DeVry shift to online classes prompts closing of Pittsburgh campus

DeVry University's Pittsburgh campus will close by the end of the year and go online-only, the latest example of the for-profit education industry dealing with declining enrollment and revenue.

The campus in the K&L Gates building, Downtown, is one of 14 DeVry schools in 11 cities that will close as part of a larger transformation plan announced this week by Illinois-based DeVry Education Group.

The closures need regulatory approval.

DeVry has 256 students in Pittsburgh and nine faculty members, spokeswoman Melanie Wright said Friday. Seventy percent of students in Pittsburgh take classes exclusively online, Wright said, and 95 percent take some online courses.

“We will work with each colleague on a transition time line, including opportunities at other roles at our sister institutions within DeVry Education Group,” Wright said. “If no role is identified, we will provide outplacement support to assist them in transitioning to the next step in their career journey outside of Devry University.”

The university is one of eight institutional brands under the DeVry Education Group, which also owns Carrington College, Chamberlain College of Nursing and Ross University School of Medicine, among others.

More than 36,000 undergraduate students are enrolled in DeVry Universities, though that has been declining. Enrollment in March was down 15 percent from a year ago, the company reported Thursday, and revenue for the quarter that ended March 31 decreased 15.7 percent.

DeVry's transformation takes place as the entire for-profit education industry struggles to overcome lower enrollment and heightened regulatory scrutiny. The industry has come under pressure to make schools more affordable. Some companies, including Downtown-based Education Management Corp., have faced federal lawsuits alleging improper recruiting practices.

EDMC moved to close schools, cut staff and completed a major restructuring with lenders as part of a deal to reduce its debt. The federal lawsuits are ongoing.

Chris Fleisher is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7854 or cfleisher@tribweb.com.