Company Description
Adtalem Global Education Inc. (NYSE: ATGE) is a for-profit educational services company focused on higher education, with a particular emphasis on healthcare-related programs. Classified under colleges, universities, and professional schools, Adtalem operates multiple institutions and educational programs that serve students pursuing careers in healthcare and other professional fields.
According to company disclosures, Adtalem is the largest provider of healthcare education in the United States. Its institutions deliver high-quality academic programs designed to prepare a dynamic workforce for roles across the healthcare system. The organization highlights its role in training the next generation of professionals at scale, positioning itself as essential talent infrastructure for the U.S. healthcare workforce.
Adtalem operates through distinct segments that reflect its institutional portfolio. The company reports three primary segments: Chamberlain, Walden, and Medical and Veterinary. Earlier descriptions also reference these as Chamberlain, Walden, and Medical and Veterinary segments. The Chamberlain segment includes Chamberlain University, which has grown to become the largest school of nursing in the United States, serving nearly 40,000 students online and across 24 physical campuses and described as the leading grantor of Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees in the country. The Walden segment includes Walden University, which offers programs in healthcare and non-healthcare fields. The Medical and Veterinary segment encompasses Ross University School of Medicine, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.
Across these institutions, Adtalem provides educational programs in healthcare, technology, business, and liberal arts. Company communications note that its expansive network of institutions serves tens of thousands of students and is supported by a large alumni community and thousands of employees. In various releases, Adtalem cites serving over 90,000 students and later more than 91,000 and over 97,000 students, with an alumni base of approximately 365,000 and a workforce of around or over 10,000 employees. These figures underscore the scale at which the organization operates in the education sector.
Healthcare education focus
Adtalem repeatedly describes itself as the largest or leading healthcare educator in the United States. Its institutions offer nursing, medical, veterinary, and other health-related programs that are intended to address critical workforce shortages. For example, Chamberlain University focuses on nursing education, including pre-licensure and post-licensure programs and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Online Option, which provides flexible, experiential learning to students in multiple U.S. states and partners with numerous clinical sites nationwide. The Medical and Veterinary institutions offer pathways into medical and veterinary practice, with students and graduates coming from many U.S. states and countries.
The company emphasizes that its programs are aligned with healthcare workforce needs. It highlights initiatives such as practice-focused nursing education models, partnerships with health systems to fund nursing education and create employment pathways, and programs that expand access to medical education through structured pathways and partnerships with universities and healthcare organizations. These efforts are described as helping to meet demand for physicians, nurses, and other clinicians in the U.S. and globally.
Institutional portfolio and segments
In its public communications, Adtalem identifies the following institutions as part of its network:
- Chamberlain University – A nursing-focused institution that offers pre-licensure and post-licensure nursing programs and has been recognized as the largest school of nursing in the United States and a leading grantor of Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees.
- Walden University – An institution offering programs in healthcare and non-healthcare disciplines, including professional doctoral programs and social work programs. Walden’s Doctor of Social Work program has achieved accreditation by the Council on Social Work Education.
- American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) – A medical school that collaborates with other institutions to offer combined degree and data analytics opportunities and participates in pathway programs into medicine.
- Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) – A medical school that participates in pathway programs and partnerships designed to expand access to medical education.
- Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine – A veterinary school that, along with the medical schools, contributes to graduating medical and veterinary professionals each year.
Adtalem groups these institutions into the Chamberlain, Walden, and Medical and Veterinary segments for reporting purposes. Company financial disclosures present revenue, operating income, adjusted operating income, adjusted EBITDA, and total student counts for each segment, illustrating how these segments contribute to overall performance.
Educational approach and partnerships
Adtalem describes its educational approach as focused on high-quality academic programs, innovation in education pathways, and alignment with industry needs. It notes that its institutions connect education to careers by creating structured pathways from enrollment through graduation and into employment, particularly in healthcare roles where demand is high.
The company highlights multiple partnerships that support this approach. Examples include:
- Collaborations between Chamberlain University and health systems to fund nursing education, enhance clinical readiness, and create direct employment pathways for nursing graduates.
- Partnerships between AUC, RUSM, and universities or organizations in regions such as the United Kingdom and India to create preparatory and accelerated pathways into medical school.
- Collaboration with a U.S. healthcare workforce solutions company to provide conditional medical school acceptance and scholarship support for medical scribes and other pre-professional healthcare workers.
- A strategic partnership with Google Cloud to co-develop an AI credentials program for healthcare professionals, using Google Cloud’s AI technologies to create curriculum focused on AI applications in clinical practice, ethics, and patient safety.
These partnerships are presented as mechanisms to expand access to education, support affordability, and equip students and practicing clinicians with skills that are relevant to evolving healthcare and technology environments.
Recognition and outcomes
Adtalem’s institutions have received recognition related to access and student outcomes. Company communications note that Walden University and Chamberlain University earned an “Opportunity Colleges and Universities” designation in a Carnegie Classification framework, which the company describes as confirming their ability to serve broad student populations while delivering strong economic outcomes for graduates. The Medical and Veterinary institutions report graduating more than 1,100 students in a fiscal year, with medical students from dozens of U.S. states and multiple countries, and veterinary students from numerous states and countries.
