For-Profit and Online Higher Education

Over the past two decades, the rise of for-profit institutions and the advent of online learning have changed the college experience for millions of students, generated billions of profits for owners and shareholders, and raised serious questions about access, equity, and accountability in higher education. With new data on student enrollment and outcomes both in the for-profit sector and in online education, we now know more than ever about these institutions and their students. The author of this chapter reviews the literature on the growth of for-profit colleges and online college education and assesses what we know about the implications of these new models of postsecondary education for student access, equity, and success.

Keywords: for-profit college; online learning; vocational education; student outcomes; student loan debt; labor market