declining enrollment at University of Phoenix

[clep3705]

University of Phoenix has lost half its students. Stock plunges 28% - Mar. 25, 2015

[cookderosa]

University of Phoenix has lost half its students. Stock plunges 28% - Mar. 25, 2015

huh. Well I guess not all press IS good press lol.

[ronaldemail1]

The University of Phoenix is very expensive. My best guess is that people run out of loans to pay the huge balance accumulated.

Still an interestig development.

[JTP]

Interesting quote from the article.

"Once a cash cow industry, for-profit education companies have struggled to overcome criticism of the quality of its education and the costs. They're the sore spot in the national debate about value of higher education."

[rebel100]

I think their decline was inevitable for many reasons, I will say that they helped blaze the trail in many ways...I'm not a fan of UofP by any stretch, but they demonstrated the market potential that helped pave the way for "non traditional" education models...the private sector should always be on the bleeding edge of such innovation, I wish the more staid players could act so nimbly.

[martialartist]

As Rebel100 Stated the decline was inevitable, however, the primary culprit in my deduction are a few. One is the fact that they are very very expensive while operating at a marginal expense relative to that of Brick and Mortar schools and while their business model was seen as a cash cow if you will it was also a concerning factor to many most notably congress.

The other is just based on the normal economic activity which is based on whenever more firms enter the market place chiefly brick and mortar whom stayed out of the fray for a long time. Now you have top rated universities offering a slew of programmes online for a fraction of that of Kaplan or UoP . Simply put they were just out maneuvered by names more recognizable in the market place.

[sanantone]

University of Phoenix's numbers could just be balancing out after facing more competition. They are expensive, but they are under the financial aid cap for independent students if you assume they're receiving loans and grants (which most do). ITT Tech is the one that is so expensive that they have to loan students the additional funds, and they do it at a high interest rate.

I don't think I will ever change my mind about the major for-profit colleges or even most of the for-profit trade schools. APUS is the only large one that doesn't make my stomach turn. At the for-profit college I taught at, I worked with instructors who worked at Kaplan, Devry, Sanford Brown, and Brown Mackie. Their opinions were that they are all pretty much the same.

[clep3705]

The continuing education departments at state universities are sometimes run like the notorious for-profit universities and trade schools.

[sanantone]

The continuing education departments at state universities are sometimes run like the notorious for-profit universities and trade schools.

I've come across a few non-traditional non-profits that operate like for-profit colleges, but I've never seen a continuing education department with aggressive recruiting practices. Unless the continuing education department is offering degree programs, a student can't receive federal student loans for their courses.

[SteveFoerster]

I don't think I will ever change my mind about the major for-profit colleges or even most of the for-profit trade schools. APUS is the only large one that doesn't make my stomach turn. At the for-profit college I taught at, I worked with instructors who worked at Kaplan, Devry, Sanford Brown, and Brown Mackie. Their opinions were that they are all pretty much the same.

Like you, other than APUS and Sullivan I don't care for most of the better known for profit schools. Years ago they played a valuable role making education more convenient and more widely available, but nowadays other sectors have caught up in that regard, leaving Phoenix and its ilk as relatively expensive and unremarkable. However, being in proprietary education I have no problem with the idea itself, and in particular I think that some of the DETC-accredited schools that don't participate in the federal financial aid system are among the better deals in American higher education.