The Effects of the Expansion of For-Profit Colleges on Student Enrollments and Outcomes at Community Colleges

This study is the first large-scale examination of the impact of for-profit colleges on the enrollment and outcomes of students at other postsecondary institutions. Using data primarily from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and a differences-in-differences approach, the author estimate the effect of a new for-profit college opening on community college enrollments and degree completions, as well as county education levels. The results suggest that community college enrollments and degree completions do not decline when a new degree-granting for-profit college opens nearby.