Adtalem Global Education was a successor to two separate entities: DeVry Institutes and the Keller-Taylor Corporation, doing business as Keller Graduate School of Management. DeVry Technical Institute was acquired by the Bell & Howell company in 1966, and became part of its Education Group division. The school was renamed to DeVry Institute of Technology in 1968.[4] In 1984, the education division was renamed DeVry, Inc. ("Old DeVry"), and became publicly traded on the American Stock Exchange.
The Keller-Taylor Corporation was formed in 1973 by Dennis Keller and Ronald Taylor. Keller-Taylor was the holding company of CBA Institute in Chicago, which later became Keller Graduate School of Management. In 1987 Keller-Taylor acquired the DeVry Institutes from Bell & Howell and merged it with Keller Graduate School of Management. The holding company's name changed to DeVry, Inc.
In 2007, DeVry expanded its reach into online education with the addition of Advanced Academics, an online secondary education that partners with schools and school districts across the United States. Carrington College, formerly known as Apollo College and Western Career College, joined DeVry in 2008. In 2009, DeVry acquired a majority stake in Fanor, later known as DeVry Brasil, a provider of post-secondary education with campuses located in northeastern Brazil. In June 2009, Standard and Poor's added Devry Inc. to its index of stocks, replacing newly-bankrupt General Motors.[4]
In 2011, DeVry continued its international reach with the acquisition of ATC International (a subsidiary of Becker Professional Education), which provides professional finance and accounting training in Central and Eastern Europe as well as Central Asia; and American University of the Caribbean, a medical school located in St. Maarten.[5] In November 2013, DeVry Inc. was renamed DeVry Education Group.[6]
Daniel Hamburger resigned in 2016 as CEO of DeVry with a payout of 5.3 million dollars. Eight-year board member, Lisa Wardell was appointed president and CEO of DeVry Education Group.[7] In 2017, DeVry Education was rebranded as Adtalem Global Education.[8]
In December 2018, Adtalem completed transferral of DeVry University and Keller Graduate School of Management properties to Cogswell Education LLC.[9] This was completed just days after the transfer of Carrington College to San Joaquin Valley College.[10]
In September 2020, Adtalem Global Education Inc announced that it began the process of purchasing Walden University for US$1.48 billion in cash.[12] According to Higher Education Dive "Two investment firms, Engine Capital and Hawk Ridge Partners, wrote in an open letter...that they were "severely disappointed" with the board's decision to purchase Walden, calling the college a 'substantially inferior asset.'"[13]
In August 2021, Adtalem Global Education Inc completed its acquisition of Walden University.[14]
In 2022, Adtalem sold the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists, Becker Professional Education and OnCourse Learning to Wendel Group and Colibri Group, respectively.[15]
As of 2013[update], DeVry Inc. was under investigation by the Attorneys General of the states of Illinois and Massachusetts.[18][19]
A lawsuit filed against DeVry alleged deceptive recruiting practices in violation of federal law.[20]
In January 2016, The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against DeVry Education Group alleging false or misleading advertising.[21][22] A class action lawsuit was also filed against DeVry Group in US District Court, Northern District of California claiming breaches of contract, good faith and fair dealing, violations of the California Unfair Trade Practices Act, the California False Advertising Act and the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, and negligent misrepresentations. A confidential settlement was reached.[23]
In May 2016, a shareholder class action lawsuit was filed against DeVry Group, in the US District Court, Northern District of Illinois. The plaintiffs claimed that defendants made false or misleading statements regarding DeVry University's graduate employment rate and the earnings of DeVry University graduates relative to the graduates of other universities and colleges.[23] The case was settled in 2019 for $27.5 million.[24]
In June 2016, T’Lani Robinson and Robby Brown filed an arbitration demand with the American Arbitration Association, seeking relief for breach of contract, negligence, violation of the Illinois Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act, conversion, and unjust enrichment.[23]
In December 2017, a former administrator filed a civil lawsuit number with the Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking relief for a number of causes of action including Retaliation and Wrongful Termination in Violation of Public Policy for complaining about an incentive-based compensation program that rewarded campus deans for recruiting and enrolling students.[25]
The Department of Education decided to forgive $6 billion in debt to students who claimed they were misled by schools, including American University of the Caribbean and Ross University owned by Adtalem.[26]
