Private liberal arts junior colleges reached their peak during the 1940's, when nearly 350 of them provided an educational alternative for over 100,000 students nationwide. In 1989, only 89 private two-year institutions were in existence, accounting for less than 1% of the nation's two-year college students. Following the second World War, several factors combined to stem the expansion of private junior colleges including the introduction and growing strength of public community colleges, the demands of World War II veterans for educational opportunities, and financial constraints brought on by small enrollments. While enrollments have declined significantly, the Association of American Colleges in 1975 stressed the importance of maintaining a system of private education, highlighting its ability to add diversity, provide leadership, offer competition to the public system and save the taxpayers money. The most serious threats to private junior colleges are competition for students from public community colleges and financial constraints. Proposals to solve these problems include establishing cooperative programs to share resources with local community colleges, employment of part-time faculty, and more heterogeneous recruitment and curriculum development, particularly in the church-related colleges. The potential for private junior colleges to survive into the 21st century depends upon their ability to effectively market their strengths, expand their enrollment bases, operate in a fiscally responsible manner, and maintain strong leadership and a committed faculty. (JMC)