Cengage: A Comprehensive Overview of Educational Resources and Evolution
Cengage is an American educational technology and development company that provides content, digital, and print learning solutions to various markets, including K-12, higher education, libraries, and vocational institutions. As one of the largest college textbook publishers in the United States, Cengage has evolved significantly since its origins, adapting to the changing needs of students, educators, and the broader educational landscape.
Company Information
- Date founded: 2007
- Industry: Educational development
- Corporate headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
- Type: Public
Overview of Cengage
Cengage stands as a prominent educational technology company, delivering a comprehensive suite of digital and print learning solutions across diverse markets, including K-12, higher education, library, and vocational sectors. Renowned as one of the largest college textbook publishers in the United States, Cengage extends its offerings to encompass online reference databases, test preparation resources, distance learning programs, and corporate training courses.
The company serves students, educators, librarians, and governments in 120 countries and territories. Cengage receives about 80 percent of its revenue from customers in the United States. The company has about 4,500 employees in 40 countries.
Divisions of Cengage
Cengage operates through three major divisions: Cengage Academic, Cengage Work, and Cengage Select.
- Cengage Academic: This division focuses on higher education, providing materials for college faculty and students, including textbooks, e-books, and courseware.
- Cengage Work: This segment offers online training courses outside traditional higher education, focusing on workforce skills development.
- Cengage Select: This division provides learning programs for various markets, including English language teaching materials under its National Geographic Learning (NGL) brand. NGL's products include courses, TED talks, webinars, and test preparation materials. Cengage Select also includes the company’s library reference division, which provides educational materials for academic, public, and school libraries, including millions of scholarly articles, primary and secondary sources, and e-books.
A Look into Cengage's History
Cengage's roots trace back to the Southwestern Publishing Company, a higher education business. In 1986, International Thomson, a major information company, acquired Southwestern. Thomson expanded aggressively in the 1990s, acquiring companies such as Macmillan Professional and Business Reference Publishing, the Institute for Science Information (ISI), Information Access Company, Peterson’s, West Publishing, Arco, and in 2000 and 2001, Harcourt, Macmillan Library Reference, and Greenhaven and Lucent Books.
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In 2006, International Thomson sold off its learning division to a private consortium for $7.75 billion. A year later, it became Cengage Learning. The following year, its library reference resource, Gale Research, was renamed Gale Group. This division enabled the company to sell online databases to libraries along with multivolume reference works, many of which are focused on history, the social sciences, and religion. In 2011, Cengage Learning acquired the National Geographic Society’s school division and combined it with a global English Language Teaching business to create National Geographic Learning (NGL).
By this time, Cengage Learning had accumulated $5.8 billion in debt from its initial buyout and many acquisitions. The company also saw a decline in revenue in college textbook sales because students were finding digital options to be more cost-effective, a challenge faced by businesses throughout the publishing industry. On July 2, 2013, Cengage Learning filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11, which protected the company from creditors so it could reorganize. Other college textbook publishers, such as Pearson and McGraw-Hill Education, also had to restructure around this time.
During Cengage Learning’s reorganization and under the direction of CEO Michael Hansen, the company managed to shave off $4 billion in debt and secure $1.75 billion in exit funding. The company left bankruptcy after nine months and, in 2016, changed its name from Cengage Learning to simply Cengage.
Cengage Unlimited: A "Netflix for Textbooks"
In 2018, Cengage launched Cengage Unlimited, a subscription service allowing students to pay for access to all the company’s digital higher education products for a semester or a year, including its many textbooks. A year after its launch, the company sold more than one million Cengage Unlimited subscriptions. Cengage was named a 2021 “Trendsetter of the Year” by EdTech Digest for helping students substantially save money through its subscription service. Since the launch of Cengage Unlimited in 2018 through 2021, nearly three million students saved more than $270 million on textbooks and course materials.
If your instructors assigned more than one Cengage product, Cengage Unlimited will give you access to our entire library of eBooks and online learning platforms for a one time, flat price. Plus, you'll get at least 4 FREE textbook rentals (you only pay for shipping & handling).
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An eBook is a digital version of your textbook. It gives you instant access on the device of your choice and brings learning to life with interactive features like highlighting, bookmarking and keyword search.
