What International Education Corporation does

International Education Corporation (IEC), founded in 1982 and headquartered in Irvine, California, is an employee-owned (ESOP) parent company that operates one of the largest networks of postsecondary career schools in the United States. Through its wholly-owned subsidiaries — United Education Institute (UEI), UEI College, U.S. Colleges, US Academy, and Sage Truck Driving Schools — IEC delivers short-term vocational and career training across 52 campus locations in at least 15 states, with programs in healthcare, skilled trades (electrical, HVAC, automotive), business, criminal justice, and commercial driving (CDL). IEC serves individual career changers and job seekers as its primary customer segment, with employer partners participating in Extern-to-Hire programs that provide recruitment pipelines in trucking, healthcare, and skilled trades.

The company generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees for its vocational programs, with students eligible for financial aid, scholarships, and grants. Its go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: students are recruited through a multi-channel marketing operation spanning TikTok (where IEC was an early education-sector adopter), Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and earned media placements on national outlets (News Nation, FOX 10, ABC 10 San Diego). Marketing operations are managed in-house, including a Salesforce-integrated CRM stack. In May 2022, IEC acquired The SAGE Corporation — adding 22 campuses across 12 states at acquisition — and has since expanded Sage's footprint to 25 locations in 14 states with new sites in Albuquerque, Dallas, and Phoenix. Strategic partnerships include a 16-year collaboration with Indian River State College for CDL training and a Truckers of Tomorrow Scholarship program with Howes Products.

IEC's core technology is traditional classroom-based vocational training augmented by hands-on lab work and externship programs; there is no proprietary technology platform, no API offering, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. The technology stack consists of standard EdTech infrastructure: Salesforce for marketing automation, Google Analytics for web analytics, and third-party accessibility compliance tooling. The company is privately held with no external private equity or venture capital backing, and operates under an ESOP structure that aligns employee incentives with long-term company performance.

Name

International Education Corporation

Legal name

IEC Corporation d/b/a International Education Corporation

Website

https://ieccolleges.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

International Education Corporation is an employee-owned parent company operating 52 vocational training campuses across the United States through UEI, UEI College, U.S. Colleges, and Sage Truck Driving Schools, delivering short-term career training in healthcare, skilled trades, business, criminal justice, and commercial driving to individual career changers and employer partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational and Career Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Electronics Technician Training (Analog/Digital) (EDAOABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Community Colleges (Applied/CTE-Focused) (EDAHADAD)

Keywords

• Vocational training
• Career education
• CDL training
• Skilled trades training
• Postsecondary education

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Services: IEC generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees charged for vocational and career training programs in healthcare, skilled trades, business, criminal justice, and commercial driving fields. Programs are short-term, designed for rapid workforce entry.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

International Education Corporation (IEC) operates a national network of postsecondary career schools that deliver short-term vocational and career training programs in high-demand fields including healthcare, skilled trades, business, criminal justice, and commercial driving. Through its subsidiaries (UEI College, United Education Institute, U.S. Colleges, US Academy, and Sage Truck Driving Schools), IEC enrolls students directly at 52 campus locations across 14 states and supplements classroom and lab instruction with externship-to-hire programs that channel graduates into employer partners.

Product overview

International Education Corporation operates as a parent company offering vocational and career training programs through four distinct sub-brands. The core offerings include United Education Institute (UEI) and UEI College, which provide training in healthcare, business, skilled trades (including electrical, HVAC, automotive technician), and criminal justice. U.S. Colleges serves as another vocational training institution within the network. Following the 2022 acquisition of The SAGE Corporation, IEC expanded its portfolio to include Sage Truck Driving Schools, which provides commercial driver's license (CDL) and truck driver training across 25 campuses in 14 states. The company also offers an Extern-to-Hire program enabling employer partnerships with students during externship periods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SAGE Truck Driving Schools: Truck driver and commercial driver's license (CDL) training with 25 locations across 14 states, providing comprehensive professional tractor-trailer driver training for entry-level drivers and innovative solutions for trucking companies.
• UEI College
• United Education Institute (UEI)
• U.S. Colleges

