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Side-by-side financial comparison of Ambow Education Holding Ltd. (AMBO) and AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (APEI). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($158.3M vs $2.8M, roughly 57.2× Ambow Education Holding Ltd.). Ambow Education Holding Ltd. runs the higher net margin — 64.2% vs 8.0%, a 56.2% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Ambow Education Holding Ltd. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (15.3% vs -3.5%).

Ambow Education Holding Ltd. is a China-focused education service provider that offers personalized learning solutions, professional career training programs, and K-12 after-school tutoring services. It partners with educational institutions and enterprises to deliver technology-integrated learning resources for learners of all age groups across mainland China.

Strategic Education, Inc. (SEI) is an education services holding company and is formerly known as Strayer Education, Inc. The company owns for-profit, online Capella University and Strayer University, as well as non-degree programs schools such as DevMountain, Hackbright Academy, and Sophia Learning.

AMBO vs APEI — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
APEI
APEI
57.2× larger
APEI
$158.3M
$2.8M
AMBO
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
AMBO
AMBO
+18.8% gap
AMBO
15.3%
-3.5%
APEI
Higher net margin
AMBO
AMBO
56.2% more per $
AMBO
64.2%
8.0%
APEI

Income Statement — Q2 2025 vs Q4 2025

Metric
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Revenue
$2.8M
$158.3M
Net Profit
$1.8M
$12.6M
Gross Margin
53.3%
56.4%
Operating Margin
11.9%
12.0%
Net Margin
64.2%
8.0%
Revenue YoY
15.3%
-3.5%
Net Profit YoY
1343.1%
-2.7%
EPS (diluted)
$0.03
$0.67

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
$158.3M
Q3 25
$163.2M
Q2 25
$2.8M
$162.8M
Q1 25
$164.6M
Q4 24
$164.1M
Q3 24
$153.1M
Q2 24
$2.4M
$152.9M
Q1 24
$154.4M
Net Profit
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
$12.6M
Q3 25
$5.6M
Q2 25
$1.8M
$4.5M
Q1 25
$8.9M
Q4 24
$13.0M
Q3 24
$2.3M
Q2 24
$123.0K
$371.0K
Q1 24
$516.0K
Gross Margin
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
56.4%
Q3 25
54.2%
Q2 25
53.3%
51.8%
Q1 25
54.5%
Q4 24
56.3%
Q3 24
50.8%
Q2 24
55.6%
50.2%
Q1 24
53.1%
Operating Margin
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
12.0%
Q3 25
5.9%
Q2 25
11.9%
4.3%
Q1 25
7.4%
Q4 24
13.1%
Q3 24
2.7%
Q2 24
2.7%
1.5%
Q1 24
3.4%
Net Margin
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
8.0%
Q3 25
3.4%
Q2 25
64.2%
2.8%
Q1 25
5.4%
Q4 24
7.9%
Q3 24
1.5%
Q2 24
5.1%
0.2%
Q1 24
0.3%
EPS (diluted)
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
$0.67
Q3 25
$0.30
Q2 25
$0.03
$-0.02
Q1 25
$0.41
Q4 24
$0.63
Q3 24
$0.04
Q2 24
$0.00
$-0.06
Q1 24
$-0.06

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$4.1M
$174.1M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.7M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$8.6M
$294.8M
Total Assets
$23.2M
$521.4M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.32×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
$174.1M
Q3 25
$191.3M
Q2 25
$4.1M
$174.9M
Q1 25
$161.6M
Q4 24
$131.9M
Q3 24
$135.4M
Q2 24
$1.6M
$129.8M
Q1 24
$125.3M
Total Debt
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
$94.7M
Q3 25
$94.4M
Q2 25
$94.1M
Q1 25
$93.7M
Q4 24
$93.4M
Q3 24
$93.1M
Q2 24
$92.8M
Q1 24
$95.0M
Stockholders' Equity
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
$294.8M
Q3 25
$279.3M
Q2 25
$8.6M
$272.2M
Q1 25
$310.0M
Q4 24
$303.9M
Q3 24
$290.4M
Q2 24
$6.6M
$288.7M
Q1 24
$288.5M
Total Assets
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
$521.4M
Q3 25
$525.3M
Q2 25
$23.2M
$537.4M
Q1 25
$578.7M
Q4 24
$570.1M
Q3 24
$569.6M
Q2 24
$17.6M
$560.7M
Q1 24
$559.0M
Debt / Equity
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
0.32×
Q3 25
0.34×
Q2 25
0.35×
Q1 25
0.30×
Q4 24
0.31×
Q3 24
0.32×
Q2 24
0.32×
Q1 24
0.33×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-11.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-15.6M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-9.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.92×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$46.1M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
$-11.6M
Q3 25
$21.7M
Q2 25
$14.8M
Q1 25
$37.0M
Q4 24
$1.6M
Q3 24
$14.1M
Q2 24
$12.5M
Q1 24
$20.7M
Free Cash Flow
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
$-15.6M
Q3 25
$17.5M
Q2 25
$11.1M
Q1 25
$33.1M
Q4 24
$-1.8M
Q3 24
$7.8M
Q2 24
$7.3M
Q1 24
$14.5M
FCF Margin
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
-9.9%
Q3 25
10.7%
Q2 25
6.8%
Q1 25
20.1%
Q4 24
-1.1%
Q3 24
5.1%
Q2 24
4.7%
Q1 24
9.4%
Capex Intensity
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
2.6%
Q3 25
2.6%
Q2 25
2.3%
Q1 25
2.4%
Q4 24
2.0%
Q3 24
4.1%
Q2 24
3.4%
Q1 24
4.0%
Cash Conversion
AMBO
AMBO
APEI
APEI
Q4 25
-0.92×
Q3 25
3.90×
Q2 25
3.29×
Q1 25
4.16×
Q4 24
0.12×
Q3 24
6.22×
Q2 24
33.57×
Q1 24
40.20×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

AMBO
AMBO

Segment breakdown not available.

APEI
APEI

American Public Education Inc Segment$71.0M45%
Rasmussen University Segment$66.6M42%
Hondros College Of Nursing Segment$20.7M13%

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