The Role of the For-Profit Sector in Higher Education

This analysis of national datasets examined the relative size and importance of the for-profit sector and compared education and labor market outcomes (employment, earnings, pattern of unemployment, and industry and occupation of employment) for those attending for-profit institutions versus similar students attending public institutions. The project paid particular attention to the characteristics of students in the for-profit and public sectors to determine whether there are systematic racial/ethnic and socioeconomic status differences between the two groups. The researchers also carried out a “resume audit” study to determine whether employers are more or less likely to respond to resumes that are randomly assigned a for-profit credential.

Research Findings