MINNEAPOLIS -- (Business Wire)

Capella Education Company (NASDAQ: CPLA), a provider of online post-secondary education, primarily through its wholly owned subsidiary Capella University, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a $50 million increase to its share repurchase program. This increase is in addition to the $35 million that was remaining under the program as of Sept. 30, 2011.

The share repurchases will be made in the open market at prevailing market prices or in privately negotiated transactions using existing resources and cash generated from operations. The Company may also repurchase shares pursuant to a 10b5-1 plan which allows the Company to purchase shares during corporate black-out periods. While the company expects to take advantage of market conditions, the timing and extent of any repurchases, the trading price of the Company’s shares and other factors are subject to restrictions relating to volume, price and timing under applicable law. The repurchase program may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time by the Company without notice.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information in this news release does not relate to historical financial information, including statements relating to our future prospects and our expectations regarding our revenues, enrollment, and operating performance, and may be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available at the time those statements are made or management's good faith belief as of that time with regard to future events, and should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results in the future to differ materially from its historical results and those presently anticipated or projected. The company undertakes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after such date.

Among these risks and uncertainties are any failure to materially comply with the extensive regulatory framework applicable to us, including compliance with Title IV of the Higher Education Act and the regulations thereunder; complying with U.S. Department of Education rules, including those regarding incentive compensation, state authorization, and gainful employment; maintaining our business in accordance with regional and specialized accreditation standards and state and regional regulatory requirements; changes in the administration, funding and availability for Title IV programs; responding to any additional governmental inquiries into our financial aid practices; attracting and retaining high quality, academically prepared learners; updating and expanding the content of existing programs and developing new programs; the review of our business and financial aid practices by governmental authorities, including action by Federal Student Aid on the final audit report of the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education arising out of its ongoing compliance audit of Capella University; changes in applicable federal and state laws and regulations and accrediting agency policies, including as a result of current U.S. Department of Education rulemaking and recent Congressional review of our industry; maintaining and expanding existing commercial relationships with employers and developing new such relationships; effectively instituting changes in our marketing and brand management approach and with the use of aggregators; improving our conversion rates; our failure to keep up with advances in technology important to the online learner experience; our ability to successfully identify and integrate acquisitions; complying with regulations applicable to our international operations; managing operational challenges with acquired entities; our use of business technology to accurately store, process and report relevant data; changes in student enrollment including new enrollments and learner persistence; effectively implementing cost reductions in our business; managing increases in our expenses; and risks associated with the overall competitive environment and general economic conditions.

Other factors that could cause the company's results to differ materially from those contained in its forward-looking statements are included under, among others, the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

About Capella Education Company

Founded in 1991, Capella Education Company is a leader in online education, primarily through our wholly owned subsidiary Capella University, a regionally accredited* online university. In addition, Capella Education Company offers online education through Resource Development International Ltd. (RDI), an independent provider of United Kingdom (UK) university distance learning qualifications.

Capella University offers online graduate degree programs in business, counseling, education, health administration, homeland security, human resource management, human services, information technology, nonprofit management and leadership, nursing, psychology, public administration, public health, public safety, and social work, and bachelor's degree programs in business, information technology, nursing, psychology, and public safety. These academic programs are designed to meet the needs of working adults, combining high quality, competency-based curricula with the convenience and flexibility of an online learning format. Currently, Capella University offers 43 graduate and undergraduate degree programs with 140 specializations. More than 35,000 learners were enrolled as of Sept. 30, 2011. For more information about Capella Education Company, please visit http://www.capellaeducation.com. For more information about Capella University, please visit http://www.capella.edu or call 1.888.CAPELLA (227.3552).

Resource Development International Ltd. partners with a number of the top 100 universities in the UK to develop, validate and deliver UK higher education qualifications, predominantly through online courses. For more information, please visit http://www.rdi.co.uk.

Capella Education Company is also an investor in an innovative startup company called Sophia (http://www.sophia.org) - a social teaching and learning platform that integrates education with technology.

*Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), http://www.ncahlc.org. Capella University, Capella Tower, 225 South Sixth Street, Ninth Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55402, 1.888.CAPELLA (227.3552), http://www.capella.edu.

Contacts:

Capella Education Company
Investor Contact:
Heide Erickson, 612-977-5172
Heide.Erickson@capella.edu
or
Media Contact:
Mike Buttry, 612-977-5499
Mike.Buttry@capella.edu

Source: Capella Education Company