Nonprofit
Institutions like Franklin are free to focus on creating and delivering a high-quality education without having to concern themselves with turning a profit or answering to revenue-focused interests.

For-profit
These institutions have a different focus and priority -- earning a profit for their shareholders and other stakeholders.

Nonprofit 
Online colleges like Franklin operate independently of any owner structure with free reign to decide what’s in their students’ best interests. 

For-profit 
Shareholder-led schools are often subsidiaries of larger corporations or groups dedicated to serving multiple constituencies.

Nonprofit
The leadership structure of nonprofits usually includes an accomplished staff under the direction of a Board of Trustees with strong ties to the local community. Many also seek active input from community leaders through advisory groups and alumni boards. 

For-profit 
The majority of for-profit colleges are traded on a major stock exchange or owned by private equity firms concerned with profitability.

Nonprofit
Until the latter part of the 20th century, colleges and universities historically were nonprofit with deeply rooted reputations for excellence in education.

For-profit
First popular in the 1970s, for-profits have more recently been at the center of a national debate on funding, marketing and student outcomes, with some citing the need for more transparency, standards and accountability.