Private Business and Vocational Schools

What to Look for in Selecting a Private Business and Vocational School

Perhaps the most frequently asked question is,"How do you rate this school?" While there is no rating for private business and vocational schools, there are a few things that you, as the consumer, can be looking for when you are considering enrolling in schools of this type.

Usually, one of the first people you will speak with at any of the private business and vocational schools will be a sales representative or agent of some type. All persons conducting sale are required to carry a permit card indicating the agent's name and the name of the school. You should ask to see the permit card of the person who is interviewing you to ensure he or she is an approved sales representative.

Schools are required, by statute, to disclose the following statistics on their contract or enrollment agreement:

  1. the number of students who enrolled in the school during the school's last fiscal year;
  2. the number of students who did not complete the course of instruction for which they enrolled during the school's last fiscal year;
  3. the percentage of students who did not complete the course of instruction for which they enrolled for the past fiscal year as compared to the number of students who enrolled in the school during the school's past fiscal year;
  4. the number and percentage of students from the particular school who passed the State licensing examination (if any) during the school's last fiscal year;
  5. the number and percentage of graduates who requested placement assistance by the school during the school's last fiscal year;
  6. the number and percentage of graduates who obtained employment as a result of placement assistance by the school during the school's last fiscal year;
  7. the number and percentage of graduates of the particular school who obtained employment in the field who did not use the school's placement assistance during the school's last fiscal year;
  8. the average starting salary for all school graduates employed during the school's last fiscal year.

By looking closely at these numbers, you can determine the success rate or completion rate of students who enrolled in the school. By comparing the numbers indicated in 1, 2, and 3, you will get an indication of how many students started the course of instruction and made it all the way through. For schools whose courses are longer than one fiscal year, you need to keep in mind that some of the students may still be in training.

If you are considering a type of training that involves State licensing from some other agency (Professional Regulation, Department of Public Health), the number and percentage listed in 4 will indicate how many graduates of this particular school passed their licensing exam as a result of the training received at the school.

The remaining statistics deal with placement of graduates. Not all schools offer placement assistance, but those who do are required to keep detailed records of the number of students requesting assistance, the number of graduates placed by the school or on their own in jobs pertaining to their field of study and an average starting salary for all students employed. Perhaps these are the most significant numbers to study when considering a school as they will give you an indication of the school's ultimate success rate - employed graduates!

Finally, you may call the Illinois State Board of Education at 217/782-2948 to inquire whether any complaints have been filed against the school you are considering. Such data is kept by the agency according to statute and an annual report is filed with the legislature.

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