UK: First profit-making company to award degrees

by E Wayne Ross on September 26, 2007

The Guardian: First profit-making company to award degrees

A private for-profit company has for the first time been given the go-ahead to offer its own degrees, in a landmark decision which could open the door to increased privatisation of higher education.

BPP College of Professional Studies is a private institution with colleges in London, Leeds and Manchester and is owned by BPP Holdings plc – which is listed on the stock exchange.

Shares in the plc went up 13% overnight following the announcement yesterday that the privy council had approved the application to allow the college to award its own degrees.