For-Profit College Students Less Likely to Be Employed After Graduation and Have Lower Earnings, New Study Finds

NEW YORK, NY (Feb. 21, 2012) — Students who attend for-profit colleges are less likely to be employed and have lower earnings six years after enrolling than similar students who attend public and not-for-profit colleges, according to a new study by authors affiliated with the Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment (CAPSEE). They also carry heavier debt burdens and are more likely to default on their student loans.

The For-Profit Postsecondary School Sector: Nimble Critters or Agile Predators?

By: David Deming, Claudia Goldin, & Lawrence Katz | February 2012

This paper describes the schools, students, and programs in the for-profit higher education sector, its phenomenal recent growth, and its relationship to the federal and state governments. A version of this paper also appears in the Journal of Economic Perspectives.