Zenith Unveils New Name for Everest Campuses

The remaining 21 Everest locations will carry the name Altierus. Zenith made the decision to change names last fall, according to Peter Taylor, its president and CEO.

“It was really hard to shake the reputation of the past,” he said. “Every conversation we had to say, ‘We’re not those guys.’”

Zenith has invested a substantial amount of energy and money in an effort to improve Everest and WyoTech, the now three-campus technical institution it also bought from Corinthian. The changes at Everest include an ongoing complete curriculum review and “refresh” in all disciplines, with enhancements to facilities and laboratories. Zenith also began a holistic admissions process featuring financial literacy counseling, started offering campus-based academic and personal support for students, and cut tuition by 20 percent while providing more scholarships and grants.

ECMC Group, a large student loan guarantee agency, owns Zenith. It created a $250 million endowment for the chain, which lost $100 million in 2015.

“When we acquired these schools more than two years ago, we focused on righting their course to provide a quality experience that helps students get good, family-supporting jobs in high-growth industries where skilled workers are lacking,” Taylor said in a written statement. “Having laid this critical groundwork, we’re now in a position to build on it and reach our ultimate vision of becoming a third pathway for nontraditional students for whom community colleges and for-profit schools haven’t worked.”