 15, 2012. The WLS 12.29 dataset is now available. This new release includes corrections to the End of LIfe – Death module for the 2004 graduate and 2005 sibling samples. Please see Change Notice #36 for details.
- July 24, 2012. The WLS 12.28 dataset is now available. This release updates the entire Nonnormative Screener module for the 2004 graduate and the 2005 sibling respondents. It also includes corrections to the labels of two variables in the Social and Civic Participation module for the 2004 graduate and the 2005 sibling respondents. Please see Change Notice #35 for details.
- April 25, 2012. The WLS 12.27 dataset is now available. This release updates mortality status and cause of death data. It also includes new geocode data from the 2004 graduate wave and 2005 sibling wave. Finally a number of minor corrections were made to existing analysis variables. Please see Change Notice #34 for details.
- May 4, 2011. The WLS 12.26 dataset is now available. This release updates the high school activity data and archives the prior version. It also includes two new modules in the Ancilliary section, Grad Spouse IQ and Sib Spouse IQ. Please see Change Notice #33 for complete details.
- January 11, 2011. The WLS 12.25 dataset is now available. Issues involving the new ID variables idpub and idpriv were resolved. Variables FRND1, FRND2, & FRND3 are dropped from the public release and only available as part of a private data request, and RM015RE is no longer available. Please see Change Notice #32 for complete details.
2001-2010
- November 15, 2010. The WLS 12.24 dataset is now available. This release contains corrections and updates to previously released variables. The key variables iduser and idswl have been replaced by idpub and idpriv to increase the security of all WLS data. New and improved imputed data for missing on economic variables are now available. Please see Change Notice #31 for complete details.
- July 1, 2008. The WLS 12.23 dataset is now available. This release contains additional supplementary data pertaining to Wisconsin school district characteristics. The scale documentation has been updated. There are some corrections and updates to previously released variables.
Please see Change Notice #30 for complete details. - February 18, 2008. The WLS 12.22 dataset is now available. Summary scores with means imputed for missing components have been added to 1993 Grad, 1994 Selected Sibling, 2004 Grad and 2005 Selected Sibling modules. There are some corrections and updates to previously released variables.
Please see Change Notice #29 for complete details. - December 19, 2007. The WLS 12.21 dataset is now available. This new release includes corrections to graduate 2004, grad spouse 2005, and sibling 2005 data. The preliminary sibling spouse data released in October 2007 is now available in final form. Please see Change Notice #28 for details.
- October 31, 2007. The WLS 12.20 dataset is now available. This new release includes preliminary data from the 2005-2007 selected sibling’s spouse as well as corrections to earlier data. In addition, numerous supplementary data files are now available on the website. Please see Change Notice #27 for details.
- July 31, 2007. Data for the Selected Siblings who were interviewed in 2004-06 is now available in version 12.10. This version also includes minor updates to both data and documentation from 1957-2004. Please read Change Notice #26 for complete details.
- Data for Graduate Spouses who were interviewed in 2004-05 now available, plus minor updates to 2004 graduate data. Version 12.00 contains updates to both data and documentation. Please read Change Notice #25 for complete details.
- Updates recently made to data from 1957-2004. Version 11.12 contains updates to both data and documentation. Please read Change Notice #24 for complete details.
- A very preliminary release of the new data is now available. Version 11.00 includes new data from the current round of interviews, as well as updates to the 1957-1994 data. Please read Change Notice #23 for complete details.
- New editions of all three waves of data have been released. These new releases (dated 04/2003) replace all previous editions. If you received data and documentation before May 01, 2003, please read Change Notice #22. All of the corresponding pages for these waves now reflect these new editions.
1991-2000
- Best measures of Father’s Occupation were updated in the 12/6/2000 release of Wave 1 data. See Change Notice #21.
- On December 6, 2000 a new version of the extract program, WLSGV, was released. Files have been updated to reflect new and revised variables and increase the size of arrays for expanded datasets. If you are downloading any of the 12/2000 updates, you should also download the 12/00 release of the extract program. This release includes all updates made through December 6, 2000. SEE BELOW.
- A new edition (DPLS edition 4) of the third wave data (1993/94 Sibling Telephone and Mail surveys) has been released. This new release (dated 9/2000) replaces all previous editions. If you received third wave data and documentation before December 6, 2000, please read Change Notice #21. All of the pages for WLS: 1993/94 Sibling Telephone and Mail surveys now reflect this new edition.
- A new edition (DPLS edition 8) of the second wave data (1992/93 Graduate Telephone and Mail Surveys) has been released. This new release (dated 9/2000) replaces all previous editions. If you received second wave data and documentation before December 6, 2000, please read Change Notice #21. All of the pages for WLS: 1992/93 Graduate Telephone and Mail Surveys now reflect this new edition.
- A new edition (DPLS edition 9) of the first wave data (1957-1977 graduate and sibling surveys) has been released. This new release (dated 9/2000) replaces all previous editions. If you received first wave data and documentation before December 6, 2000, please read Change Notice #21. All of the pages for WLS: 1957-1977 graduate and sibling surveys now reflect this new edition.
- On November 22, 1999 a new version of the extract program, WLSGV, was released. Files have been updated to reflect new and revised variables and increase the size of arrays for expanded datasets. If you are downloading any of the 11/99 and 12/99 updates, you should also download the 11/99 release of the extract program. This release includes all updates made through December 1, 1999. SEE BELOW.
