Critics of for-profit education generally contend that the private sector is willing to sacrifice educational quality and the interests of the student in order to generate a short-term profit, an argument that Stanfield suggests is largely unsubstantiated by economic theory, empirical evidence or sound reasoning.

FORBES: Harnessing the Profit Motive to Transform Education

While government can invest in industries in ways that are productive, empirical evidence and the preponderance of academic studies suggest that private companies are better at increasing productivity and producing long-term job growth.

FORBES: Impossible Things And Our Economic Recovery