A study titled “Postsecondary Education: Student Outcomes Vary at For-Profit, Nonprofit, and Public Schools,” created by the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) and made public Dec. 8, aims to answer the following questions:
1. What does research show about graduation rates, employment outcomes, student loan debts, and default rates for students at for-profit schools compared to those at nonprofit and public schools, taking differences in student characteristics into account?; and
2. How do pass rates on licensing exams for selected occupations compare among graduates of for-profit, nonprofit, and public schools?
“Although no single outcome can be used to fully measure something as complex as educational quality, looking at multiple outcome measures (e.g., graduation rates, pass rates on licensing exams, employment outcomes, and student loan default rates) can shed light on the quality of education provided by schools,” the study notes.
The Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards provided assistance to the GAO, pertaining to its Massage & Bodywork Licensing Examination. The study includes tables titled Massage Therapist: Number of Programs and Test Takers, by Sector; and Massage Therapist: Student Pass Rate and Mean Program Pass Rates, by Sector.