Education for All or Profit for Few? Analyzing the Behavior of College-Going Students Attending For-Profit Colleges

Abstract

Under proposed gainful employment regulations, for-profit career colleges must disclose admissions information to prospective students regarding program costs, loan default rates, and completion rates. This study investigates whether students at forprofit colleges consider gainful employment criteria when making a decision to enroll in school. Findings from the study suggest that students in the sample had limited knowledge of gainful employment and were often misinformed by "Madison College" (a pseudonym) representatives regarding admissions information.