Impact and Future Directions
In May 2019, Cengage announced plans to merge with McGraw-Hill Education. The merger of the two companies would make them a giant in the college textbook market and would create a duopoly, a market controlled by two giant publishers: Cengage/McGraw and Pearson. Cengage held an estimated 24 percent of the market, while McGraw-Hill had about 21 percent. The market leader at the time, Pearson, held an estimated 40 percent of the college textbook market.
Concerns about the ramifications of the merger emerged soon after it was announced. The companies faced regulatory hurdles as well as apprehensions from stakeholders, libraries, higher education institutions, and bookstores. Students already struggling to pay for college textbooks worried that the merger would allow publishers to set prices even higher. Demands placed on the companies by the Department of Justice (DOJ) brought the merger to a halt. While the companies anticipated that the DOJ would request that they sell off some competing products, they considered the amount requested-rumored to be $175 million-too high. Cengage and McGraw-Hill terminated the merger.
In response to the closing of college campuses for in-person learning in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cengage offered free access to its Cengage Unlimited subscription services to students and faculty for the term. The company also offered support to faculty and administrators needing to quickly transition to e-learning. In April 2023, Apollo Funds announced they had made a $500 million investment in the Cengage Group.
Cengage has received many awards for its innovation and ability to adapt to changing times. Michael Hansen, who joined the company as CEO in December 2012, has been credited with transforming Cengage from a print publisher to a digital education company. For this, he was named to Fast Company’s annual list of Most Creative People in Business. In addition, Cengage was named a finalist for Fast Company's 2020 World Changing Ideas Award. In 2023 and 2024, Cengage was named one of the best places to work by its employees in the Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Awards.
Read also: Cengage Learning Solutions
In fiscal 2024, Cengage Group continues to leverage innovation to enhance the learning experience for all learners, launching its first GenAI solution for the Higher Education market. Cengage Group receives a $500 million investment from Apollo Global Management. This investment infuses capital into the business, allowing for greater optionality and flexibility to invest in our portfolio of growing businesses. Additionally, the Cengage Work business introduces Ready to Hire to address the skilled labor gap.
Cengage Learning Books Overview
Cengage Learning provides a wide array of textbooks and educational resources across various disciplines. Here's an overview of some of their offerings:
- INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY, 11E: This book delivers comprehensive, up-to-date coverage in a succinct and affordable format. It emphasizes that sociology is a rigorous, scientific discipline and that basic knowledge of sociology is essential for understanding social interaction in many work and social settings. The text begins by providing students with tools for success, including tips for how to read, study, and take tests more effectively. It also features a built-in study guide and practice tests to ensure thorough understanding.
- Probability and Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences: This textbook, in its 5th edition (2001), covers probability and statistics concepts relevant to engineering and scientific fields.
- Voyages to the Planets: This 2nd edition (2000) explores the planets and space.
- Just the Essentials of Elementary Statistics: This 3rd edition focuses on the essentials of elementary statistics.
- Management: The 6th edition (2003) of this textbook covers management principles.
- Operations Research : Applications and Algorithms: This 4th edition delves into operations research with a focus on applications and algorithms.
- BIOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF HUMA: This 1st edition (2003) explores the biological foundations of human anatomy.
- Meteorology : Understanding the Atmosphere: This 1st edition (2003) provides an understanding of the atmosphere and meteorological phenomena.
- Business of Child Care-TEXTBOOK ONLY: This first edition focuses on the business aspects of child care.
- Surgical Technology for the Surgical Technologist: This 2nd edition provides information for surgical technologists.
Crossing the Digital Frontier
Cengage has evolved into one of the largest edtech companies in the world. The company is focused on helping millions more learners achieve their education and career goals and lead choice-filled lives. At the close of fiscal 2024, their momentum and confidence continue to grow with three consecutive years of revenue and profitability growth achieved.
The company begins to invest in digital. More investment in new technologies and customer solutions leads to the acquisition of Aplia - an education company dedicated to improving learning outcomes by increasing student effort and engagement. At the annual TED conference, they unveil MindTap, a collection of digital products and services that engages students through interactivity and offers instructors choice in content, platforms, devices and learning tools.
Accessing Cengage eBooks
Skip the trip to the bookstore this semester and get instant access to the eBooks you need for class. Cengage offers several access duration options.
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