The Art Institute of Seattle was a for-profit art and culinary school in Seattle, Washington. The school was one of a number of Art Institutes, a franchise of for-profit art colleges with many branches in North America, owned and operated by Education Management Corporation. EDMC owned the college from 1982 until 2017, when, facing significant financial problems and declining enrollment, the company sold the Art Institute of Seattle, along with 30 other Art Institute schools, to Dream Center Education, a Los Angeles-based Pentecostal organization, before closing its door.
The Art Institutes (AI) are a collection of independently operated art schools in the United States. Since 2019, the schools have been owned by Education Principle Foundation, a non-profit that also owns South University. The Art Institutes offer programs at the certificate, associate's, bachelors, and master's levels. The Art Institutes have faced accreditation and legal issues and student loan debtors have appealed to the US Department of Education for debt cancellation through defense to repayment claims. These efforts are premised on allegations they were defrauded. The student debt group "I Am Ai" has acted as a support group for students and former students of the Art Institutes, offering advice about debt cancellation.
The Art Institute of Atlanta is a private art school in Atlanta, Georgia. It is owned by Education Principle Foundation. The school is one of eight Art Institutes. It awards associate's and bachelor's degrees, including Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees, Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees, and Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees, and also offers diploma and non-degree programs.
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh was a private college in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Shortly before closing in 2019, it was purchased by Dream Center Education Holdings It was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and emphasized design education and career preparation for the creative job market. It was founded in 1921 and closed in 2019.
Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago was a for-profit art and culinary school in Chicago, Illinois. It briefly operated as a non-profit institution before it closed in 2018. The school was one of a number of Art Institutes, a franchise of for-profit art colleges with many branches in North America, owned and operated by Education Management Corporation. EDMC owned the college from 1975 until 2017, when, facing significant financial problems and declining enrollment, the company sold the Illinois Institute of Art – Chicago, along with 30 other Art Institute schools, to Dream Center Education, a Los Angeles-based Pentecostal organization.
The Art Institute of Portland was a for-profit art school in Portland, Oregon, which briefly operated as a non-profit institution before it closed in 2018. The school was one of a number of Art Institutes, a franchise of for-profit art colleges with many branches in North America, owned and operated by Education Management Corporation. EDMC owned the college from 1998 until 2017, when, facing significant financial problems and declining enrollment, the company sold the Art Institute of Portland, along with 30 other Art Institute schools, to Dream Center Education, a Los Angeles-based Pentecostal organization. Dream Center permanently closed 18 Art Institute schools, including the Art Institute of Portland, at the end of 2018.
Argosy University was a system of for-profit colleges owned by Dream Center Education Holdings (DCEH), LLC and Education Management Corporation.
The Art Institute of Colorado was a for-profit art and culinary school in Denver, Colorado. It briefly operated as a non-profit institution before it closed in 2018. The school was one of a number of Art Institutes, a franchise of for-profit art colleges with many branches in North America, owned and operated by Education Management Corporation. EDMC owned the college from 1975 until 2017, when, facing significant financial problems and declining enrollment, the company sold the Art Institute of Colorado, along with 30 other Art Institute schools, to Dream Center Education, a Los Angeles–based Pentecostal organization. Dream Center permanently closed 18 Art Institute schools, including the Art Institute of Colorado, at the end of 2018.
Brown Mackie College was a private for-profit college system in the United States. The colleges offered bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and certificates in programs including early childhood education, information technology, health sciences, and legal studies. Brown Mackie's schools were most recently owned by Education Management Corporation (EDMC).
South University is a private university with its main campus and online operations in Savannah, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1899, South University consists of its School of Pharmacy, College of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Professions, College of Business, College of Theology, and College of Arts and Sciences. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. South University is owned by Education Principle Foundation, a non-profit which also owns the Art Institutes.
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale is a former for-profit art and culinary school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida which closed in 2018. The school was one of a number of Art Institutes, a franchise of for-profit art colleges with many branches in North America, owned and operated by Education Management Corporation (EDMC). EDMC owned the college from 1973 until 2017, when, facing declining enrollment, multiple fraud charges brought by faculty and students, and accreditation issues at some of its schools, the company sold the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, along with other properties, to Dream Center Education, a Los Angeles-based Pentecostal organization. Dream Center Education planned to operate the school, along with others it acquired, as a non-profit. The plan proved unsustainable, with Dream Center permanently closing 18 Art Institute schools, including Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, at the end of 2018.
The Art Institute of York – Pennsylvania was a for-profit college, part of The Art Institutes, a system of over 35 education institutions throughout North America, providing education in design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts.
The Art Institute of California – San Diego was a for-profit art school in San Diego, California. It was briefly operated as a non-profit institution before it closed in 2019. The school was one of a number of Art Institutes, a franchise of for-profit art colleges with many branches in North America, owned and operated by Education Management Corporation. EDMC owned the college from 2000 until 2017, when, facing significant financial problems and declining enrollment, the company sold the Art Institute of California – San Diego, along with 30 other Art Institute schools, to Dream Center Education, a Los Angeles-based Pentecostal organization. Dream Center permanently closed the San Diego campus location on March 8, 2019.
Miami International University of Art & Design is a private, for-profit art school in Miami, Florida. It is owned and operated by the non-profit Education Principle Foundation. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and is a member of the Art Institutes system of schools.
The Art Institute of Las Vegas was a for-profit college in Henderson, Nevada. It was founded in 1983 as The Interior Design Institute and was later known as The Design Institute. It was renamed The Art Institute of Las Vegas in 2001 when it was purchased by Education Management Corporation, which was headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ai-Las Vegas was part of a system of Art Institutes schools. It was one of the colleges acquired from EDMC by Dream Center Education Holdings (DCEH), LLC, in 2017. It closed in December 2019.
Illinois Institute of Art – Schaumburg was a for-profit art school in Schaumburg, Illinois. The school was one of a number of Art Institutes, a franchise of for-profit art colleges with many branches in North America, owned and operated by Education Management Corporation. EDMC owned the college from 1999 until 2017, when, facing significant financial problems and declining enrollment, the company sold the Illinois Institute of Art – Schaumburg, along with 30 other Art Institute schools, to Dream Center Education, a Los Angeles-based Pentecostal organization. Dream Center permanently closed the Schaumburg campus location at the end of 2018.
Education Management Corporation (EDMC) was a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based operator of for-profit post-secondary educational institutions in the United States and Canada. The company was founded in 1962. At its peak in 2011, Education Management Corporation operated 110 schools through its higher education divisions: Argosy University, The Art Institutes, Brown Mackie College, and South University, and enrolled 158,300 students.
Michael K. Clifford is an American education investor and consultant, and a proponent of education.
Todd S. Nelson is an American businessman who has been the CEO of three of America's largest for-profit college chains: Apollo Group, Education Management Corporation, and Career Education Corporation. He is currently the CEO of Perdoceo Education Corporation, the parent company of Colorado Technical University, American Intercontinental University, and Trident University International.
