Capella University is a private for-profit, online university headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school is owned by the publicly traded Strategic Education, Inc. and delivers most of its education online. Capella has 52 degree programs with over 1,900 online courses. Approximately 38,000 students are enrolled from all 50 states and 61 other countries, with 23 percent enrolled in doctoral programs, 47 percent enrolled in master's programs, and 27 percent enrolled in bachelor's programs. History Capella University was originally established as The Graduate School of America by Dr. Harold Abel and Stephen Shank in 1993. Shank was the former CEO of Tonka. Abel, formerly the president of Castleton State College, Central Michigan University, and Walden University, became the first president of the institution. In 1997, Capella University received regional accreditation. Two years later the parent company and university were renamed Capella Education Company and Capella University, respectively. In 2000, Capella began to offer bachelor's degree programs. In 2005, Capella Education Company announced their intention to go public with an initial public offering. In 2006, they became a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: CPLA), raising $80 million with the offering. In 2007, Capella was named one of 86 higher education institutions in the United States to have received the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAE/IAE) designation by the National Security Agency (NSA). The designation was valid for the academic years 2007 through 2012. In March 2008, Capella Education Company, longtime occupant of the 225 South Sixth skyscraper in downtown Minneapolis, signed a new lease that expanded its office and renamed the building Capella Tower. The building houses all of the company's 1,150 downtown Minneapolis administrative staff. In 2009, The Project Management Institute (PMI) Global Accreditation Center for Project Management (GAC) accredited two Capella University online degree programs: the MS in Information Technology with a specialization in Project Management; and the BS in Information Technology with a specialization in Project Management. It also launched its School of Public Service Leadership. In 2010, Capella, along with three other schools, was awarded the CHEA Award for Outstanding Institutional Practice in Student Learning Outcomes by The Council for Higher Education Accreditation. In August 2018, Capella University's parent company Capella Education merged with Strayer Education Inc. to form Strategic Education, Inc. In 2019, Capella added learning sites in Atlanta, Georgia and Orlando, Florida. Controversies U.S. Department of Education compliance audit In 2006, the United