Breaking the cycle: The legitimacy-building strategies of private universities

Abstract

Often perceived as inferior to their public counterparts, private universities in many countries face persistent legitimacy challenges. While these obstacles are well documented, little empirical research explores how new private universities establish legitimacy. This article examines such challenges and strategies in three contrasting contexts: Canada, China, and the United Arab Emirates. Drawing on site visits and interviews with administrators, faculty, and policymakers, we find that many private universities feel caught in a cycle of low legitimacy, driven by tuition dependence, competition, and public mistrust that prevents them from raising standards. Although their lack of legitimacy creates context-specific challenges, private universities in all three countries adopted similar strategies to break the cycle: niche-seeking and securing financial support to reduce competitive pressures, alongside pursuing quality markers and international linkages to enhance reputation. By documenting how private universities break the cycle of low legitimacy, our findings highlight potential avenues for improving institutional quality.