Career Education Corporation Reports Results for Second Quarter 2013

Career Education Corporation Reports Results forSecond Quarter 2013

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Career Education Corporation (NAS: CECO) today reported total revenue of $294.8 million, and a net loss of $31.4 million, or -$0.47 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2013 compared to total revenue of $365.9 million and net loss of $100.2 million, or -$1.52 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2012.

"Our results are very much in line with our initial projections for the quarter. We are actively taking costs out of the business as we become more efficient and adjust the organization's size to serve a smaller overall student population," said Scott W. Steffey, president and CEO of Career Education. "I'm encouraged by the progress we've made across our domestic operations on improving our interactions with students, from the initial point of contact straight through to student outcomes, which gives me confidence that the actions we're taking will positively impact the direction of the Company.

"The University group continues to be a profitable business, and as we continue to make improvements, we expect enhanced performance. The International segment continues to perform very well, and we've made significant progress towards finalizing our action plan for the Career Schools group, along with any additional strategic decisions," Steffey said.

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS

Quarter Ended June 30, 2013

• Total revenue was $294.8 million for the second quarter of 2013, a 19.4 percent decrease from $365.9 million for the second quarter of 2012.

• Operating losses of $63.5 million and $105.3 million were recorded for the second quarters of 2013 and 2012, respectively. The operating margin was -21.5 percent for the second quarter of 2013 versus -28.8 percent for the second quarter of 2012. Operating loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2013 includes a $10.0 million ($0.10 per diluted share) charge related to the probable settlement of a legal matter and non-cash trade name impairment charges of $2.3 million ($0.02 per diluted share) related to the Le Cordon Bleu trade name and $1.7 million ($0.02 per diluted share) related to the Sanford-Brown trade name. The operating loss for the quarter ended June 30, 2012 included non-cash goodwill and asset impairment charges of $85.4 million ($1.24 per diluted share).

• The loss from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2013 was $29.9 million, or -$0.45 per diluted share, versus the loss from continuing operations of $85.9 million, or -$1.30 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2012.

Year to Date Ended June 30, 2013

• Total revenue was $635.1 million for the year to date ended June 30, 2013, compared to $795.6 million for the year to date ended June 30, 2012.

• Operating losses of $80.9 million and $57.0 million were recorded for the years to date ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The operating margin decreased to -12.7 percent for the year to date ended June 30, 2013, from -7.2 percent for the year to date ended June 30, 2012.

• The loss from continuing operations for the year to date ended June 30, 2013, was $43.9 million, or -$0.66 per diluted share, compared to the loss from continuing operations of $44.5 million, or -$0.67 per diluted share, for the year to date ended June 30, 2012.

• In addition to the significant items for the quarter ended June 30, 2012 above, the operating results for the year to date ended June 30, 2012 include a $19.0 million ($0.19 per diluted share) insurance recovery related to the settlement of claims under certain insurance policies.

CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS AND FINANCIAL POSITION

Cash Flows

• Net cash flows used in operating activities totaled $67.0 million for the year to date ended June 30, 2013, compared to net cash flows provided by operating activities of $16.6 million for the year to date ended June 30, 2012.

• Capital expenditures decreased to $10.0 million during the year to date ended June 30, 2013, from $20.0 million during the year to date ended June 30, 2012. Capital expenditures represented 1.6 percent and 2.5 percent of total revenue of continuing and discontinued operations during the years to date ended June 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Financial Position

• As of June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments totaled $241.8 million and $402.3 million, respectively. During the first quarter of 2013, the Company repaid the $80.0 million of outstanding borrowings under its Credit Agreement. Accordingly, restricted cash balances decreased to $12.0 million at June 30, 2013 from $97.9 million at December 31, 2012.

LEGAL AND REGULATORY MATTERS

• During the second quarter of 2013, the Company reached a preliminary agreement regarding the monetary component of a settlement with the Attorney General of the State of New York relating to their investigation of whether the Company and certain of its schools have complied with certain New York state consumer protection, securities, finance and other laws, which is subject to negotiation of a final agreement including certain injunctive provisions. This resulted in the Company recording a $10.0 million ($0.10 per diluted share) pretax charge in the current year quarter.

• In addition, during the second quarter of 2013, the Company agreed to proposed settlements for its ongoing securities litigation and shareholder derivative actions, which are subject to negotiation of final agreements and court approval. The Company expects that the costs to settle these matters will be covered under its insurance policies.

STUDENT POPULATION AND NEW STUDENT STARTS

CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION

Career Education Corporation will host a conference call on Thursday, August 8, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern time. Interested parties can access the live webcast of the conference call at www.careered.com in the Investor Relations section of the website. Participants can also listen to the conference call by dialing 800-580-9478 (domestic) or 630-691-2769 (international) and citing code 35251022. Please log-in or dial-in at least 10 minutes prior to the start time to ensure a connection. An archived version of the webcast will be accessible for 90 days at www.careered.com in the Investor Relations section of the website. A replay of the call will also be available for seven days by calling 888-843-7419 (domestic) or 630-652-3042 (international) and citing code 35251022.

ABOUT CAREER EDUCATION CORPORATION

The colleges, schools and universities that are part of the Career Education Corporation ("CEC") family offer high-quality education to a diverse student population across the world in a variety of career-oriented disciplines through online, on-ground and hybrid learning program offerings. The more than 90 campuses that serve these students are located throughout the United States and in France and Monaco, and offer doctoral, master's, bachelor's and associate degrees and diploma and certificate programs.

CEC is an industry leader whose institutions are recognized globally. Those institutions include, among others, American InterContinental University ("AIU"); Brooks Institute; Colorado Technical University ("CTU"); Harrington College of Design; INSEEC Group ("INSEEC") Schools; International University of Monaco ("IUM"); International Academy of Design & Technology ("IADT"); Le Cordon Bleu North America ("LCB"); and Sanford-Brown Institutes and Colleges ("SBI" and "SBC", respectively). Through its schools, CEC is committed to providing high-quality education, enabling students to graduate and pursue rewarding career opportunities.

For more information, see CEC's website at www.careered.com. The website includes a detailed listing of individual campus locations and web links to CEC's colleges, schools, and universities.

Except for the historical and present factual information contained herein, the matters set forth in this release, including statements identified by words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "expect", "intend", "project", "will", "potential" and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements as defined in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are based on information currently available to us and are subject to various assumptions, risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, performance, business prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these statements. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update or revise such factors or any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events, developments or changed circumstances, or for any other reason. These risks and uncertainties, the outcomes of which could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and operations, include, but are not limited to, the following: declines in enrollment; our ability to implement our strategic initiatives and effective cost reduction strategies; our continued compliance with and eligibility to participate in Title IV Programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and the regulations thereunder (including the "90-10 Rule" and financial responsibility standards prescribed by the U.S. Department of Education), as well as national and regional accreditation standards and state regulatory requirements; our ability to successfully defend litigation and other claims brought against us; rulemaking by the U.S. Department of Education and increased focus by the U.S. Congress and governmental agencies on for-profit education institutions; and changes in the overall U.S. or global economy. Further information about these and other relevant risks and uncertainties may be found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2012 and its subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.