DeVry University

DeVry University
Name	DeVry University
Established	1931
Type	Private for-profit
City	Chicago
Country	United States

DeVry University is a private for-profit institution founded in 1931, historically known for career-oriented programs in technology, business, and healthcare. The institution has operated campuses and online programs across the United States and has been involved in major regulatory, accreditation, and legal developments that shaped its academic offerings and corporate structure. Its trajectory intersects with prominent corporations, regulatory agencies, and figures in higher education policy.

History

DeVry traces origins to technical training founded in 1931 by Herman A. DeVry, whose work in motion picture technology linked to institutions such as the Institute of Radio Engineers and businesses like Kodak. Expansion in the mid-20th century paralleled growth in industrialization and connections with manufacturers including General Electric and Western Electric. In the 1960s and 1970s, leadership changes and corporate acquisitions echoed trends involving entities such as RCA Corporation and ITT Corporation. The company reorganized under parent corporations that included Bell & Howell, later spawning a corporate network with public offerings on the New York Stock Exchange. In the 1990s and 2000s the institution broadened into online education amid competition with institutions like University of Phoenix and partnerships with technology firms including Microsoft and Cisco Systems. Federal scrutiny, state lawsuits, and interactions with agencies such as the United States Department of Education and Federal Trade Commission shaped major campus closures and program restructurings in the 2010s and 2020s.

Campus and locations

Campuses historically spanned major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, and Atlanta. Satellite centers and leased facilities often colocated near institutions like DePaul University and transportation hubs including O'Hare International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. Online delivery platforms enabled enrollment nationwide, competing with regional systems like the California Community Colleges System and metropolitan university consortia such as City University of New York. Facilities sometimes occupied former corporate campuses tied to firms such as Motorola and Sears, Roebuck and Co..

Academics

Academic programs emphasized applied curricula in fields comparable to offerings at institutions such as Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Northeastern University, and Purdue University for career focus in technology and business. Degree design included associate, bachelor's, and master's programs with coursework paralleling professional certifications from organizations such as CompTIA, Cisco Systems (Cisco), Project Management Institute, and American Health Information Management Association. Curriculum development engaged textbook publishers like McGraw-Hill Education and Pearson PLC, while online delivery used learning management systems akin to platforms from Blackboard Inc. and Canvas (software). Faculty appointments included practitioners with backgrounds at firms like IBM, Intel, Deloitte, and Ernst & Young.

Accreditation and regulatory issues

Accreditation history involved regional bodies including the Higher Learning Commission and national oversight by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Regulatory interactions included investigations and settlements with the Federal Trade Commission, the United States Department of Education, and various state attorneys general such as those from New York (state), Illinois, and California. Financial aid arrangements intersected with statutes like the Higher Education Act of 1965 and oversight from the Office of Inspector General (United States Department of Education). Regulatory actions influenced program eligibility for federal Title IV funds and spurred corporate restructuring resembling actions taken in other cases involving ITT Technical Institute and Corinthian Colleges.

Student life and demographics

Student demographics reflected nontraditional enrollment patterns similar to populations at Community College of Philadelphia and urban campuses such as City College of San Francisco, with many students working while enrolled and drawing on benefits from GI Bill programs and employer tuition assistance programs like those at Walmart and UPS. Student support services included career centers referencing employers such as Microsoft, Amazon (company), and Google. Extracurricular activities and clubs sometimes mirrored professional societies like IEEE, Association for Computing Machinery, and American Marketing Association chapters found at public and private universities.

Controversies and litigation

Litigation and controversies involved high-profile lawsuits and settlements comparable to cases against Corinthian Colleges and For-Profit Higher Education defendants, including claims about advertising, job placement statistics, and student loan defaults. Actions included a notable federal settlement with the Federal Trade Commission and enforcement matters led by state attorneys general such as the New York Attorney General and the Illinois Attorney General. Congressional hearings on for-profit institutions convened members of committees including the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce, where executives testified alongside leaders from Apollo Global Management and other education investors. Outcomes influenced accreditation status and prompted negotiated loan discharges similar to relief programs overseen by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Notable alumni and faculty

Alumni and faculty have included professionals who later held roles at corporations and institutions such as Microsoft, Intel, Cisco Systems, Ernst & Young, AT&T, Hewlett-Packard, Boeing, United States Air Force, United States Navy, IBM, PepsiCo, General Motors, Lockheed Martin, Amazon (company), Google, Facebook, Twitter, Accenture, KPMG, PwC, Deloitte, Oracle Corporation, Salesforce, Uber Technologies, Lyft (company), Netflix, Stanford University, Harvard University, Yale University, Princeton University, Columbia University, New York University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan, Ohio State University, Boston University, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Category:Private universities and colleges in Illinois Category:For-profit universities and colleges in the United States