The University of Phoenix (UPX) is a for-profit educational institution that specializes in adult education. The largest private university in North America, it has an enrollment of more than 345,300 students.University of Phoenix provides growth opportunities for working adults Lee Allen, Accessed 18 September, 2008 The school was founded in 1976 by Dr. John Sperling and is owned by the Apollo Group, Inc. The university has more than 200 campuses offering more than 100 degree programs at the associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels in various fields of study.University of Phoenix provides growth opportunities for working adults Lee Allen, Accessed 18 September, 2008

History

In the early 1970s, at San Jose State University in California, John Sperling and several associates conducted field-based research in adult education. The focus of the research was to explore teaching/learning systems for the delivery of educational programs and services to working adult students who wished to complete or further their education in ways that complemented both their experience and current professional responsibilities. At that time colleges and universities were organized primarily around serving the needs of the 18-22 year old undergraduate student given that the large majority of those enrolled were residential students of traditional college age, just out of high school. “According to Sperling, working adult students were often invisible on traditional campuses and treated as second-class citizens.” New Models For Higher Education: Creating an Adult-Centered Institution Craig Swenson, Accessed 18 Sept, 2008

With a first class of only eight students,Andrew FarrellForbes (hosted on CBCNews), The Web Billionaires, September 19, 2008 Sperling founded the university in 1976 in Phoenix, Arizona. New Models For Higher Education: Creating an Adult-Centered Institution Craig Swenson, Accessed 18 Sept, 2008 In 1980, the school expanded to San Jose, California. By 1989, the university had become one of the first providing an online program for students.

University of Phoenix is a wholly owned subsidiary of Apollo Group, Inc. publicly traded on nasdaq: APOL and is a S&P 500 corporation based in Phoenix, Arizona. The school was the top recipient of federal assistance for the 2008 fiscal year, receiving over $2.8 billion in federal monies to fund student financial aid programs. The University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona is a municipal sports arena, best known as the home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals and the site of the NCAA's Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The University paid $154.5 million for 20 year naming rights for advertising purposes.U. of Phoenix Basks in the Super Exposure the Super Bowl Brings, The Chronicle of Higher Education, by GOLDIE BLUMENSTYK, August 28, 2008.