In the college admissions game, there’s one player that dominates: one that deals all the cards – one that can kick you off the board if you don’t pay up. Don’t imagine a cartoon man in a top hat and monocle. Ironically, you’re facing a “not-for-profit” organization, one “committed to excellence and equity in education” and its name is CollegeBoard.
Founded in 1900 to standardize a previously inefficient admissions system, the CollegeBoard “pioneered programs like the SAT® and AP® to expand opportunities for students.” But if the goal is greater access to higher education, doesn’t it seem counterintuitive to be charging $68 and $98 for each SAT and AP exam respectively? With prestigious universities reinstating SAT/ACT requirements in the 2024-2025 cycle, students need to pay for standardized testing to even be considered for admission. This systematically puts those economically underprivileged at a disadvantage; it’s not fair to compare two worthy applicants if one can afford to retake the $68 test 5 times to get a 1600 and the other can’t afford to take it at all. Through its monopolistic status in higher education, CollegeBoard profits at the expense of disadvantaged students – the people that, according to their mission, they’re supposed to be supporting.
Furthermore, it’s important to acknowledge CollegeBoard’s role as a not-for-profit organization because they, according to the US Chamber of Commerce, “do not earn profit for [their] owners. All money earned through pursuing business activities or through donations goes right back into running the organization.” They are therefore exempt from paying taxes under the expectation that income is used for charitable purposes and not to stuff the pockets of “its members, directors, or officers,” according to Cornell Law School’s definition of a nonprofit. But with David Coleman, the CEO of CollegeBoard, making over $1.8 million and executives generating between $300-500k annually, it’s clear that money funnels back to the big guys rather than to schools, testing resources, etc. – things that would foster student success, which is what CollegeBoard wants… right?
In 2023, the organization made nearly $1 billion in revenue and $185 million in profit. While they do offer $36 reductions for AP exams and were given $37 million to cover financial assistance by state governments, only 10% of their revenue was spent on fee discounts. It’s no secret that financial insecurity creates a huge barrier between kids and higher education. If the goal of your not-for-profit organization is to help these students, why are you spending $8 million on executive compensation?
Still, CollegeBoard’s dominance over the exam world allows them to continue charging without repercussions. The ACT, the only worthy alternative to the SAT, is becoming increasingly outdated, with 500,000 more students taking the latter than the former in 2023. Taking AP classes is also the most prominent way to boost weighted GPAs or receive college credit due to inaccessibility of community college classes for many schools. CollegeBoard doesn’t need to lower its testing fees because there’s nowhere else for customers to go if they stop paying them. So legally, yes. CollegeBoard is a not-for-profit organization. In practice, however, they’re essentially a monopoly, profiting at the expense of the students they claim to be aiding. The last player on the board. Families, schools, government organizations… we’re just handing them our cash.