Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of graduation fund liability

The table below presents activity in the Graduation Fund for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2017 (in thousands):

	March 31,		March 31,
	2016		2017
Balance at beginning of period	$	20,937	$	29,499
Revenue deferred		4,755		5,702
Benefit redeemed		(2,427)		(3,563)
Balance at end of period	$	23,265	$	31,638

Schedule of tuition receivable and allowance for doubtful accounts

	December 31, 2016		March 31, 2017
Tuition receivable	$	30,733	$	31,143
Allowance for doubtful accounts		(10,201)		(10,820)
Tuition receivable, net	$	20,532	$	20,323

Schedule of allowance for doubtful accounts

	For the three months ended
	March 31,
	2016		2017
Allowance for doubtful accounts, beginning of period	$	10,024	$	10,201
Additions charged to expense		3,068		4,382
Write-offs, net of recoveries		(2,866)		(3,763)
Allowance for doubtful accounts, end of period	$	10,226	$	10,820

Schedule of reconciliation of shares used to calculate basic and diluted earnings per share

	For the three months ended
	March 31,
	2016	2017
Weighted average shares outstanding used to compute basic earnings per share	10,596	10,630
Incremental shares issuable upon the assumed exercise of stock options	—	35
Unvested restricted stock and restricted stock units	186	456
Shares used to compute diluted earnings per share	10,782	11,121