- The College Board, founded in 1900 as a nonprofit to democratize college access, now generates most revenue from testing (SAT, AP) rather than membership dues, resembling a corporate entity.
- Its financial strategies include monopolistic testing programs (e.g., SAT, AP, PSAT 8/9) generating hundreds of millions annually, and reliance on underpaid educators for proctoring and grading, subsidizing costs through public school budgets.
- Recent controversies highlight mission drift, with technical failures in digital SAT/AP exams, lobbying to preserve SAT mandates, high CEO compensation, and dilution of AP African American Studies content amid political pressure.
- The AP program offers college readiness benefits but faces equity issues: high exam costs, score inflation concerns, and curricular narrowing, with financial barriers persisting despite low-income discounts.