The Institute for College Access & Success recently published a new report on Black student enrollment and outcomes at for-profit colleges, including insights from a focus group study of Black undergraduate and graduate alumni.
Although some students reported positive academic outcomes, almost all focus group participants said they would not choose to attend the same school in hindsight. Notably, some of these for-profit alumni said they did not have a strong understanding of the differences between for-profit, non-profit, and public institutions. Participants cautioned other Black students who are interested in attending a for-profit institution to “do their due diligence” and research their school thoroughly before enrolling.
In an examination of federal data from the U.S. Department of Education, the report authors also found that Black students are overrepresented in for-profit programs, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. In 2023, Black students represented 13 percent of all undergraduates and 11 percent of all graduate students, but 24 percent of all undergraduates and graduate students at for-profit colleges and universities.
Among the focus-group participants, many said they juggled family, caretaking, and work obligations with their education. Because of their busy schedules and added personal responsibilities, participants often cited for-profit colleges’ flexible learning options — including online and evening course availability — as one of their primary reasons for attending. However, some participants say their for-profit alma maters did not provide adequate support services, counseling, and job placement resources that ultimately hurt their post-graduation outcomes.
Compared to their peers at public and non-profit institutions, Black students at for-profit schools are more likely to take on student loans. About 91 percent of Black undergraduate students in for-profit bachelor’s degree programs took on debt in 2019-2020, compared to 81 percent of those who were enrolled in a public bachelor’s program. At the master’s degree level, 83 percent of Black students at for-profit institutions borrowed, compared to under two-thirds of those at public institutions. In addition to higher rates of borrowing, Black students at for-profit colleges take out larger student loans, on average, than their peers at other institutions.
At both the undergraduate and graduate level, graduates of for-profit colleges have higher debt compared to their earnings than graduates of other colleges. The relative debt-to-earnings ratio is even higher among graduates of for-profit colleges with majority-Black student populations.
“State attorneys general and policymakers have an increasingly important role to play in protecting students from predatory schools amid recent rollbacks to federal oversight,” the report authors write. “Attorneys general investigations of problematic behaviors — especially deceptive and misleading advertising, high-pressure recruitment tactics, and poor completion and job placement outcomes — can shed light on fraudulent institutions.”
They continue, “Given the recently hamstrung federal capacity and willingness to investigate problematic schools, state leaders must ensure students in their jurisdiction are protected from all unscrupulous and discriminatory colleges.”
