next level Career Education Corporation · 2009 Annual Report financial highlights For the Year Ending December 31, 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 selected statement of operations data (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts) Total Revenue $1,836,635 $1,660,742 $1,668,274 $1,789,293 $1,832,040 Operating expenses: educational Services and Facilities expense 611,748 605,474 585,996 553,942 531,050 General and Administrative expense 934,131 866,043 869,256 908,575 848,511 Depreciation and Amortization expense 65,652 71,636 73,532 74,210 65,235 Goodwill and Asset Impairment 2,500 8,925 5,610 91,298 – Total Operating expenses 1,614,031 1,552,078 1,534,394 1,628,025 1,444,796 Operating Income 222,604 108,664 133,880 161,268 387,244 Operating Profit Margin Percentage 12.1% 6.5% 8.0% 9.0% 21.1% Total Other Income 1,441 19,623 22,885 20,722 14,374 Provision for Income Taxes 78,663 38,525 49,726 90,959 149,964 Income from Continuing Operations 145,382 89,762 107,039 91,031 251,654 loss from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax (64,163) (29,620) (47,486) (44,462) (17,776) Net Income $÷÷«81,219 $÷÷«60,142 $÷÷«59,553 $÷÷«46,569 $÷«233,878 Net Income (loss) per Share – Diluted: Income from Continuing Operations $÷÷÷÷«1.68 $÷÷÷÷«1.00 $÷÷÷÷«1.13 $÷÷÷÷«0.93 $÷÷÷÷«2.43 loss from Discontinued Operations (0.74) (0.33) (0.50) (0.46) (0.17) Net Income $÷÷÷÷«0.94 $÷÷÷÷«0.67 $÷÷÷÷«0.63 $÷÷÷÷«0.47 $÷÷÷÷«2.26 selected balance sheet data (In thousands) Assets: Cash, Cash equivalents and Short-term Investments $÷«484,852 $÷«493,932 $÷«377,665 $÷«433,337 $÷«394,184 Total Assets 1,563,842 1,418,210 1,377,783 1,422,728 1,506,104 Total liabilities 641,797 469,698 480,060 426,850 469,855 Working Capital 186,826 291,368 203,736 304,644 251,803 Total Stockholders’ equity $÷«921,524 $÷«947,652 $÷«886,108 $÷«982,401 $1,036,249 selected statement of cash flows data (In thousands) Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities $÷«288,251 $÷«186,720 $÷«222,075 $÷«216,390 $÷«378,225 Net Cash (Used in) Provided by Investing Activities (49,301) (150,787) 4,813 (56,453) (399,537) Net Cash Used in Financing Activities (199,151) (21,048) (185,718) (111,239) (189,703) Capital expenditures $÷÷(74,087) $÷÷(53,854) $÷÷(57,586) $÷÷(69,473) $÷(125,626) comparison of cumulative five-Year $150 total shareholder return $120 (Based on $100 invested on December 31, 2004 and assumes the reinvestment of all dividends.) $90 $60 Career education Corporation (CeC) Peer Group $30 S&P 500 Index 0 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 The graph above shows a comparison of cumulative total returns for CeC, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and an index of peer companies selected by CeC. The companies in the peer index are weighted according to their market capitalization as of the end of each period for which a return is indicated. Included in the peer index are the following companies whose primary business is postsecondary education: Apollo Group, Inc., Corinthian Colleges, Inc., Devry Inc., ITT educational Services, Inc., and Strayer education, Inc. The performance2 | Career graph eduC beginsation Corporationwith CeC’s $40.00 per share closing price on December 31, 2004. to our Gary e. McCullough stockholders president and Chief executive officer and the career education corporation team: The word “watershed” has been defined as a critical juncture that marks a turning point or transition between two phases. With this in mind, 2009 was a watershed year for Career Education Corporation as our focus transitioned from building a stronger foundation to accelerating the company’s growth. In fact, in 2009 we achieved the 2010 financial milestones we had previously set for ourselves—a full year ahead of schedule. Most important, Career Education fulfilled these milestones while focusing more intently than ever on delivering high-quality, career-enhancing education through our ground-based campuses and through the company’s award-winning online platforms. In 2009, total student population grew 20 percent from a year ago to a company record of approximately 105,000 students. Online student population alone grew 24 percent. 2009 annual report | 1 our companY The growth of Career Education reflects the meaningful ways our institutions have been helping to meet the press- ing need for a skilled and globally competitive workforce. In 2009, our institutions graduated about 47,000 students, bringing the total number of graduates from our schools to revenue growth more than 450,000 since the corporation was founded in (in Billions) 1994. This puts the company on pace to graduate more than half a million students by the end of 2010. 