The growth of private higher education is a global phenomenon. Driven in large measure by the growing demand for education and the inability or unwillingness of the public sector to handle the surge, these new institutions now serve nearly a third of all students in postsecondary education around the world. The sector is diverse, however, with some older and more elite institutions alongside the newer entrants and a range of programs, academic models, and regulatory patterns. Private institutions are typically nonprofit, though the for-profit subsector is becoming more prevalent. In addition, cross-border higher education is a private sector activity in every country where it exists, even when the originating institution is part of the public sector.

This volume provides a comprehensive look at the growth of private higher education through seven country case studies and a review of the private nature of cross-border higher education. The authors are experts in private higher education and have been key contributors to the literature on the topic over the last twenty years. The chapters reflect the growth of private higher education, the ways in which that growth has developed and diversified, and the various policy responses to the growth.

This is the third issue in the 36th volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph in the series is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education problem, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.