Dispelling the Myths and Highlighting the Strengths:  The Six “Rs” of Private Colleges

Private colleges ARE diverse

Twenty-four percent of private college students are members of minority groups – just about the same percentage as our public four-year counterparts.  Everything else is diverse, too – missions, academic offerings, and even tuition levels!

Private colleges ARE affordable

Rapidly-expanding institutional commitments to financial aid, when added to government sources of aid, make private colleges accessible to students from every social and economic segment of society.  In every state where research has been done on the subject, students enrolled in private colleges came from families with equal or lower family incomes than students enrolled in four-year public institutions.  Also, a major economic factor in favor of private colleges is their far superior record in retaining students and graduating them in four years.

Private colleges ARE personal

A hallmark of the nation’s private colleges is the individual care for students – from highly accessible faculty to a full range of special services.

Private colleges ARE involved

Private colleges and their students are involved in their communities. From active and innovative programs of community service to landmark research projects to benefit the whole of society, private colleges are leaders.

Private colleges ARE flexible

Students of all ages and needs are served by private colleges in urban, suburban, and rural locations.  From satellite campuses to Internet offerings, private colleges aim to meet the needs of all students.

Private colleges ARE successful

By every measure private colleges are highly-successful in graduating satisfied students who, in disproportionate percentages, assume leadership roles in commerce, industry, government, education, the professions, the non-profit sector and in civic affairs.

One advantage of our network of state funds and colleges is that partners can learn from one another; that is, successful efforts by one partner can be introduced in other states.  One such example is the College Readiness Program, begun and developed by the Associated Colleges of Illinois and its member colleges and universities.