A study gathered objective data to inform policymakers and the public about the role of the private career school in providing postsecondary vocational training. The universe of the study was made up of state-approved for-profit business, trade, and technical schools and nationally accredited cosmetology schools. A mailed questionnaire gathered data on the school practices, students, and economic impact on the states' economy. Five major findings emerged. Virginia's private career schools constituted a vocational training resource at least equal in size to the Virginia Community College System's occupational/technical programs. Private career schools were a diverse and highly competitive sector of higher education. They served a large number of disadvantaged students. Private career schools were highly responsive to changes in the labor market and to the needs of local employers. They had a major impact on Virginia's economy. Four recommendations are made in the report: in future planning, policymakers should consider use of private career schools before expanding public programs; private career schools should be linked to state training efforts through innovative funding strategies; the department of education should develop a database of comparable data on private and public postsecondary training programs; and Virginia should initiate continuing programs of research and evaluation on both public and private postsecondary training. (YLB)