For-Profit Education: The High Cost of Withdrawal

The vast majority of students who attend a for-profit college take out loans to finance their education. According to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Survey, 95.4 percent of students at two-year for-profit schools, and 93.4 percent at four-year for-profit schools, took out federal student loans in 2007-08. By comparison, only 16.6 percent of students attending […]


For-Profit Universities: High Profits, High Withdrawal Rates

For-profit colleges are growing at an astounding rate, propelled by significant investments in marketing and an aggressive recruitment model. However, the new enrollments are hiding real institutional problems. More than half of students will withdraw from for-profit colleges within the first two years. At some schools, students pursuing associates degrees withdraw at a rate of […]


High Debts and Low Graduation Rates at For-Profit Universities

For-profit education companies claim to offer access to higher education to low-income and minority students. Data analysis of 16 for-profit schools indicates that students are more likely to leave without a diploma while being straddled with debt. Enrollment is growing even more quickly than previously understood and masks high withdrawal rates: Annual enrollment measures fail […]