What is really the difference of Private and Private for profit schools?

Is for profit a bad choice if you can help it?

For profit schools are in business to do just that, make a profit.  Many such schools are owned by corporations.  An example is Capella, University of Phoenix, Devry, Ashford University, and Kaplan University.

 Non profits exist to not make a profit and normally enjoy tax breaks of nonprofit entities.  Most of these schools are your state funded colleges and universities.  While the term nonprofit can be misleading, since any educational institution needs funds to survive, this isnt the main goal of these type of colleges.

 For profit isnt that bad, there will always be some stigma towards these type of institutions, but with budget cuts happening all the way around, many former nonprofits were purchased by corporations in order to survive.  An example is Ashford University and Grand Canyon university, both of these institutions would of certaintly had closed if it wasnt for the fact they were purchased.  Now both institutions are fast growing and attracting many students to their programs.

Rightfully or wrongfully, for-profit schools are often perceived as poor quality and passing marginal students in order to keep the revenue flowing. I disagree that most non-profits are state schools; there are a lot of private non-profit schools out there, I believe more than there are state schools.

My observation is that employers and other lay people have a lot of confusion discerning among for-profit/non-profit, online/on campus, and national/regional accreditation.  I also find that, rightfully or wrongfully, the schools that market the most pervasively often gain a questionable reputation from doing so.

-=Steve=- 

For profit is 'bad' the same as non-profit is 'good' - only if you're into mindlessly reciting mantras and drinking a LOT of Kool-Aid

Then, too, a lot of it has to do with whether you're going for an education that, presumably you'll put to use, or merely a degree - which is almost always purely for selfish reasons, not the least of which is moving up the corporate ladder, taking on more responsibility and accountability, earning more filty lucre.  Again, that's bad only if you're stuck on stupid over some obsolete Marxist-Leninist BS - and, of course, all the other elitist hypocricy that entails out of sheer necessity

To say that non-profits don't make a profit, such as in the case of University of Texas for example would be misleading.  It's just how and where the money is allocated that makes the difference.  That's my opinion anyways.

From what I've learned from other people, sometimes for-profit private schools may be more expensive than non-for-profit private schools.

As for quality, I do not believe that for-profit private schools are necessarily a bad choice for students. I also do not believe that students will receive a bad or poor education just because they studied at a for-profit private school.

Victoria:

From what I've learned from other people, sometimes for-profit private schools may be more expensive than non-for-profit private schools.

As for quality, I do not believe that for-profit private schools are necessarily a bad choice for students. I also do not believe that students will receive a bad or poor education just because they studied at a for-profit private school.

I've heard the same things