- A new edition (DPLS edition 3) of the third wave data (1993/94 Sibling Telephone and Mail surveys) has been released. This new release (dated 9/99) replaces all previous editions. If you received third wave data and documentation before December 1, 1999, please read Change Notice #20. All of the pages for WLS: 1993/94 Sibling Telephone and Mail surveys now reflect this new edition.
- A new edition (DPLS edition 7) of the second wave data (1992/93 Graduate Telephone and Mail Surveys) has been released. This new release (dated 9/99) replaces all previous editions. If you received second wave data and documentation before December 1, 1999, please read Change Notice #19. All of the pages for WLS: 1992/93 Graduate Telephone and Mail Surveys now reflect this new edition.
- A new edition (DPLS edition 8) of the first wave data (1957-1977 graduate and sibling surveys) has been released. This new release (dated 9/99) replaces all previous editions. If you received first wave data and documentation before November 17, 1999, please read Change Notice #18. All of the pages for WLS: 1957-1977 graduate and sibling surveys now reflect this new edition.
- On 7/98 a new variable for type of illness (MX120RER) was added to Wave 2 mail data (WLS23MU.DAT) in the 3/98 release. The codebooks included this variable and did not need to be changed. If you received second wave data before 7/98, please read Change Notice #17.
- A 5/98 revised version of the extract program, WLSGV, was released for use with the 3/98 data releases of waves 1, 2, and 3. This corrected a problem for Wave 1 – WLSCOMP and Wave 3 – XBEGV and WLS23SM. If you received WLSGV before 5/98, please read Change Notice #16.
- On 5/98 revised version of Wave 1 (1957-1977 graduate and sibling surveys) documentation was released. This corrected a problem for Wave 1 documentation in the company data module – WLSCOMP. Please read Change Notice #15.
- On 5/98 a revised version of Wave 3 (1993/94 Sibling Telephone and Mail surveys) documentation was released. This corrected a problem for Wave 3 documentation – XBEGV and WLS23SM. Please read Change Notice #14.
- On 3/98 an edition (DPLS edition 2) of the third wave data (1993/94 Sibling Telephone and Mail surveys) was released. This new release replaced all previous editions. If you received third wave data before 3/98, please read Change Notice #13.
- On 3/98 an edition (DPLS edition 6) of the second wave data (1992/93 Graduate Telephone and Mail Surveys) was released. This new release replaced all previous editions. If you received second wave data before 3/98, please read Change Notice #12.
- On 3/98 an edition (DPLS edition 7) of the first wave data (1957-1977 graduate and sibling surveys) was released. This new release replaced all previous editions. If you received first wave data before 3/98, please read Change Notice #11.
- On 12/97 a revised version of WLSGV was released. This corrected a problem for Wave 3, mail data (1993/94 Sibling Mail Survey). If you received WLSGV before 12/97, please read Change Notice #10.
- On 7/97 a revised release of first wave data (1957-1977 graduate and sibling surveys) to correct a minor error. If you received first wave data before 7/97, please read Change Notice #9.
- On 4/24/97, twenty-one new variables on sexual harassment and job discrimination were added to the first edition (DPLS edition 1) of the third wave data (1993/94 Sibling Telephone and Mail Surveys) which was originally released on March 26, 1997. Please read Change Notice #8. There was also an updated version of the extract program – WLSGV – to be used with this update.
- On 3/26/97 the first edition (DPLS edition 1) of the third wave data (1993/94 Sibling Telephone and Mail Surveys) was released.
- On 3/26/97 a new edition (DPLS edition 5) of the second wave data (1992/93 Graduate Telephone and Mail Surveys) was released. If you received second wave data before 3/97, please read Change Notice #7.
- On 3/26/97 a new edition (DPLS edition 6) of the first wave data (1957-1977 graduate and sibling surveys) was released. If you received first wave data before 3/97, please read Change Notice #6.
- If you received second wave data (1992/93 Graduate Telephone Surveys) depression and alcohol items in the HPER module, before 8/1/96 please read Change Notice #5. These changes appeared in the 3/26/97 release of the second wave data.
- If you received first wave data (1957-1977 graduate and sibling surveys) before May 31,1996, updates were made to the Wave 1 documentation and the READMEs for the documentation and appendices. The codebook was updated with complete descriptions of the codes for friends and additional notes were added throughout.
- If you received second wave data (1992/93 Graduate Telephone and Mail Surveys) before 5/31/96, please read this Change Notice #4. The errors that existed in releases prior to the DPLS edition 4 of the second wave data are described in detail in this report.
- If you received first wave data (1957-1977 graduate and sibling surveys) before March 1996, please read this Change Notice #3. The errors that existed in releases prior to the DPLS edition 5 of the first wave data are described in detail in this report.
- If you received second wave data (1992/93 Graduate Telephone and Mail Surveys) before January 19, 1996, please read this Change Notice #2.
- If you received first wave data (1957-1977 graduate and sibling surveys) before June of 1995, please read this Change Notice #1.
- In March 1996 the following changes and/or additions were made to the paper copies of the Wave 1 appendices:
- Appendix F – Remove the original COR #315. It never belonged with that appendix and it has errors.
- Appendix P – Replace the complete original Appendix P with the new Appendix P available in machine-readable form with this new release of Wave 1 data.
- Appendix BB – Add COR #331 which describes the creation of the work experience variables. This is available (at cost) from DPLS or from ICPSR.