2009 $1.84 Continuing to focus on doing the right things for our students and providing them with real-world experiences helped our 2008 $1.66 company deliver strong financial results in 2009. Career Education total revenue from continuing operations grew by nearly 11 percent in 2009 to $1.84 billion. Operating 2007 $1.67 income reached nearly $223 million for the year, marking an increase of 105 percent over 2008. I am particularly proud of how our company achieved population growth this level of growth in 2009—by adhering to our core values of being student-centered and employee-focused; by striving for excellence in our work; and by encouraging each individual to demonstrate integrity, respect for others, respect for diversity and social responsibility. Each of our +20% approximately 13,000 employees helped us to accelerate the growth of our core business units as 2009 progressed 2009 marked record student population and continue to improve the experiences of our students. within our schools universitY SBU 2007 2008 2009 83,400 87,900 105,400 University is the company’s largest strategic business unit (SBU), and it accounts for most of the company’s online student population. It comprises the fully online campus of American InterContinental University (AIU) and four AIU ground locations, as well as the fully online campus of Colorado Technical University (CTU), four CTU ground operating margins locations and two Briarcliffe College locations. 2009 12.1% Realizing the benefits of additional admissions staffing, training and realignment in 2009, AIU and CTU grew their combined student population by nearly 20 percent to an 2008 6.5% all-time high of more than 49,000 students. We are proud that approximately 30 percent of these students are current military personnel and veterans. In fact, CTU was again 2007 8.0% recognized by Military Advanced Education in 2009 as one of the nation’s top providers of education to members of the military. 2 | Career eduCation Corporation Students at AIU and CTU may earn associate, bachelor’s, our students master’s and doctoral degrees in such areas as business administration, marketing, criminal justice, homeland secu- rity, education and information technology. The universities feature our company’s proprietary “virtual campus,” an online learning community offering full student services bY degree objective* and rich collaboration tools. This technology was honored doctoral, Master’s, in 2009, receiving the 21st Century Achievement Award in Bachelor’s degree the Education and Academia Category of the International 33% Data Group Computerworld Honors Program, and it was Certificate listed among the nation’s top 250 innovators—leading users of business technology—by InformationWeek. 24% associate degree 43% health education SBU As the demand for skills-oriented healthcare training continued to rise in 2009, the student population of the Health Education SBU increased 30 percent to nearly bY core curriculum* 22,000 students. We started seven new Health campuses Business Studies during the year, bringing the total number of Health cam- 50% puses to 32. Our newest Health schools include Sanford- Visual Communications Brown institutions in Orlando, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; and design technologies San Antonio, Texas; and Dearborn and Grand Rapids, 13% Michigan; and Gibbs Colleges in Boston, Massachusetts Health education and Farmington, Connecticut. 20% Our widely recognized Sanford-Brown Institutes and Colleges Culinary arts and Missouri College offer healthcare education certificates, 11% diplomas, and specialized associate and bachelor’s degrees to information technology students enrolled in medical assisting, nursing, dental hygiene, 6% diagnostic medical sonography, radiography, cardiovascular technology and other programs. bY age* culinarY arts SBU under 21 In 2008, the Culinary Arts SBU felt the impact of the con- 16% traction in the student lending market. In 2009, the business 21–30 unit rebuilt student population to a record high of nearly 11,000 students at 18 campuses, a 31 percent increase over 43% 2008. An important factor in this growth was the work over 30 the SBU did to respond to student needs. For example, the 41% schools increased the length of associate degree programs from 15 to 21 months in 2009. Slowing the pace of the pro- gram afforded some students greater opportunity to hold jobs and expand their access to financial aid. In addition, the Miami and Orlando campuses introduced the country’s first Spanish-language culinary programs, further addressing *as of december 31, 2009 the needs of a diverse student population. 2009 annual report | 3 our school In 2009, Career Education purchased the rights to the well- recognized Le Cordon Bleu brand for use in the education identities services field for North America. Research confirmed the venerable reputation of this brand, and in 2010 we expect to realize marketing and other cost synergies by transitioning health our culinary campuses to the Le Cordon Bleu name for greater marketplace consistency. +30% art & design SBU increase in student population The Art & Design SBU comprises 10 International Academy • Opened 7 new campuses of Design & Technology (IADT) ground campuses, one fully online IADT campus, Harrington College of Design • Introduced 31 new programs in Chicago, Brooks Institute in Southern California, Collins College in Phoenix and Brown College in Minneapolis.