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overview .
history .
accreditation .
management
History of Education Corporation of America
Education Corporation of America—Historical Timeline
- Late 1940s – Southern Business College founded in Birmingham, Alabama
- 1950-1986 – Southern Business College grows and is renamed Southern Junior College and Southern Institute, moving into two different Birmingham campus locations
- 1983 – Virginia College founded by Atlantic Group, Inc. in Roanoke, Virginia. Two other campuses are opened in nearby cities.
- 1985 – Virginia College receives junior college status
- 1986 – Southern Business College and Southern Institute are purchased by Phillips Junior College
- 1989 – Virginia College is purchased by Career Futures, Inc., owned by the original founders in Birmingham of Southern Junior College and Southern Institute
- 1992 – Virginia College opens its first branch campus in Birmingham, Alabama, which soon is designated as the main campus
- 1995 – Virginia College opens a branch campus in Huntsville, Alabama.
- 1995 - Virginia College corporate administrative offices are relocated from Roanoke, Virginia, to Birmingham, Alabama.
- 1996 – The programs of Phillips Junior College in Birmingham are merged into Virginia College at Birmingham.
- 1997 – Virginia College receives Senior College status from the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) and adds bachelor degree programs to its offerings
- 1999 – Virginia College is purchased by a newly-formed group, Education Corporation of America (ECA), which includes several of the existing ownership and management of the schools
- 2000 - ECA opens the third branch campus of Virginia College in Jackson, Mississippi
- 2000 – Virginia College in Birmingham opens Culinard, the Culinary Institute of Virginia College
- 2001 – ECA purchases Medical Career Centers in Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida
- 2002 – ECA opens the fourth branch campus of Virginia College in Austin, Texas
- 2003 – Virginia College begins offering classes via the Internet
- 2003 -- Virginia College in Birmingham offers its first master's degree program, both on-ground and online
- 2004 – Medical Career Centers are renamed Virginia College at Mobile and Virginia College at Pensacola
- 2004 – Education Corporation of America is purchased by Willis-Stein and Partners, a Chicago-based private equity investment firm
- 2005 – ECA relocates its corporate headquarters to River Hills Business Park in suburban Birmingham
- 2005 – ECA opens a branch campus, Virginia College Gulf Coast, in Biloxi, Mississippi
- 2006 – ECA purchases San Diego Golf Academy schools with campuses in Honolulu, San Diego, Phoenix, Myrtle Beach, and Orlando
- 2006 – ECA opens a branch campus, Virginia College School of Business and Health, in Chattanooga, Tennessee
- 2008 – ECA opens a branch campus of Virginia College in Montgomery, Alabama
- 2008 – ECA opens a branch campus of Virginia College in Greenville, South Carolina
- 2008 – The name of the San Diego Golf Academy schools was changed to Golf Academy of America to better reflect the rapid growth and broad geographical reach of the schools.
- 2008 – Education Corporation of America moves its headquarters operation to the Cahaba Center at Grandview office complex in suburban Birmingham, Alabama.
- 2009 – ECA opens a branch campus of Virginia College in Jacksonville, Florida
- 2009 – ECA opens a branch campus of Virginia College in Augusta, Georgia
- 2009 – ECA opens a branch campus of Virginia College in Charleston, South Carolina
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