New Transfer Pathways: The Influence of Private For‐Profit Four‐Year Institutions

The emergence of for‐profit four‐year institutions has expanded the transfer options for California community college students. Although the pipeline remains focused on students transferring to public institutions, private for‐profit institutions are beginning to play an increasing role. The data source for this study is the Management Information System of the California Community College Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO), which collects student and course information from the 110 community colleges in California. Students are matched with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) database to identify transfer destinations. This presentation describes the variations in transfer destinations to public and private, non‐profit and for‐profit four‐year institutions. The study uses logistic regression to compare the demographic characteristics, academic experiences and socioeconomic factors of students transferring to for‐profit institution versus those that transfer elsewhere. The presentation concludes with a discussion of implications for researchers, administrators and policymakers.