At the end of May, 213,074 students were enrolled in its programs--more than five times the number of the next largest private university.

Ted Blashak, the university's vice president for Michigan campuses, says he expects to look at five possible sites for a Macomb County campus by month's end, and hopes to have a lease deal in place by the end of the year. If new construction or an addition to an existing building is needed, classes might not start at the new location until mid-2005, he adds. "In the last nine months to a year, we've really seen (an increase) in the interest of people who want to attend the University of Phoenix in Macomb County," Blashak says.

Currently, the university is setting its sights on a facility that could house offices and at least 10 classrooms, officials say. The university gears itself toward working adults who want to complete their degrees on non-traditional terms, often taking some coursework online.