Who Profits? Students' Experiences at For-Profit Colleges

For-profit colleges' have generated regulatory scrutiny and litigation because of their recruitment tactics, graduation rates, costs and loan default rates. Compared to public higher education institutions, for-profit colleges have been criticized for being more expensive with similar or worse job market outcomes for graduates, who tend to be left with higher debt. They enroll relatively high proportions of Black and Latino students, but too often leave those students in debt and without degrees. This research explores the experiences and perspectives of for-profit college attendees based on a representative survey of 595 alumni, currently enrolled students, and non-completers fielded from March 17 to May 31, 2022, and focus groups with those populations. The research includes a comparison sample of 406 students currently enrolled at public community colleges, which tend to serve populations similar to those of for-profit colleges.