The Increasing Role of For-Profit Colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area

• In Event: 72.066 - Poster Session 16
  In Poster Session: 72.066-5 - Society, Culture, and Change Poster Session

Abstract

Previous studies examining the links between higher education and regional economic development have largely overlooked the contributions of broad access colleges. Ranging from community colleges to for-profit institutions, broad access colleges have emerged as key players in meeting the demands of local industries. Despite the growth of for-profits, their role in supporting regional economies is relatively unknown. The present study examines the rise of for-profit colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1970 to the present day. Our aims are to advance understanding of how for-profit and other broad access colleges became engaged in the region’s high-technology economy, helped develop and sustain the local labor force, and partnered with industries to ensure students’ readiness for careers in the area.

Authors

• Michael W. Kirst, Stanford University

• W. Richard Scott, Stanford University

• Manuelito Biag, Stanford University

• Brian Holzman, Stanford University