Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America Education Leader Wins National Ed

    Business Editors/Food Editors

    HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 4, 2005--Career Education Corporation (NASDAQ:CECO) announced that Kirk Bachmann, vice president of education for Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America, has been named "2005 Educator of the Year" by the Foodservice Educator's Network International ("FENI"), a leading professional organization in the foodservice and hospitality industry.
    Chef Bachmann received the award at FENI's annual Educator's Summit, held in New Orleans on February 25, 2005. More than 200 culinary arts educators, including high-schools, vocational, and postsecondary institutions, were in attendance. Bachmann was nominated for the prestigious award by his staff, students and past co-workers.
    (R) The Le Cordon Bleu logo is a registered trademark of Le Cordon Bleu B.V. Any use of the Le Cordon Bleu trademark for advertisement, promotional and marketing activities or references, without the expressed written consent of Le Cordon Bleu is prohibited.
    "It is an incredible honor to be recognized by my peers in this way," said Bachmann during his acceptance speech.
    "I deeply believe that, through education, we are shaping the future leaders of the culinary industry," he continued. "This award is truly representative of all the talented and committed chef-instructors that I work with at our 13 Le Cordon Bleu North America campuses. These instructors work every day to provide guidance and support to their students so they can pursue their passion in the culinary and hospitality industry."
    "Chef Kirk Bachmann epitomizes all that the FENI "Educator of the Year" award stands for," said Morgan Holzman, FENI director. "Chef Bachmann has taken his passion for culinary education, and turned it into his life's work. He not only works to educate the students, but also the 600 educators who work under him in an effort to help bring culinary education to the next level."

    About Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America

    Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America is the largest provider of quality culinary arts education. Few institutions possess the distinguished reputation of Le Cordon Bleu, which established its first culinary school in Paris in 1895. Today, Le Cordon Bleu operates schools in London, Tokyo, Ottawa and Sydney in addition to its Paris location, and offers programs in Australia, Mexico and Brazil. In 1999, Le Cordon Bleu partnered with Chicago-based Career Education Corporation, one of the largest providers of private, for-profit, postsecondary education, to create a dynamic culinary alliance in North America. There are currently 13 schools in the Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America network, offering degrees in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Bleu Patisserie & Baking, and Le Cordon Bleu Hospitality & Restaurant Management. For more information, please visit www.lecordonbleuschoolsusa.com.

    About Career Education Corporation

    Career Education Corporation (www.careered.com) is one of the largest providers of private, for-profit, postsecondary education and has a rapidly-growing presence in online education. CEC's Colleges, Schools and Universities Group operates 82 campuses in the U.S., Canada, France, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates and offers doctoral degree, master's degree, bachelor's degree, associate degree and diploma programs in the career-oriented disciplines of visual communication and design technologies, information technology, business studies, culinary arts and health education. The Online Education Group operates American InterContinental University Online and Colorado Technical University Online and offers a variety of degrees in information technology, business, visual communication and education. CEC's total student population on January 31, 2005 was approximately 101,500 students.

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CONTACT: Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America Media/Trade Ken Rubin, 847-851-7167 847-851-7922 (fax) or Career Education Corporation Investor Relation Inquires Karen King, 847-585-3899

KEYWORD: ILLINOIS INDUSTRY KEYWORD: EDUCATION RESTAURANTS FOODS/BEVERAGES RETAIL SOURCE: Career Education Corporation

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