美国营利性大学在过去的十几年里发展迅速。到2009年，全美获得认证的、有学位授予权的营利性大学的数量增加到1053所，注册学生数超过200万人；创造的年度经济效益突破100亿美元，在美国高等教育市场中占据了24.2%的份额。到底是什么原因促使营利性大学驶入了快车道？本研究认为，营利性大学近年来的迅疾发展虽然是诸多动力的合力所致，但其独特的组织特征是其中一个重要因素，为此，本研究要对营利性大学进行组织学分析。导论部分探讨对营利性大学进行组织学分析的意义，说明本选题的视角及价值，对核心概念进行界定，在对国内外相关研究成果进行梳理和分析的基础上提出本文的研究路线、思路和方法。第二部分通过对营利性大学历史资料的收集，对其发展阶段进行划分：第一阶段为发端阶段，从殖民地时期起，经独立战争时期，到美国南北战争时期结束；第二阶段为发展停滞阶段，从南北内战时期始，经第二次世界大战至20世纪七八十年代结束；第三阶段为繁荣阶段，从20世纪90年代前后开始至今。第三部分运用组织系统论的观点，对营利性大学进行组织类型划分。首先将营利性大学作为美国高等教育系统中的子系统，分析其在美国高等教育系统中的类型划分。其次，将营利性大学作为一个独立的系统进行分类：按照拥有的校园数量划分为单一校园大学和多校园大学；按照办学模式划分为在线大学和非在线大学；按照办学规模划分为巨型大学和微型大学。第四部分依据组织结构理论提出的组织结构模型，对营利性大学的组织结构进行了剖析。首先分析营利性大学中的直线制组织结构、矩阵组织结构、多维立体组织结构等不同的组织结构形式；其次总结营利性大学组织结构演变过程的四个特征：从直线式到混合式；从集权式到分权式；从金字塔式的层级结构到扁平化的横向结构；多样化与复杂性并存。第五部分运用组织环境理论，对营利性大学的内外部组织环境进行研究。在外部环境方面，本研究选取了三个因素进行分析：政策环境、资金环境和技术环境。在组织内部环境方面，本研究重点分析了“教师、学生、课程”三个基本因素。第六部分依据组织运行机制的分析路线，从“目标机制、决策机制、动力机制、发展机制”等几方面分析了营利性大学的运行机制。其目标机制体现了经济目标和教育目标的双重性；决策机制体现为典型的委托——代理二权分立结构；激励机制表现为采取“股票期权激励机制”；在发展机制方面体现了产业化发展、追求规模经济的特征。最后一部分是本研究的结论。本部分对美国营利性大学的整体组织特征进行深入挖掘和剖析，藉此对我国民办大学的发展有所启发。

The for-profit institute in America has developed rapidly over the past decade. By 2009. the number of accredited, degree-granting institutes have increased to 1043, where more than 2 million students have registered and whose annual revenue has broken 10 billion U.S. dollars. In the higher education market of America, for-profit institutes have accounted to 24.2%.What prompts for-profit institutes onto the fast track? The study suggests the rapid development results from the force of many factors, and its organizational factors play an important role. It is important and necessary to do histological analysis.In introductory part, the study researches the significance of the histological analysis, shows the perspective and values, defines the core concepts and proposes research route, framework and method.The second part divides the development stages of for-profit institutes. The first stage is the beginning period which starts from the colonial period through the Independent War to the end of the Civil War. The second stage is the stagnation phase which begins from the Civil War through the Second World War to the end of 1980s. The third stage begins from 1990s till now.The third part focuses on type analysis of for-profit institutes according to organizational systematic theory. First, the study analyzes its type in the whole higher education system .Second, the study analyzes its type during its own independent system: single campus institutes and multi-campus institutes according to the number of campus; online institutes and non-online institutes according to the teaching mode; giant institutes and mini institutes according to the scale.The fourth part analyzes the organizational structure of for-profit institutes due to the organizational structural theory and relevant organizational mode. First, the study describes different organizational structure of for-profit institutes, such as the linear organizational structure, the matrix structure, the dimensional structure and so on. Second, the study researches the characteristics of the evolution of organizational structure: from linear to hybrid; from centralized style to decentralized style; from pyramid-like hierarchical structure to flat horizontal structure; diversity and complexity coexisting together.The fifth part studies the organizational environment of for-profit institutes. In the aspect of external environment, the study chooses three factors to analyze: policy environment, financial environment and technological environment. In the internal environment, the study focuses on three basic factors to analyze: faculty, students and curriculum.The sixth part analyzes the organizational operating mechanism of for-profit institutes. The study researches the following mechanism: target mechanism; decision-making mechanism; incentive mechanism; development mechanism. The target mechanism shows the characteristic of the coexistence of economic goals and educational objectives. The decision-making mechanism is characteristic of typical principal-agent structure. The characteristic of incentive mechanism is the adoption of “incentive stock options”. The characteristic of development mechanism is the pursuit of scale development.The last part of the study is the conclusion of the research.This part summarises the characteristics of for-profit institutes and attempts to enlight the development of Chinese private colleges and universities to some extent.