In 2015, Harrington College of Design in Chicago announced a planned closure. Purchased by Career Education Corporation in 1999, the school experienced declining enrollment and closed permanently in August 2018. On May 7, 2015 CECO announced the closure of its 14 remaining Sanford-Brown Colleges. Teach-outs of the remaining students were expected to take at least 18 months, depending on their programs. On December 16, 2015 CECO announced that it would close all 16 Le Cordon Bleu campuses in the United States. CECO had previously placed the brand up for sale.