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For-Profit Companies With the Highest Enrollments at Their Colleges, Fall 2016

Almanac 2018
August 19, 2018

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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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.


Return to the Almanac home page, or go to the Profession, Students, Finance, or States section. To purchase a copy of the Almanac in print or as a downloadable interactive PDF, visit the Chronicle Store. Help guide us to give you the data you need by taking our 10-minute online Almanac survey.


RankParent company or entityInstitutions Fall 2016 enrollment Units
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>

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A version of this article appeared in the August 24, 2018, issue.
Read other items in this Students: Almanac 2018 package.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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