Adtalem has also cited residency attainment metrics for its medical institutions, reporting a combined first-time residency attainment rate over a specified period for graduates or expected graduates who were active applicants in a residency match or who obtained positions outside that match. These data points are used by the company to illustrate the professional outcomes associated with its medical education programs.
Capital allocation and shareholder-related activities
In addition to its educational operations, Adtalem communicates regularly with investors about capital allocation. The company has disclosed share repurchase programs authorized by its Board of Directors, including the completion of a $150 million repurchase program and the approval of a new authorization of up to $750 million in aggregate value of common shares, with repurchases permitted through a specified future date. These repurchases may be executed through open market purchases, accelerated share repurchases, privately negotiated transactions, or other methods, subject to market conditions and applicable securities laws.
Adtalem has also reported on its use of cash flow to reduce debt and adjust its credit facilities, and it provides financial guidance for future fiscal years in its earnings releases. These communications describe a capital allocation approach that balances investment in growth initiatives with returning capital to shareholders, while maintaining what the company characterizes as a strong balance sheet and financial flexibility.
Corporate governance and regulatory reporting
As a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ATGE, Adtalem files periodic and current reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Recent Form 8-K filings have covered topics such as the announcement of share repurchase authorizations, the release of quarterly financial results, the retirement of a university president, and the adoption of a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan by the company’s chief executive officer. The company also reports the results of shareholder votes at its annual meeting, including director elections, auditor ratification, and advisory votes on executive compensation.
Position within the education sector
Within the broader educational services sector, Adtalem is positioned as a for-profit operator of colleges, universities, and professional schools with a strong concentration in healthcare education. Its scale, multi-institution network, and focus on nursing, medical, and veterinary programs distinguish it from smaller single-campus institutions. By emphasizing workforce-aligned programs, partnerships with healthcare providers, and initiatives in areas such as AI in healthcare, the company presents itself as an education provider that responds to evolving needs in healthcare and related fields.
FAQs about Adtalem Global Education Inc.
- What does Adtalem Global Education Inc. do?
Adtalem Global Education Inc. is a for-profit educational company that operates colleges, universities, and professional schools. It focuses heavily on healthcare education, offering programs in nursing, medicine, veterinary medicine, and other fields through institutions such as Chamberlain University, Walden University, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Ross University School of Medicine, and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.
- How is Adtalem involved in healthcare education?
The company describes itself as the largest or leading provider of healthcare education in the United States. Its institutions train nurses, physicians, veterinarians, and other health professionals through degree programs and specialized pathways that are designed to align with healthcare workforce needs and address shortages in critical roles.
- What are Adtalem’s main business segments?
Adtalem reports three primary segments: Chamberlain, Walden, and Medical and Veterinary. The Chamberlain segment centers on nursing education through Chamberlain University, the Walden segment includes Walden University’s programs in healthcare and non-healthcare fields, and the Medical and Veterinary segment includes Ross University School of Medicine, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine.
- Which institutions are part of Adtalem’s network?
Company communications identify Chamberlain University, Walden University, American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Ross University School of Medicine, and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine as institutions within Adtalem’s network. These institutions collectively serve tens of thousands of students in healthcare, technology, business, and liberal arts programs.
- How large is Adtalem’s student and alumni base?
Adtalem has reported serving over 90,000 students, later more than 91,000 students, and then over 97,000 students across its institutions in different communications. It also cites an alumni community of approximately 365,000 individuals and a workforce of around or over 10,000 employees, reflecting the organization’s scale in the education sector.
- What types of partnerships does Adtalem pursue?
The company engages in partnerships with health systems, universities, and healthcare workforce organizations. Examples include nursing education and employment pathway programs with health systems, international and domestic pathway programs into medical school, and collaborations that combine medical education with data analytics or AI-focused curricula.
- How does Adtalem use technology and AI in its programs?
Adtalem has announced a strategic partnership with Google Cloud to develop an AI credentials program for healthcare professionals. This program is designed to provide students and practicing clinicians with hands-on experience using AI tools in clinical practice, covering topics such as AI applications, ethical considerations, patient safety, and the use of healthcare-specific AI technologies.
- What recognition have Adtalem’s institutions received?
Company disclosures state that Walden University and Chamberlain University earned an “Opportunity Colleges and Universities” designation in a Carnegie Classification framework, which the company describes as recognizing their ability to serve broad student populations while delivering strong economic outcomes. Walden’s Doctor of Social Work program has also received accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education.
- How does Adtalem allocate capital and return value to shareholders?
Adtalem has implemented share repurchase programs authorized by its Board of Directors, including completing a $150 million program and authorizing up to an additional $750 million in repurchases. The company also reports actions such as debt reduction and credit facility adjustments, and it provides financial guidance in its earnings releases.
- On which exchange does Adtalem’s stock trade and what is its ticker symbol?
Adtalem Global Education Inc.’s common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ATGE.