As the job toll rises, unemployed workers are filling the (mostly electronic) halls of private college chains such as Strayer Education and Devry. Strayer's enrollment soared last quarter and its revenues jumped 25%; Devry saw a 21% sales increase, and Apollo Group, which runs the University of Phoenix, boosted earnings by 13%. On average, the three companies have seen an 11% increase in stock returns this year, compared to -39% for the S&P 500.
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Last updated December 30 2008: 6:26 AM ET