DeVry Inc. announced Tuesday that it has purchased the Deaconess College of Nursing, in St. Louis, for about $5.3 million.

Deaconess has about 450 students and offers both associate and bachelor's degree programs in nursing. Its annual revenues are about $4 million, DeVry said.

Ronald L. Taylor, DeVry's chief executive officer, said the purchase was part of DeVry's strategy of purchasing existing programs that fit within DeVry's mission. "This acquisition further establishes DeVry's position at the intersection of technology and health care," he said.

While DeVry is best known for its technology and business programs, it is also the owner of Ross University, which operates a medical school and a veterinary school in Dominica.