EXHIBIT 99.2
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                Career Education Corporation Closes Acquisition
                         of California Culinary Academy

     HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-April 3, 2000-Career Education
Corporation (Nasdaq:CECO) today announced that it has closed its acquisition of
the California Culinary Academy, Inc. (Nasdaq:COOK).

     California Culinary Academy (CCA) had approximately 650 students at its
core campus in San Francisco as of December 31, 1999 and will continue to
operate under its current name.

     CEC announced on December 7, 1999 that it had signed a definitive agreement
to acquire CCA. It is CEC's second acquisition of 2000. CEC acquired The Cooking
and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (CHIC) on February 2.

     The CCA acquisition makes Career Education Corporation--with eight culinary
arts schools in the United States--one of the world's largest providers of
culinary arts instruction. CCA offers an Associate of Occupational Studies
Degree in the Culinary Arts and a Professional Baking and Pastry Program.

     CEC's other culinary campuses include: Scottsdale Culinary Institute in
Scottsdale, Arizona; California School of Culinary Arts in South Pasadena,
California; Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Program at Brown Institute in Mendota
Heights, Minnesota; McIntosh College in Dover, New Hampshire; International
Culinary Academy in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Western Culinary Institute in
Portland, Oregon and the recently acquired campus in Chicago.


Career Education Corporation is one of the largest providers of private, for-
profit, postsecondary education in North America. CEC currently operates 28
campuses in 15 states and two Canadian provinces. CEC schools enjoy long
operating histories and offer a wide variety of bachelor's degree, associate
degree and diploma programs in career-oriented disciplines within CEC's core
curricula of visual communication and design technologies, information
technology, business studies and culinary arts.

     The purchase price of $5.25 for each California Culinary Academy share will
be paid by the Harris Trust Company of New York, the paying agent. Letters of
transmittal will be mailed to former CCA shareholders shortly. Former CCA
shareholders should direct any questions to Harris Trust Company of New York at
(312) 360-5376.

     The forward-looking statements contained in this release are based upon
various assumptions, and certain risks and uncertainties could cause actual
results to differ materially from those stated. Factors that could cause such
differences include those matters disclosed in Career Education Corporation's
and California Culinary Academy's respective filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC). Career Education Corporation and California Culinary
Academy assume no obligation to update those forward-looking statements.

Contact:
    Career Education Corporation
    Patrick K. Pesch, 630/237-3615

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