Dive Brief:
- Strayer Education Inc. on Friday reported a net income of $12.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2014, up from a loss of $19 million during the same quarter in 2013.
- For the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2014, the for-profit education provider reported net income of $46.4 million, up $30 million from $16.4 million in 2013.
- Despite the financial improvement, the company reported enrollments that were essentially flat, dropping 1% in both the quarter and the year as a whole.
Dive Insight:
Despite Strayer's financial improvement, it still has plenty of hurdles to avoid. As noted with DeVry's mostly positive earnings, as well, the for-profit sector still faces declining enrollments and considerable regulatory scrutiny — though that could calm with the new Republican majority in Congress.
Still, better finances could see the company attract more students and boost its enrollments, as chief executive Karl McDonnell predicted last year it will do in 2015. If DeVry's enrollment strengths were any indication, it certainly doesn't hurt that Strayer's launching a new Bachelor of Science in Nursing program this fall.