HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (AP) - Trade schools operator Career Education Corp. said Wednesday it climbed to a profit in the third quarter on rising revenue from record-high enrollment and number of new students.

The company's stock price climbed more than 12 percent in after-hours trading.

People sought refuge from the recession in the company's career-oriented programs focused on culinary arts, health education, arts and design as the downturn kept unemployment high. CEO Gary McCullough said the company reached the ``highest levels of new student starts and student population in our company's history.''

CAREER EDUCATION CORP  NASDAQ:CECO  Updated: 16:00 ET  25.44  +0.36

Career Education Corp., based in Hoffman Estates, Ill., runs the American InterContinental University, Colorado Technical University and other schools.

CEC earned $20.8 million, or 25 cents per share, in the quarter that ended Sept. 30. That compares with a loss of $147 million, or break even per share, a year earlier. Excluding certain one-time items, the company earned 47 cents per share in the latest period.

Revenue rose 14 percent to $459.9 million from $403 million.

The results topped estimates of analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, who expected profit of 14 cents per share and revenue of $438 million.

The company had set a milestone target for 2010 for operating income between $225 million and $270 million. Based on this year's results so far, Career Education said it is on track to reach the low end of that range in 2009, a year ahead of schedule.

Shares rose $2.52 to $23.30 in after-hours trading after closing Wednesday down 47 cents at $20.78.

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