Laureate Education

Laureate Education is a leading international higher education provider operating quality institutions in Mexico and Peru, serving over 470,000 students through campus-based and online learning programs. Founded in 1989 as Sylvan Learning Systems by Doug Becker, the company transformed from a K-12 tutoring chain into a global higher education network that at its peak operated 71 institutions in 25 countries serving over one million students. After going public in 2017 and strategically divesting international operations, Laureate now focuses on high-quality undergraduate, graduate, and specialized degree programs in two key markets.

The company operates five prestigious institutions: Universidad Privada del Norte (UPN) and Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas (UPC) in Peru, and Universidad del Valle de México (UVM), Universidad Tecnológica de México (UNITEC), and ICEL Universidad in Mexico. These institutions have strong reputations for academic quality, employability outcomes, and innovation in online education. Laureate's strategy emphasizes enrollment growth, particularly in fully online programs which have shown robust expansion, and operational excellence to drive profitability.

As a publicly-traded company on NASDAQ (LAUR), Laureate generated $1.54 billion in revenue in 2024 with projections of $1.68-1.69 billion for 2025, representing 7-8% growth. The company expects enrollments to reach approximately 494,000 students in 2025 (5% growth) and has demonstrated strong financial performance with adjusted EBITDA of $467-477 million. Under CEO Eilif Serck-Hanssen's leadership since 2018, Laureate has successfully transformed from a debt-heavy global operator to a focused, profitable education provider. The company has returned significant capital to shareholders, repurchasing $102 million in stock during 2024 and authorizing an additional $150 million buyback in 2025, demonstrating confidence in its streamlined business model and growth trajectory.