$1.068 billion is how much the College Board earned in revenue in 2017. The College Board is a “non-profit” organization that was created to expand the knowledge of students along with providing them exams to enter colleges that they are partnered with. They provide students with two exams, the SAT and the ACT, as well as all of the AP exams. The SAT costs $49.50 and the ACT costs $50.50. If students fail to register before the initial deadline, they will be forced to pay a late fee. The College Board claims that all the money goes towards the program, but these executives and employees of the company are making high six-figure salaries.

David Coleman, the CEO of the College Board, took ownership of the company in 2012 and his salary was “reported” to be $672,853 in a single year of guiding the College Board. To add onto this, he also had bonuses that he earned, giving him a grand total of $734,192 in the year 2014. For a non-profit organization, it is hard to earn revenue along with profit if all the income is going back to the company, since that is how organizations such as these function. Having to charge someone an extra 30 extra because they failed to register on time isn’t really necessary for a  “non-profit”. It doesn’t make sense for an organization that grossed in $1.068 billion. Coleman’s executives were reported to be making $300,000 as an annual salaries, but how does someone who works for the College Board make so much? The College Board salaries are reported to range from $90,000 to $181,000. A director is the closest job in the company who makes the closest amount to the executives and the CEO. 

The College Board runs in all 50 states. Hundreds of thousands of students are paying the $49.50 and $50.50 fees plus extra if they want to include an essay. A late fee doesn’t sound germane if the College Board executives just take it for their benefit. The College Board is attracting millions of dollars that they are claiming is going to towards improving the SAT and the ACT, but does the College Board really use all of the profit they earn for their organization? 

I personally believe that the College Board is not a non-profit organization because of these mysterious salaries. The CEO is making six to seven figures but from what? Where is this money coming from? The College Board is its own company and they have no corporation that they work for. They don’t owe any debts, and the only payments they make are to schools to rent for the students to take the exam. The College Board could be using not even some, but most of the money they earn from the exams for themselves. The fact that most of the executives that work for Coleman are reported to have been making around $300,000 a year is ridiculous. 

The College Board needs to once and for all clarify if they are truly a non-profit organization. People need to understand why they are paying such high prices and if it is really for the entire exam. Schools all over the United States are partnered with the College Board, and there is no excuse for all of the income they are receiving. This atrocious act prevents high school students from finding out why they need to pay for an exam to get accepted into college.