McGraw-Hill Education is comprised of two private holding companies. McGraw-Hill Global Education Holdings is focused on post-secondary education and professional products both in the United States and internationally. McGraw-Hill School Education Holdings provides school and assessment products targeting students in the pre-kindergarten through secondary school market.

Both companies are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Georgia Holdings, which is privately owned and controlled by investment funds affiliated with Apollo Global Management.

McGraw-Hill Education employs more than 6,000 people in 44 countries and publishes in more than 60 languages.

In fiscal 2013, McGraw-Hill Education posted revenues of 1.24 billion USD.

Ownership, Mergers & Acquisition, Internal Organization

In 2013, McGraw-Hill Companies completed the cash sale of McGraw-Hill Education to the equity firm Apollo Global Management for 2.4 billion USD.

In the wake of new ownership, MHE restructured its international team and appointed new CEO David Levin, who previously served as CEO of publicly traded media company UBM. Former CEO Buzz Waterhouse remains on the board.

The company’s strategy is to capitalize on market trends in enrollment growth and international demand through digital innovation and custom learning solutions.

MHE acquired ALEKS Corporation, a provider of web-based, artificially intelligent, educational software, and completed its acquisition of all the shares in the company's long-time joint venture with Tata Group in India to form Tata McGraw-Hill Education Private Limited.

In English Language Arts and Social Studies, McGraw's LearnSmart is a product of a partnership with Area9, a Danish company that McGraw acquired in 2013.

Last year, McGraw also acquired Key Curriculum, publisher of Sketchpad, a leading software for teaching mathematics.

Digital

McGraw-Hill is focused on developing adaptive learning systems that personalize student learning.

McGraw-Hill Education launched its own adaptive e-book, called SmartBook, which according to company information “revolutionizes college reading by focusing students on content most critical to their learning.”

Earlier Developments

Financial

Full year results for 2012 have not been released for McGraw-Hill Education, because of the sale to private equity firm Apollo Global Management, which was completed in March 2013. McGraw-Hill, listed as mother company for fiscal 2012 in this ranking, reported full year corporate revenues of 4.45 billion USD, noting that McGraw-Hill Education's results have been reclassified to reflect the business as a discontinued operation.

In 2011 the American textbook publisher reported revenue of 2.29 billion USD and operating income of 320 million USD. Challenged by flat school funding, sales for the first nine months of 2012 decreased 10% and earnings shrank 13%.

Ownership, Mergers & Acquisition, Internal Organization

In November 2012, McGraw-Hill signed an agreement to sell McGraw-Hill Education to private equity firm Apollo Global Management, LLC. The sale was completed in March 2013 for a purchase price of 2.4 billion USD. Cengage Learning, Bain Capital, and Thomas H Lee Partners also bid for McGraw-Hill's education business. Recently, McGraw-Hill announced to receive an additional 150 million USD in cash upon closing instead of holding the notes as previously disclosed. The education unit will do business as McGraw-Hill Education Holdings. Apollo secured 800 million USD in financing, including a 560 million USD term loan and a 240 million USD revolving line of credit. "It will enable the education company to continue developing digital learning systems for better outcomes for students and professionals around the world," reports Harold McGraw in his letter to shareholders. With the completion of the purchase in March 2013, the education group will continue to be known as McGraw-Hill Education under the direction of Buzz Waterhouse, who was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer in June 2012.

Despite bad conditions in the kindergarten to high school market amid government funding declines, McGraw-Hill prepared McGraw-Hill Education for future success in a digital learning world.

In April 2013, Ron Schlosser was appointed executive chairman of McGraw-Hill Education’s board of directors. Schlosser is a senior advisor to Apollo Global Management and held senior executive positions with a number of educational publishers including Haights Cross Communications, Thomson Learning Group (now Cengage Learning), Elsevier Science and MHE.

Digital

McGraw-Hill Higher Education entered the consumer market by offering LearnSmart, an adaptive learning technology, directly to students.

Click here to return to the full listing of the world's largest publishers.