Products and services

• United Education Institute (UEI) Vocational and career training institution offering programs in healthcare, skilled trades, business, and criminal justice. Part of IEC's portfolio of postsecondary schools serving adult learners across multiple states.
• UEI College Vocational college providing short-term career training programs in healthcare, business, skilled trades, and criminal justice, with locations in Arizona, California, Georgia, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, and Washington.
• U.S. Colleges Vocational training institution under IEC providing career education programs as part of the national network of postsecondary schools.
• Sage Truck Driving Schools Truck driver and commercial driver's license (CDL) training provider operating 25 locations across 14 states (AZ, CO, ID, IN, FL, MT, NC, NM, NY, PA, SC, TX, UT, WY), providing training for entry-level drivers and solutions for trucking companies.
• US Academy Postsecondary vocational education institution operating as a subsidiary of IEC, providing career education programs.
• Extern-to-Hire Program Employer partnership program allowing employers to work with IEC students during externships, evaluating potential future employees and providing customized employee training and development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 graduates in inaugural class
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Howes ProductscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 September 2025Sage Truck Driving Schools maintains a long-term partnership with Howes Products to provide the Truckers of Tomorrow Scholarship program for students in need, helping bridge the gap for prospective truck driver training students.
• Indian River State CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 April 2023Sage Truck Driving Schools partnered with Indian River State College (IRSC) to provide CDL training through the IRSC School of Continuing Education. The partnership, spanning 16 years, operates at the IRSC Massey Campus. Joint events focus on addressing the national truck driver shortage and improving supply chain workforce.
• Congressman Brian MastminorOthers · 5 April 2023Sage Truck Driving Schools collaborated with Congressman Brian Mast (Florida's 21st Congressional District) to promote legislation (Ceasing Age-Based Trucking Restrictions Act) that would allow truckers between 18-20 years old to transport goods across state lines, addressing the national driver shortage.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Career College: Private for-profit healthcare-focused career college operator with campuses across the Western US. Directly comparable regional for-profit institution targeting similar career-changer demographics and employer pipeline partnerships.
• ECPI University: Private for-profit career college offering nursing, healthcare, technology and business programs. Directly comparable as a career-focused for-profit institution with hands-on training and employer-alignment emphasis.
• Lincoln Educational Services Corporation: Public for-profit operator of Lincoln Tech campuses offering automotive, healthcare, CDL, skilled trades and IT programs. Closest publicly traded analog to IEC's mixed vocational model with a substantial CDL/truck driving vertical and similar campus-based operating approach.
• Perdoceo Education Corporation: Public for-profit postsecondary operator of American InterContinental University and Colorado Technical University. Similar for-profit postsecondary model with career-oriented programs, though more degree-focused than IEC's short-term diploma orientation.
• Miller-Motte College: Private for-profit career college offering healthcare, business, CDL and skilled trades programs. Comparable scope and operating model to IEC, including trucking-aligned programs and short-term vocational training.
• Concorde Career Colleges: Private for-profit operator of healthcare-focused career colleges across multiple states. Comparable as a for-profit postsecondary operator with concentrated healthcare verticals and short-term diploma programs similar to IEC's healthcare portfolio.
• Universal Technical Institute: Public for-profit institution specializing in automotive, diesel, welding, HVAC and CDL training (including MIAT). Directly comparable in skilled trades orientation; competes for IEC's trades-trained students and employer partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Adtalem Global Education: Large publicly traded education company operating Chamberlain University, Ross University and ACAMS. Broader diversified portfolio across healthcare and professional education; less focused on campus-based short-term vocational training than IEC.
• Strategic Education: Public for-profit education holding company for Strayer University and Capella University. Comparable for-profit postsecondary model but predominantly degree-based with online emphasis rather than campus-based vocational training.
• Grand Canyon Education: Large publicly traded for-profit university (Grand Canyon University) with both online and ground operations. Same for-profit postsecondary space but operates at far larger scale and is more degree-based than IEC's short-term vocational training focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bepartofagreatteam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-education-corporation/mycompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/bepartofagreatteam

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Education Corporation