Global education giant Kaplan has flexed its muscles in Australia with an acquisition that will provide a springboard into the lucrative international student market.
Kaplan has acquired South Australia-based Bradford College and Grange Business School for an undisclosed sum.
It represents Kaplan's first drive into retail education and provide an inroad into international student education, a market estimated at $10 billion.
"Bradford is an exciting opportunity for us; it opens up a material breadth of opportunity for Kaplan in Australia that can operate mutually exclusive of our success in financial services and professional education," Kaplan Australia chief executive Warren Jacobson said.
Bradford College provides pathway programs for the University of Adelaide, a member of the group of eight schools that makes up Australia's leading institutions of higher education.
Grange Business School provides accounting and business programs.
Kaplan already provides college pathway and foundation programs in the United Kingdom through partnership with The University of Sheffield, Glasgow University and Nottingham Trent University.
"The Bradford business provides us with an excellent platform to tap into the overseas market in Australia and leverage our international recruitment network," Jacobson said.
Kaplan bought Tribeca for $55 million last year and then bought Financial Services Institute of Australasia (Finsia) Education for $36 million in June.
Kaplan is the fastest-growing subsidiary of New York-based The Washington Post Company.
