UPDATE 3-Strayer Education profit up on strong enrollment

(Recasts, adds byline, CEO comments, updates share movement)

By Helen Chernikoff

NEW YORK, April 30 (Reuters) - Strayer Education Inc (STRA.O: Quote, Profile, Research), a for-profit education company, posted a better-than- expected first-quarter profit on Wednesday and forecast second-quarter earnings above market estimates, sending its shares up as much as 11 percent.

Based on the strong enrollment growth for the 2008 spring term, Strayer forecast second-quarter earnings of $1.45 to $1.47 a share.

Analysts were expecting earnings of $1.42 a share, before items, for the period.

Strayer, which offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs with an emphasis on business, accounting and economics, will open nine new campuses in 2008 and will announce the location of the final three during its July earnings conference call.

It's "unlikely" that the three locations yet to be announced will be in states where Strayer does not already have schools, but will instead be in new cities, Chief Executive Robert Silberman told Reuters.

Strayer has brick-and-mortar campuses in 12 states, plus the District of Columbia.

The company will offer its next new undergraduate bachelor's degree program, criminal justice, starting in 2009 online and at all of its campuses, Silberman said.