Director: Daniel C. Levy

For-Profit Penetrates Further into Latin America

PROPHE Summary:
Laureate Education, Inc. has added to its international portfolio of universities. In Mexico it acquires the Technological University (UNITEC), and in Costa Rica both the Universidad Latina and the Americana University. The Latina is the largest private university in Costa Rica, with 16,000 students; taken together the Costa Rican universities have 13 campuses. Mexico’s UNITEC has 36,000 students to spread throughout its country. It boasts good credentials.

For the full story, see Laureate Education, Inc. Acquires Leading Universities in Mexico and Costa Rica, Laureate International Universities News Release - July 8, 2008 http://www.laureate-inc.com

PROPHE Observation:
Laureate is the largest for-profit company operating internationally. By acquiring three universities in Latin America, it extends its presence in the region in which it is most concentrated. Indeed, this is far from its first foray into Mexico and Costa Rica.  The acquisitions appear also at least mostly to follow the pattern of buying up non-profit private institutions that have credible reputations. These are not fly-by-night institutions. Laureate will seek to build them up in status and size.