Apollo Group, Inc. Announces Appointment of Dr. Klor  De Alva To the Executive Committee of Apollo and The Retirement of John D. Murphy

Phoenix, Arizona, February 13, 1997 - Apollo Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:APOL) today announced the appointment of Dr. Jorge Klor de Alva to the Executive Committee of Apollo Group, Inc. Dr. Klor de Alva, who was appointed Vice President of Business Development for Apollo in July 1996, has been a director of the Company since 1991 and is currently a member of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. The Executive Committee of Apollo currently consists of seven members represented by the presidents of the major subsidiaries, the CEO and CFO of Apollo, and certain key executives.

Dr. Klor de Alva, most recently at the University of California at Berkeley and previously at Princeton University, has over 25 years experience in higher education, teacher education and consulting for school districts and teacher's groups, the Educational Testing Service, the Graduate Record Exam and the College Board. He has also developed a number of K-12 textbooks and multimedia products for both Houghton Mifflin and McDougal Littell. Among Dr. Klor de Alva's various educational undertakings in the U.S. and Europe, he co-chaired the New York State Department of Education's K-12 Social Studies Curriculum and Assessment Commission, whose work helped establish the standards, assessment structure and curriculum guidelines in the field.

Apollo Group, Inc. also announced that John D. Murphy, Senior Vice President and Director of Apollo, plans to retire as of August 31, 1997. Mr. Murphy has resigned from his position as Senior Vice President and Director; however, he will continue to work for Apollo on several projects prior to his retirement date. Mr. Murphy has been with the Company in various positions since 1976, most recently working on various business development efforts.

Apollo Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries the University of Phoenix, the Institute for Professional Development and Western International University, is one of the largest providers of higher education programs for working adults in the United States, with total enrollment exceeding 49,000 students. Educational programs and services are offered at 88 campuses and learning centers in 29 states, Puerto Rico and London, England.

For more information about Apollo Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, call 1-800-990-APOL.

This press release includes statements which may constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information may involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements.