Academic Partnerships to buy Wiley’s OPM business for base price of $110M

Higher Ed Dive

Natalie Schwartz

November 14, 2023

Dive Brief: 

• Academic Partnerships has agreed to buy Wiley’s online program management business for a base price of $110 million, according to documents filed Tuesday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

• Earlier this year, publishing giant Wiley announced it planned to sell the unit, called Wiley University Services, and turn focus to its other businesses, such as research and publishing. The two companies plan to close the transaction by early 2024.

• Under the deal, Academic Partnerships may also pay Wiley up to $40 million from fiscal 2025 to fiscal 2026 depending on if the acquired business unit hits revenue targets. Wiley will also receive 10% of the common units of Academic Partnership’s parent company.

Dive Insight: 

Academic Partnerships is one of the biggest online program management companies, or OPMs, in the U.S. It has carved a niche by largely helping regional public universities launch and run online programs.

Once Academic Partnerships completes the deal — which is subject to regulatory approval and review under federal antitrust law — the company will provide services to more than 125 colleges.

Academic Partnerships CEO Fernando Bleichmar praised the deal in a statement Tuesday.

“Across the globe, there is growing demand for high-quality, affordable online degree programs in workforce-relevant fields,” Bleichmar said. “Bringing together AP and Wiley University Services will better enable the combined company to help universities meet students where they are with high-quality, timely online education in our rapidly changing world.”

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