The U.S. higher education market grew substantially between 2005 and 2015, with an increase in the number of programs offered of 13% and an increase in annual graduations of nearly 30%. Can government policy significantly impact student and college decisions? Does this market respond to occupation-specific growth? Are for-profit colleges more responsive to changes in demand? I shed light on these questions in this dissertation. In Chapter 1, I estimate the impact of federal oversight on enrollment and completions at for-profit colleges. For-profit colleges experienced a 33% enrollment decline between 2010 and 2015 following an increase in federal oversight. Did oversight cause this decline? I assess the causal effect of two policies on for-profit enrollment: a significant report on misleading for-profit recruiting, and threatened federal student aid sanctions on under-performing colleges. I use a difference-in-difference framework that exploits the differential exposure of a treatment group to each policy. For the report, treatment is based on the presence of a local alternative; for sanctions, it is based on a debt-to-income threshold. Both policies significantly contributed to the enrollment decline: The report caused a 45% enrollment decline over 5 years at for-profit colleges with a nearby alternative, while the threat of sanctions led to a 121% greater enrollment decline at for-profit colleges below the performance threshold. In Chapter 2, I estimate the causal response of graduations and programs offered to new licensing requirements. Using a difference-in-difference framework, I exploit state-level variation in new licensing statutes. I find that new licenses cause increases in both the number of graduations and programs offered in fields related to the licensed occupations. I further show that new licenses cause employment increases in college-level occupations and employment declines in low-education occupations. In Chapter 3, I estimate program entry and exit due to labor demand shocks across college sectors. I find that the number of public and private non-profit Bachelor's degree programs offered increases following an employment increase in related occupations. However, I find no evidence of a similar response in the for-profit sector.

In educational institutions, employee turnover decreases productivity, profitability, and sustainability. In 2015, organizations lost $60 million in assets as the result of employee turnover. High employee turnover rates have an adverse influence on productivity, which leads to unsustainable business practices. Some college leaders lack strategies to reduce employee turnover and maintain sustainability. Using the motivation-hygiene needs (2-factor theory), the purpose of this single case study was to explore strategies for-profit educational leaders used to reduce employee turnover and maintain sustainability in Florida. Participants were purposefully selected to ensure they had experience implementing effective employee turnover reduction strategies. The data collection was through face-to-face semistructured interviews with 5 managers and the review of organizational documents on employee turnover. Data were analyzed using inductive coding of phrases, word frequency searches, and theme interpretation. The 3 themes that emerged were: Effective communication reduced employee turnover, creating a supportive work environment reduced employee turnover, and job satisfaction and competitive compensation decreased turnover. Reducing employee turnover contributes to social change by providing college leaders with valuable insight that can lead to improved organizational growth, enhanced sustainability, and increased profitability. A reduction of employee turnover might help leaders provide new employment opportunities and promote prosperity for local families and the community.

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