OUR HISTORY
Since 1982, International Education Corporation (IEC) has been a national leader in postsecondary career education, offering short-term career training programs in high-demand verticals such as healthcare, skilled trades, business, technology, and criminal justice. IEC is the parent company for Sage Truck Driving Schools, United Education Institute, and UEI College. Our singular focus is on providing quality career training programs so that people can find a good job in their chosen career path. We operate with a vigilant concentration on five strategies and drivers for success: growth, quality, regulatory compliance, one standard of excellence, and financial effectiveness.
As an employee-owned organization, International Education Corporation and its subsidiaries are dedicated to the success of our students, our employees, and the communities we serve. We strive to drive personal and community transformation by empowering students to make a positive and enduring life change. We do this by preparing our students with the knowledge and skills they need — both personal and professional — to work in today’s most promising and in-demand career fields.
International Education Corporation's history dates to 1982 when United Electronics Institute was founded in Los Angeles County, California. In 1989, the corporation expanded to become United Education Institute (UEI) to reflect the addition of a broader range of training programs in the career education sector.
Historically, the company has grown through acquisitions as well as through organic growth. The International Education Corporation (IEC) holding company was formed in 1996 to accommodate plans for organic growth through expansion of existing UEI programs, opening new branch campuses and adopting curricula into existing colleges.
In 1998, IEC completed the acquisition of Advanced Career Training (ACT), a career school business that has been delivering quality, career-focused academic programs since 1975. ACT became United Education Institute (UEI) in January 2010. In 2009, the eight Southern California United Education Institute campuses became UEI College to further expand program offerings.
UEI College's first campus was established in Van Nuys, CA in October of 1983. Since then, additional locations have opened in Huntington Park, Chula Vista, Encino, West Covina, Bakersfield, Gardena, Garden Grove, Oceanside, Stockton, Ontario, Riverside, Fresno, and Sacramento in California, as well as in Phoenix and Mesa, Arizona.
International Education Corporation acquired the American Auto Institute in Cerritos, CA in July of 2009. This campus officially became a UEI College location in August 2009 and relocated to Gardena, CA, where it welcomed its first students in January 2011.
In July 2010, IEC acquired MCed College in Fresno, CA and converted this campus to UEI College. In early 2012, IEC acquired Emergency Training Services.
In September 2014, IEC added five additional campuses to its portfolio with the acquisition of U.S. Colleges with campus locations in Anaheim, San Marcos, Montclair, Riverside, and San Diego in California.
In December 2019, IEC opened the U.S. Colleges location in Santa Ana, California, which was relocated from Anaheim.
United Education Institute (UEI) opened a new campus in Las Vegas, Nevada in December of 2019. This was the second location for UEI in addition to the campus located in Morrow, Georgia, where it has operated since being acquired in 1998.
In June 2021, UEI College opened a new campus location in Mesa, Arizona, and in October a new campus in Tacoma, Washington, marking the first location in that state. In January of 2022, United Education Institute opened its second campus location in the Metro Atlanta area with the new Stone Mountain location. In April of 2022, U.S. Colleges opened its newest location in Victorville, California. IEC now operates a total of 36 campuses nationwide in seven states.
IEC has identified truck driver training as an underserved area with tremendous demand. In May 2022, IEC acquired The SAGE Corporation, which operates Sage Truck Driving Schools.