Even companies near the top of the list for total enrollment at their colleges in the fall of 2016 have not necessarily fared well since then. For instance, Education Management Corporation, which faced declining enrollments and lawsuits over its financial-aid practices and educational quality, has closed many of its campuses and sold others since 2016. This year it filed for liquidation under Chapter 7 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Career Education Corporation, No. 7 on the list, has closed its Le Cordon Bleu and Sanford-Brown Colleges. Meanwhile, Grand Canyon University, No. 2 on the list, became a private nonprofit institution in July.
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| 1. | Apollo Education Group | U. of Phoenix, Western International U. | 170,198 | 37 |
| 2. | Grand Canyon Education | Grand Canyon U. | 75,834 | 1 |
| 3. | Education Management Corporation | Argosy U., Art Institute, Brown Mackie College, South U., and others | 72,348 | 103 |
| 4. | DeVry Education Group | Chamberlain College of Nursing, DeVry U. | 68,938 | 32 |
| 5. | Laureate Education | Kendall College, Walden U., and others | 55,090 | 4 |
| 6. | American Public Education | American Public U. system | 48,623 | 1 |
| 7. | Career Education Corporation | American InterContinental U., Colorado Technical U., Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Sanford-Brown College | 44,232 | 32 |
| 8. | Strayer Education | Strayer U. | 43,762 | 17 |
| 9. | Kaplan Higher Education Corporation | Kaplan U. | 43,197 | 12 |
| 10. | Bridgepoint Education | Ashford U., U. of the Rockies | 42,450 | 2 |
| 11. | Capella Education Company | Capella U. | 37,569 | 1 |
| 12. | Columbia Southern Education Group | Columbia Southern U., Waldorf U. | 23,669 | 2 |
| 13. | Education Corporation of America | Brightwood Career Institute, Brightwood College, Golf Academy of America, Virginia College, and others | 21,842 | 71 |
| 14. | Full Sail University | Full Sail U. | 19,443 | 1 |
| 15. | Rasmussen College | Rasmussen College | 15,935 | 6 |
| 16. | Delta Career Education Corporation | McCann School of Business & Technology, Miami-Jacobs Career College, Miller-Motte College, and others | 14,151 | 32 |
| 17. | Education Affiliates | Fortis College, Fortis Institute, and others | 13,568 | 32 |
| 18. | Academy of Art University | Academy of Art U. | 12,608 | 1 |
| 19. | Novateur Education | ECPI U. | 12,068 | 1 |
| 20. | Northcentral University | Northcentral U. | 10,916 | 1 |
| | All for-profit colleges | | 1,180,245 | 1,059 |
Note: Data are based on fall-2016 enrollment of all full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students at 1,059 four- and two-year degree-granting for-profit colleges in the United States that are eligible to participate in Title IV federal financial-aid programs. Enrollments in other countries are excluded. Parent companies were identified by reporting institutions and in some cases were adjusted because of information on company websites and news reports. Many institutions have changed names, closed, or changed ownership since 2016. Names shown above were current in 2016. Units are online entities and campuses, or sometimes several campuses, that report enrollment as one administrative unit to the U.S. Department of Education. Enrollment for units with the same parent company were added together. Companies that reported data as single units could have multiple campuses. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to the Almanac editor.
Source: Chronicle analysis of U.S. Department of Education data</small></p>