<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001123292-12-000031.txt : 20120214
<SEC-HEADER>0001123292-12-000031.hdr.sgml : 20120214
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20120104160627
<PRIVATE-TO-PUBLIC>
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001123292-12-000031
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	CORRESP
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20120104

FILER:

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			STRAYER EDUCATION INC
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001013934
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	SERVICES-EDUCATIONAL SERVICES [8200]
		IRS NUMBER:				521975978
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			MD
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		CORRESP

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		2303 DULLES STATION BOULEVARD
		CITY:			HERNDON
		STATE:			VA
		ZIP:			20171
		BUSINESS PHONE:		703-561-1600

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		2303 DULLES STATION BOULEVARD
		CITY:			HERNDON
		STATE:			VA
		ZIP:			20171
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>CORRESP
<SEQUENCE>1
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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">December 27, 2011</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Mr. Larry Spirgel</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">450 Fifth Street, N.W.</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 36pt"></font>Re:&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;Strayer Education, Inc.</font></div>

<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 72pt"></font>Form 10-K for the Year Ended December 31, 2010</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="left"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Dear Mr. Spirgel:</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">On behalf of Strayer Education, Inc. (&#8220;Strayer&#8221; or the &#8220;Company&#8221;), we respectfully submit below Strayer&#8217;s response to the comment of the Staff (the &#8220;Staff&#8221;) of the Securities and Exchange Commission contained in your letter dated December 16, 2011. For your convenience, we have set forth below the Staff&#8217;s comment in italics, followed by Strayer&#8217;s response thereto.</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 18pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="FONT-STYLE: italic; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Management&#8217;s Discussion and Analysis, page 46</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt"><font style="FONT-STYLE: italic; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">1.</font></div>
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<div align="justify"><font style="FONT-STYLE: italic; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">We note disclosure in your Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2011 and June 30, 2011, reflecting a decline in new student enrollments, and in the quarter ended September 30, 2011 reflecting a decline in both new student enrollments and continuing student enrollment. In future filings, please enhance your disclosure to more fully discuss this trend, including outlining steps management may take or has taken to address and reverse it, and the effect on your results of operations, including revenues and marketing expenses. Please refer to Item 303(a)(3)(ii) of Regulation SK.</font></div>
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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">In future filings the Company will provide a more detailed discussion of enrollment figures.&#160;&#160;However, it should be noted that we are unable to determine whether the recent decline in enrollment is in fact a trend and something that will continue.&#160;&#160;Furthermore, we cannot predict future enrollments.&#160;&#160;&#160;Nevertheless, in future filings Strayer will discuss factors that it believes to contribute to recent enrollment levels.</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Strayer&#8217;s future filings will also include a more robust discussion of the effect of various levels of enrollment on our results of operations.</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Pursuant to your comment letter, on behalf of Strayer, we hereby acknowledge that:</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Strayer is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in the filing;</font></div>
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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Staff comments or changes to disclosure in response to Staff comments do not foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the filing; and</font></div>
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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Strayer may not assert Staff comments as a defense in any proceeding initiated by the Commission or any person under Federal securities laws of the United States.</font></div>
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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Should any member of the Staff have any questions or comments concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to call me at 703 247-2514.&#160;&#160;Thank you.</font></div>

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<div style="TEXT-INDENT: 0pt; DISPLAY: block; MARGIN-LEFT: 0pt; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0pt" align="justify"><font style="DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><font id="TAB1" style="MARGIN-LEFT: 216pt"></font>Very truly yours,</font></div>

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