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Heald College announced today that the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities (WASC Sr.) has granted the College initial accreditation.

Heald has been accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (WASC Jr.) since 1983.  Heald and its Board of Trustees initiated the WASC Sr. accreditation process four years ago as a result of student requests for bachelor's programs and employer demand for graduates with higher-level credentials.

Heald plans to initially offer bachelor-level degrees in nursing and business, as approved by WASC Sr. 

"The granting of WASC Sr. accreditation represents the culmination of a long process and is a logical next step in the evolution of Heald College," said Jack Massimino, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Corinthian Colleges, Inc., Heald's parent company. "We are proud of the College, its faculty, staff and students for this tremendous achievement. In addition, we appreciate the Commission's recognition of the College and its guidance and feedback throughout the process. We believe that joining the esteemed community of WASC Sr. institutions will serve our students, faculty and employers well."

Heald College will celebrate 150 years of educating students in 2013.

About Heald College

For nearly 150 years, Heald's mission has been to prepare students for academic, personal and professional success through quality career-focused programs that develop skills to last a lifetime. Since its founding, Heald has evolved into a leading career college that offers a range of programs in the fields of healthcare, business, legal, and technology. Heald College has 12 campuses in California, Oregon and Hawaii. For more information on Heald College visit http://www.heald.edu. For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program and other important information, please visit our website at http://www.heald.edu/disclosures.

About Corinthian

Corinthian is one of the largest post-secondary education companies in North America. Our mission is to change students' lives. We offer diploma and degree programs that prepare students for careers in demand or for advancement in their fields. Our program areas include health care, business, criminal justice, transportation technology and maintenance, construction trades and information technology. We have 123 Everest, Heald and WyoTech campuses, and offer degrees exclusively online. For more information, go to http://www.cci.edu.

The Corinthian Colleges, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=8848

About WASC

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, and secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges has jurisdiction over the U.S. states of California and Hawaii, its territories of Guam, American Samoa and Northern Marianas Islands, in addition to the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, the Pacific Rim, East Asia, and areas of the Pacific and East Asia where American schools or colleges may apply to it for service.

Western Association of Schools and Colleges is divided into three groups. The Accrediting Commission for Schools accredits all schools below the college level. Included are elementary, junior high, middle, high and adult schools, whether public, private, or church-related. The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges evaluates and accredits public and private post-secondary institutions that offer two-year education programs and award the associate degree. The Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities accredits public and private senior colleges and universities.

CONTACT: For more information, contact:
         
         John Marchini
         Catalano Fenske and Associates
         Tel: (559) 320-1120
         Email: john@cfanda.com