Abstract
The essay discusses the strengths and shortcomings of private higher education in Latin America. It argues that private institutions play an important role and shows – with numbers – that profits and quality education are unrelated. In discussing regulations, it argues that both neglect and heavy-handed policies are not producing the expected results. What less prosperous and smaller private institutions need is public support, in order to offer decent quality education and innovate in non-traditional areas, such as post-secondary programs. Indeed, they need help to structure courses, prepare teaching materials and train their teachers.
Public; Private; Higher education; Universities; Postsecondary education; Liberal arts; Diversification; Technical education; Profits; Quality; Regulation; Accreditation; Authorization; Training of teachers; Teaching materials
