Characteristics of postsecondary proprietary school students

This study was designed to: 1) measure selected characteristics of postsecondary proprietary school students; 2) compare those students to students at public community colleges, area vocational-technical institutes, and similar tax-funded institutions; and 3) evaluate the claim by proprietary school spokesmen that they are competing with the public institutions. The data represent only students who were about to graduate high school in 1972, and who reported in 1973 that they had enrolled in either a proprietary or public postsecondary institution. Students at proprietary schools were more likely to be white, female, and middle class. The predominant reason for recent high school graduates to attend proprietaries seems to be influence by parents and peers. Since there are statistically and conceptually significant differences between the two types of students, the present data do not present a compelling case for competition between the two types of postsecondary institutions. However, because this sample is national, it may be masking competition at the local level.