BERKELEY, Mo. - Fox 2/KPLR 11 has confirmed with a spokesman that Vatterott’s Career Colleges ceased operations nationally at 4:00pm Monday, December 17, 2018. In the St. Louis region, the for-profit college runs campuses in Fairview Heights, IL, and Berkeley, St. Charles, and Sunset Hills, MO. They also list on the company website campuses in Cleveland, OH, Des Moines, IA, Joplin, MO, Kansas City, MO, Memphis TN, Oklahoma City, OK, Quincy, IL, Springfield, MO, Tulsa, OK, Wichita, KS.

Also in St Louis region, the company’s website indicates they run L’Ecole Culinaire culinary school.

The company indicated it would have no comment and notified employees on Monday that the decision was made to cease operations.

The Missouri Department of Higher Education said Vatterott informed them on Monday that the school was closing its campuses effective immediately.

It is unclear how many employees there are locally in St Louis. There is currently no mention on the company’s website of the closing and the website continues to be active.

Vatterott offers programs to students in Audio/Visual, Automotive, business management, culinary, legal, medical, technology and trades fields.

In filings with the federal government, Vatterott reported eight years ago it had more than 11,000 students and more than 350 employees. Vatterott filed for receivership in the summer of last year. Earlier this year Education Corporation of America announced it acquire selected campuses from Vatterott.

Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement after the Vatterott College closure.

Another overcharging, underperforming for-profit college has closed its doors. It’s the second major chain in just the last three weeks to abruptly close. And it won’t be the last. With the collapse of Vatterott College, another 156 students in Illinois and 2,300 nationwide are left high and dry. Now it is the obligation of the Department of Education to do everything in its power to make sure that students are fully informed of available options, including closed school discharge, and to prevent these students from being lured into completing their studies at other predatory and financially shaky for-profit colleges. I am calling on Illinois community colleges to step up and help the students that Vatterott and the for-profit college industry have failed.

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