Covista (formerly Adtalem Global Education)

What does Covista own?
Covista operates five accredited institutions: Chamberlain University, Walden University, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, and American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. Becker Professional Education operates as a professional certification division.

Is Covista publicly traded?
Yes, Covista is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CVSA (formerly ATGE). The ticker changed on February 24, 2026. The company has been publicly traded since 1966 under various names.

Who founded Covista?
The company was founded in 1931 as DeVry Technical Institute by Herman A. DeVry. It was rebranded as Adtalem Global Education in 2017 and as Covista in February 2026.

Where is Covista headquartered?
Covista is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. In 2025, the company moved to an 84,000-square-foot space in Willis Tower.

How many schools does Covista operate?
Covista operates five accredited institutions serving more than 100,000 students and 400,000 alumni across nursing, medicine, veterinary medicine, and graduate programs.

Who owns Covista?
Covista is publicly owned with shares traded on the NYSE under ticker CVSA. The company is owned by institutional investors, mutual funds, and individual shareholders.

What is Covista's revenue?
Covista reported FY2025 revenue of $1.79 billion, up 12.9% year over year, with adjusted EBITDA of $459.7 million and adjusted EPS of $6.67. Full-year FY2026 revenue guidance is approximately $2.07 billion.

Covista traces its origins to 1931 when Herman A. DeVry founded DeVry Technical Institute in Chicago. The institution initially focused on providing practical technical education to prepare students for careers in electronics and related fields. The company expanded throughout the mid-20th century, adding campuses and programs across the United States.

In 1966, the company went public as DeVry Inc., marking the beginning of its expansion into a publicly traded education provider. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, DeVry continued to grow through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions, establishing itself as one of the largest for-profit education companies in the United States.

The 1990s and 2000s saw significant expansion and diversification, with DeVry acquiring various educational institutions and expanding into new program areas. The company developed online education capabilities and established international presence, particularly in the Caribbean medical education market.

In 2013, the company rebranded as DeVry Education Group to better reflect its diverse portfolio of educational institutions. This period marked a strategic shift toward focusing on healthcare education and professional development, recognizing the growing demand for healthcare professionals globally.

The transformation culminated in 2017 when the company rebranded as Adtalem Global Education, signaling its commitment to becoming a global education leader focused on workforce development and career advancement. The new name reflected the company's evolution from a technical education provider to a comprehensive global education organization.

Under the Adtalem brand, the company continued to expand its healthcare education focus, strengthen its online learning capabilities, and develop partnerships with healthcare employers. In 2021, Adtalem acquired Walden University from Laureate Education for approximately $1.5 billion, becoming the largest provider of graduate and undergraduate nursing degrees in the United States. The company divested its remaining non-healthcare businesses, including selling DeVry University in 2018 and its financial services education segment in 2022.

On February 5, 2026, the company rebranded as Covista, marking the culmination of its four-year transformation. The stock began trading under ticker CVSA on the NYSE on February 24, 2026. CEO Steve Beard described the rebrand as recognition of what the company had built and the healthcare workforce crisis it is helping to tackle. The company also released the Covista Care Capacity Monitor, a proprietary research platform fielded by Gallup, surveying over 1,300 clinicians and 160 healthcare executives across all 50 states. In July 2026, Covista appointed Emily C. Chiu and Leslie Storms to its board of directors as part of its Purpose at Scale growth strategy.

Covista has developed a sustainability and ethics framework focused on environmental responsibility, social impact, and governance transparency. The company publishes an annual Sustainability Report documenting its ESG strategy and progress.

Environmental initiatives focus on reducing carbon footprint through digital learning infrastructure, energy efficiency improvements across campus facilities, and sustainable procurement practices. The company has implemented programs to decrease paper usage through expanded digital learning platforms and optimize energy consumption in its physical locations.

Social responsibility is central to Covista's mission. The company's institutions report over 30,000 graduates annually as of 2024, approximately 90% from healthcare programs. The Covista Open Doors program, launched in 2026, is a multi-year impact commitment to support the healthcare workforce pipeline through career exploration programs and mental health support for healthcare workers.

Governance includes robust compliance programs, transparent financial reporting, and adherence to regulatory requirements across multiple states and countries. With the July 2026 board appointments, 10 of Covista's 12 directors are independent.

• Time100 Health 2025: CEO Steve Beard was named to Time magazine's 2025 Time100 Health list, recognizing his leadership in addressing healthcare workforce shortages through education innovation.
• Crain's Chicago Business (2024): Identified Covista (then Adtalem) as "the largest health care educator in the nation during a post-COVID period in which the health care sector has faced severe labor shortages."
• DAISY Awards (2024): More than 70 nursing students and educators from Covista institutions were recognized with DAISY Awards for extraordinary nursing care and compassionate patient service.
• DAISY Foundation Partnership: Covista maintains a partnership with the DAISY Foundation, which has honored over 100,000 nurses. Co-founder Bonnie Barnes highlighted Covista's nursing programs for adding to nursing care.
• Healthcare Workforce Development Recognition: Acknowledged for addressing the projected 10 million healthcare workforce shortage expected by 2030 through comprehensive nursing and medical education programs.

Covista, under its former names DeVry Education Group and Adtalem Global Education, has faced significant regulatory scrutiny and public controversy.

FTC Settlement (2016): As DeVry Education Group, the company paid $49.4 million to settle FTC charges that it misled students about job placement rates and employment outcomes. The settlement also included forgiveness of $30.4 million in institutional loans and $20.2 million in outstanding accounts receivable. Following the settlement, the company implemented compliance reforms and rebranded as Adtalem Global Education in 2017.

Walden University Issues (2020-Present): The 2021 acquisition of Walden University from Laureate Education has drawn criticism. The school agreed to pay $28.5 million in March 2024 to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging false advertising aimed at Black and female students in its Doctorate in Business Administration program. Former instructors have reported pressure to pass failing students and inadequate academic standards.

Short Seller Investigation (2024): Investment firm Safkhet Capital, led by Fahmi Quadir, released a critical report highlighting predatory practices at Adtalem and Walden, prompting the company to issue a detailed response.

Covista Rebranding Criticism (2026): Consumer advocates have criticized the rebranding from Adtalem to Covista as an attempt to distance itself from ongoing controversies. Republic Report warned that the name change "does not address fundamental concerns about educational quality and student outcomes."

Regulatory Oversight: The company continues to face scrutiny from regulatory bodies regarding accreditation standards, student loan programs, and compliance with consumer protection laws.