STI profit surges on higher enrollment

MANILA, Philippines — STI Education Systems Holdings Inc. saw its earnings from July to September soar by over 13 times amid a record enrollment growth and prudent cost management across its schools.

The owner of the country’s largest network of private schools reported a net income of P263.2 million during the period, up by 1,233 percent from the P19.75 million earned last year.

STI Holdings’ fiscal year starts in July and ends in June the following year.

Gross revenues in the first quarter of its fiscal year climbed by 59.5 percent to P1 billion from P650.65 million, with total enrollment growing by 15 percent to 138,060 students for the school year 2024 to 2025.

Programs regulated by the Commission on Higher Education, in particular, attracted over 100,000 enrollees, a 20-percent increase from the previous year and propelled by the rising demand for tertiary programs.

STI said that its first-quarter performance demonstrated the company’s “unwavering commitment to operational excellence and its mission to deliver quality education.”

“(The) strong market position stems from the successful integration of strategic initiatives with sustainability efforts, which have contributed to improved cost efficiency across its campuses,” it said.

To support the growing student population, STI has further expanded its portfolio with recent property acquisitions in Batangas for the construction of future STI Academic Centers and ongoing renovations across existing campuses.

The company closed the quarter with a total asset value amounting to P17.52 billion, a 14-percent improvement from the P15.44 billion recorded as of June 30.

STI currently operates a comprehensive education network in the country through its subsidiaries STI Education Services Group (ESG), STI West Negros University (WNU) and iAcademy.

STI ESG has a total capacity of 146,585 students across its 63 campuses nationwide, while Bacolod-based STI WNU can accommodate up to 15,000 students from elementary to postgraduate levels.

Meanwhile, iAcademy specializes in arts, computing and design programs and has further extended its reach in the Visayas region with its newly established Cebu campus.