The Growth of for-Profit Higher Education

The article examines the recent growth of for-profit higher education in the United States with a special emphasis on teacher education. Recent increased interest in for-profit education accompanied by the availability of venture capital has focused discussion and debate on this growing segment of American education. Supporters of for-profit education point to the benefits that accrue from competition in a free market scenario, most importantly, the improvement of education and potential reduction in costs. Educators argue that public schools and universities play a critical role in a democratic society by providing education for citizenship and access to opportunity—functions rarely addressed by for-profit firms. At the higher education level, for-profit universities are beginning to offer teacher education programs specifically designed to meet state requirements only. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these developments for traditional colleges and universities.