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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (APEI) and BALCHEM CORP (BCPC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

BALCHEM CORP is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($270.7M vs $158.3M, roughly 1.7× AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC). BALCHEM CORP runs the higher net margin — 14.9% vs 8.0%, a 6.9% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, BALCHEM CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (8.1% vs -3.5%). BALCHEM CORP produced more free cash flow last quarter ($33.8M vs $-15.6M). Over the past eight quarters, BALCHEM CORP's revenue compounded faster (7.5% CAGR vs 1.3%).

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.

Balchem Corp is a global specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients provider that develops, manufactures and distributes application-specific products for human nutrition, animal health, pharmaceutical and industrial end markets, serving customers across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

APEI vs BCPC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
BCPC
BCPC
1.7× larger
BCPC
$270.7M
$158.3M
APEI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
BCPC
BCPC
+11.6% gap
BCPC
8.1%
-3.5%
APEI
Higher net margin
BCPC
BCPC
6.9% more per $
BCPC
14.9%
8.0%
APEI
More free cash flow
BCPC
BCPC
$49.5M more FCF
BCPC
$33.8M
$-15.6M
APEI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
BCPC
BCPC
Annualised
BCPC
7.5%
1.3%
APEI

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Revenue
$158.3M
$270.7M
Net Profit
$12.6M
$40.3M
Gross Margin
56.4%
Operating Margin
12.0%
20.5%
Net Margin
8.0%
14.9%
Revenue YoY
-3.5%
8.1%
Net Profit YoY
-2.7%
8.7%
EPS (diluted)
$0.67
$1.25

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
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
$270.7M
Q4 25
$158.3M
$263.6M
Q3 25
$163.2M
$267.6M
Q2 25
$162.8M
$255.5M
Q1 25
$164.6M
$250.5M
Q4 24
$164.1M
$240.0M
Q3 24
$153.1M
$239.9M
Q2 24
$152.9M
$234.1M
Net Profit
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
$40.3M
Q4 25
$12.6M
$39.2M
Q3 25
$5.6M
$40.3M
Q2 25
$4.5M
$38.3M
Q1 25
$8.9M
$37.1M
Q4 24
$13.0M
$33.6M
Q3 24
$2.3M
$33.8M
Q2 24
$371.0K
$32.1M
Gross Margin
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
Q4 25
56.4%
35.6%
Q3 25
54.2%
35.7%
Q2 25
51.8%
36.4%
Q1 25
54.5%
35.2%
Q4 24
56.3%
36.0%
Q3 24
50.8%
35.6%
Q2 24
50.2%
35.5%
Operating Margin
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
20.5%
Q4 25
12.0%
19.8%
Q3 25
5.9%
20.4%
Q2 25
4.3%
20.1%
Q1 25
7.4%
20.4%
Q4 24
13.1%
19.8%
Q3 24
2.7%
20.0%
Q2 24
1.5%
19.6%
Net Margin
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
14.9%
Q4 25
8.0%
14.9%
Q3 25
3.4%
15.1%
Q2 25
2.8%
15.0%
Q1 25
5.4%
14.8%
Q4 24
7.9%
14.0%
Q3 24
1.5%
14.1%
Q2 24
0.2%
13.7%
EPS (diluted)
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
$1.25
Q4 25
$0.67
$1.21
Q3 25
$0.30
$1.24
Q2 25
$-0.02
$1.17
Q1 25
$0.41
$1.13
Q4 24
$0.63
$1.03
Q3 24
$0.04
$1.03
Q2 24
$-0.06
$0.98

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$174.1M
$72.9M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.7M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$294.8M
$1.3B
Total Assets
$521.4M
$1.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.32×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
$72.9M
Q4 25
$174.1M
$74.6M
Q3 25
$191.3M
$65.1M
Q2 25
$174.9M
$65.4M
Q1 25
$161.6M
$49.9M
Q4 24
$131.9M
$49.5M
Q3 24
$135.4M
$73.7M
Q2 24
$129.8M
$63.7M
Total Debt
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
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
Stockholders' Equity
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
$1.3B
Q4 25
$294.8M
$1.3B
Q3 25
$279.3M
$1.3B
Q2 25
$272.2M
$1.3B
Q1 25
$310.0M
$1.2B
Q4 24
$303.9M
$1.1B
Q3 24
$290.4M
$1.2B
Q2 24
$288.7M
$1.1B
Total Assets
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
$1.7B
Q4 25
$521.4M
$1.7B
Q3 25
$525.3M
$1.7B
Q2 25
$537.4M
$1.7B
Q1 25
$578.7M
$1.6B
Q4 24
$570.1M
$1.6B
Q3 24
$569.6M
$1.6B
Q2 24
$560.7M
$1.6B
Debt / Equity
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
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×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-11.6M
$40.1M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-15.6M
$33.8M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-9.9%
12.5%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
2.3%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.92×
0.99×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$46.1M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
$40.1M
Q4 25
$-11.6M
$67.3M
Q3 25
$21.7M
$65.6M
Q2 25
$14.8M
$47.3M
Q1 25
$37.0M
$36.5M
Q4 24
$1.6M
$52.3M
Q3 24
$14.1M
$51.3M
Q2 24
$12.5M
$45.0M
Free Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
$33.8M
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
FCF Margin
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
12.5%
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%
Capex Intensity
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
2.3%
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%
Cash Conversion
APEI
APEI
BCPC
BCPC
Q1 26
0.99×
Q4 25
-0.92×
1.72×
Q3 25
3.90×
1.63×
Q2 25
3.29×
1.23×
Q1 25
4.16×
0.98×
Q4 24
0.12×
1.56×
Q3 24
6.22×
1.52×
Q2 24
33.57×
1.40×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

APEI
APEI

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

BCPC
BCPC

Segment breakdown not available.

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