v3.19.3.a.u2
Segment and Geographic Information
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]  
Segment and Geographic Information Segment and Geographic Information

The Company has two reportable segments: the Graduate Program Segment and the Alternative Credential Segment (formerly known as the Short Course Segment). The Company’s reportable segments are determined based on (i) financial information reviewed by the chief operating decision maker, the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), (ii) internal management and related reporting structure, and (iii) the basis upon which the CEO makes resource allocation decisions. The Company’s segments did not change as a result of the acquisition of Trilogy. The Company’s Graduate Program Segment includes the technology and services provided to nonprofit colleges and universities to enable the online delivery of degree programs. The Company’s Alternative Credential Segment includes the premium online short courses and technical skills-based boot provided through relationships with nonprofit colleges and universities.

Graduate Program Segment

For the year ended December 31, 2019, one university client accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s consolidated revenue, with $83.5 million, or approximately 15% of the Company’s consolidated revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2018, three university clients each accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s consolidated revenue, as follows: $86.9 million, $54.2 million and $42.7 million, which equaled 21%, 13% and 10% of the Company’s consolidated revenue, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2017, four university clients each accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s consolidated revenue, as follows: $77.6 million, $48.2 million, $30.1 million and $28.3 million, which equaled 27%, 17%, 11% and 10% of the Company’s consolidated revenue, respectively.

As of December 31, 2019, two university clients each accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s consolidated accounts receivable, net balance, as follows: $6.1 million and $4.9 million, which equaled 18% and 15% of the Company’s consolidated accounts receivable, net balance, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, two university clients each accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s consolidated accounts receivable, net balance, as follows: $11.9 million and $11.8 million, which equaled 36% and 36% of the Company’s consolidated accounts receivable, net balance, respectively.

Alternative Credential Segment

For the year ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, there were no customers or individual university clients that had revenue associated with it that accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s consolidated revenue. In addition, as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018, no customers had accounts receivable, net balances that accounted for 10% or more of the Company’s consolidated accounts receivable, net balance, as customers are individual students or third parties paying on their behalf, rather than university clients.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, offerings associated with one university client accounted for 10% or more of the segment’s revenue, with $33.9 million, or approximately 22% of the segment’s revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2018, offerings associated with three university clients each accounted for 10% or more of the segment’s revenue, and when combined, accounted for approximately 81% of the segment’s revenue. For the year ended December 31, 2017, offerings associated with three university clients each accounted for 10% or more of the segment’s revenue, and when combined, accounted for approximately 82% of the segment’s revenue.

Segment Performance

The following table summarizes financial information regarding each reportable segment’s results of operations for the periods presented:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
 
(in thousands)
Revenue by segment*
 

 
 

 
 
Graduate Program Segment
$
417,206

 
$
348,361

 
$
270,432

Alternative Credential Segment
157,465

 
63,408

 
16,320

Total revenue
$
574,671

 
$
411,769

 
$
286,752

 
 
 
 
 
 
Segment profitability**
 

 
 

 
 
Graduate Program Segment
$
5,770

 
$
16,839

 
$
13,022

Alternative Credential Segment
(29,716
)
 
816

 
(1,606
)
Total segment profitability
$
(23,946
)
 
$
17,655

 
$
11,416

 
 
 
 
 
 
Segment profitability margin***
 

 
 

 
 
Graduate Program Segment
1.4
 %
 
4.8
%
 
4.8
 %
Alternative Credential Segment
(18.9
)
 
1.3

 
(9.8
)
Total segment profitability margin
(4.2
)%
 
4.3
%
 
3.9
 %
 
*
The Company has excluded immaterial amounts of intersegment revenue from the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017.
**
The Company defines segment profitability as net income or net loss, as applicable, before net interest income (expense), taxes, depreciation and amortization expense, foreign currency gains or losses, deferred revenue fair value adjustments, transaction costs, integration costs, restructuring-related costs, shareholder activism costs, impairment charges, and stock-based compensation expense. Some or all of these items may not be applicable in any given reporting period.
***
The Company defines segment profitability margin as segment profitability as a percentage of the respective segment’s revenue.
The following table reconciles net loss to total segment profitability:
 
Year Ended December 31,
 
2019
 
2018
 
2017
 
(in thousands)
Net loss
$
(235,222
)
 
$
(38,330
)
 
$
(29,423
)
Adjustments:
 
 
 
 
 
Interest income
(5,800
)
 
(5,173
)
 
(371
)
Interest expense
13,419

 
108

 
87

Foreign currency loss
707

 
1,722

 
866

Income tax benefit
(19,860
)
 
(4,867
)
 
(1,297
)
Depreciation and amortization expense
69,843

 
32,785

 
19,624

Deferred revenue fair value adjustment
11,175

 

 

Transaction costs
4,786

 

 

Integration costs
3,255

 

 

Restructuring-related costs
10,826

 

 

Shareholder activism costs
1,042

 

 

Impairment charge
70,379

 

 

Stock-based compensation expense
51,504

 
31,410

 
21,930

Total adjustments
211,276

 
55,985

 
40,839

Total segment profitability
$
(23,946
)
 
$
17,655

 
$
11,416



The Company’s total assets by segment are as follows:
 
December 31,
2019
 
December 31,
2018
 
(in thousands)
Total assets
 

 
 

Graduate Program Segment
$
507,187

 
$
702,827

Alternative Credential Segment
679,643

 
104,527

Total assets
$
1,186,830

 
$
807,354


Trade Accounts Receivable and Contract Liabilities
The Company’s trade accounts receivable and contract liabilities in each segment are as follows:
 
December 31,
2019
 
December 31,
2018
 
(in thousands)
Trade accounts receivable
 

 
 

Graduate Program Segment accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $0 for all periods presented
$
3,454

 
$
31,110

Graduate Program Segment unbilled revenue
12,123

 
265

Alternative Credential Segment accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $1.3 million and $257 thousand as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively
12,436

 
982

Alternative Credential Segment unbilled accounts receivable
5,642

 

Total trade accounts receivable
$
33,655

 
$
32,357

 
 
 
 
Contract liabilities
 

 
 

Graduate Program Segment deferred revenue
$
2,210

 
$
2,864

Alternative Credential Segment deferred revenue
46,623

 
5,481

Total contract liabilities
$
48,833

 
$
8,345



For the Graduate Program Segment, revenue recognized during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 that was included in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of each year was $2.4 million and $2.5 million, respectively. For the Alternative Credential Segment, revenue recognized during the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 that was included in the deferred revenue balance at the beginning of the year was $5.4 million and $4.5 million, respectively.

Contract Acquisition Costs

The Graduate Program Segment had $0.5 million and $0.3 million of net capitalized contract acquisition costs capitalized primarily within university payments and other assets, non-current on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company capitalized $0.2 million and recorded an immaterial amount of amortization expense in the Graduate Program Segment.

Geographical Information

The Company’s non-U.S. revenue is based on the currency of the country in which the university client primarily operates. The Company’s non-U.S. revenue was $40.8 million, $33.9 million and $10.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, substantially all of which was sourced from the Alternative Credential Segment’s operations outside of the U.S. The Company’s long-lived tangible assets in non-U.S. countries as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 totaled approximately $2.7 million and $1.2 million, respectively.