Some students in the US have reported that for-profit schools have not delivered on their promises. These schools often advertise a faster path to better jobs, but students have ended up with years of debt instead. For-profit colleges and technical schools have been accused of misleading students with false promises about graduation rates and salaries.

Students who attend these schools often take out federal loans to pay for their education. Further details on this issue are available from InvestigateTV, which has conducted a national investigation into the practices of for-profit career colleges and certificate programs.