Ten Largest E.M.O.s

By Michele Hoos and Annie Hauser

For-profit educational management organizations, or EMOs, foster competition between schools with the goal of turning a profit. Though most charters remain managed by smaller organizations, the 10 companies below control over half of the for-profit charter school sector, and represent an important trend in the charter explosion. As companies vie for size and industry influence, the number of students is the true indicator of the size of the company, since many companies collect management fees on a per-pupil basis.

Company data from: Profiles of For-Profit Education Management Organizations: 2007-2008, Alex Molnar, Gary Miron, Jessica Urschel, the Commericalism in Education Research Unit.