Headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Penn Foster Inc. ("Penn Foster") is one of the oldest and largest accredited distance education providers in the world. Founded in 1890 by Thomas Foster to educate coal miners in safety and engineering, Penn Foster has enrolled over 13 million students around the world since its inception.
In 2003 the institution began its transition from a correspondence school to a modern online distance learning provider; and in 2005 announced its new name: Penn Foster.
Today, the institution has over 200,000 active students in its vocational, associate degree, and high school programs in the U.S., Canada, and 200 countries around the world. In fact, one out of every 1,410 Americans is an active Penn Foster student. And one out of every 2,033 Canadians is an active ICS Canada student.
In March of 2007 the Wicks Group, a New York-based private equity firm, acquired Penn Foster Inc. The Wicks Group manages private equity funds that invest in education, publishing, medical information services, newspapers, and radio broadcasting, among others.
“All of my career goals could not have been possible
without the education I acquired through Penn Foster.
Over the years, I was promoted, gained many pay increases,
and was respected as an expert in my chosen fields
because of Penn Foster.”
W.Taylor, Penn Foster Graduate