Gibbs School, Washington DC: Building on Strong Foundation --
a New Name for Respected DC-Area Institution

TYSONS CORNER, VA (January 29, 2001) — Washington Business School (WBS), one of the Washington, DC, metropolitan area’s most respected institutions of its kind, has joined with one of the country’s most famous names in business education to create Gibbs School-Washington.

Although the school already has added several new programs to its roster for the fall quarter — including Visual Communications and PC Network Operations and Support — it is officially celebrating 2001 by welcoming its new identity.

"For more than a half century, the family-founded Washington Business School has placed graduates in major corporations, legal organizations, and myriad commercial endeavors requiring excellent training and business sense development," says Robert J. Somers, Gibbs School-Washington president. "Adopting the Gibbs name, associated with business training for almost 100 years, allows us to further penetrate the market by providing current and prospective students with enhanced programs." The Gibbs name originated with the Katharine Gibbs schools, commercial preparatory centers dedicated to developing business skills.

"Gibbs, now under the education umbrella of Career Education Corporation, (NASDAQ: CECO), offers WBS its network of alumni, its marketing expertise, and its extensive familiarity of degreed and certification programs appropriate for evolving careers," says Mr. Somers. "The decision to associate these two venerable institutions positions Gibbs School-Washington to confront and connect with the growing new economy and the ever-changing career options available to those who choose the right training." Visual Communications, a graphics training program that includes computerized animation, and the PC courses represent just two of the curricula responses to career pathways.

Gibbs School-Washington, now with over 200 students matriculating during day and evening programs, anticipates growth that will more than double the student body, according to Mr. Somers. Current matriculants — including a significant number of international students from District of Columbia embassies — complete programs that lead to diplomas in their chosen professions. The school is accredited by ACICS (Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges & Schools).

"We are moving ahead while retaining the personalization always associated with Washington Business School," says Mr. Somers. "WBS was founded by a family and our student body gained from this family feeling. As Gibbs School-Washington, we now are part of an even larger family of institutions that can place our students in the center of industry and government." He notes that Gibbs School-Washington will continue to offer existing and incoming students and alumni superb placement through its network, it will continue to respond to the needs of the high school guidance community, and it will continue to provide employers with strong existing recruitment services.

"We look forward to the New Year as we forge our new identity," says Mr. Somers. "WBS has provided us with the foundation and Gibbs School-Washington will take us into the future."

Gibbs School-Washington follows a renowned heritage. A young widow, Katharine Gibbs and her sister created the reputation of her surname by opening a series of secretarial schools starting in 1911. The first suburban installation, now a Gibbs College, was founded in 1950. Since 1997, under the umbrella of Career Education Corporation, (NASDAQ: CECO) one of the largest providers of private for-profit post secondary education in North America with 38 campuses throughout the United States and in Canada, the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates, Gibbs institutions perpetuate Katharine Gibbs’s vision and the same success that distinguished this pioneering woman.

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Robert J. Somers is available to comment on Gibbs School-Washington. Please contact Christy Thiele at 973-992-7800 x 191 of The Cherenson Group, for more information or to arrange interviews.

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