(This February 21st story has been refilled to correct headline, paragraph 2 to say Study Group is headquartered in the UK, not Australia)
(Reuters) - French buyout group Ardian said on Thursday it would buy a majority stake in education provider Study Group from asset manager Providence Equity Partners and build on its presence in key geographies through strategic acquisitions.
The deal values Britain's Study Group at about 500 million pounds including debt, a source close to the matter said.
Study Group, which partners with universities around the world, prepares international students who wish to enter English-speaking universities through educational courses that provide them with academic, language and learning skills.
(Reporting by Tanishaa Nadkar in Bengaluru and Arno Schuetze in Frankfurt; Editing by Anil D'Silva)
