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

CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($233.0M vs $158.3M, roughly 1.5× AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC). AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC runs the higher net margin — 8.0% vs 4.4%, a 3.6% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (20.3% vs -3.5%). CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($22.7M vs $-15.6M). Over the past eight quarters, CSW INDUSTRIALS, INC.'s revenue compounded faster (5.1% 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.

APEI vs CSW — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
CSW
CSW
1.5× larger
CSW
$233.0M
$158.3M
APEI
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
CSW
CSW
+23.8% gap
CSW
20.3%
-3.5%
APEI
Higher net margin
APEI
APEI
3.6% more per $
APEI
8.0%
4.4%
CSW
More free cash flow
CSW
CSW
$38.3M more FCF
CSW
$22.7M
$-15.6M
APEI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
CSW
CSW
Annualised
CSW
5.1%
1.3%
APEI

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Revenue
$158.3M
$233.0M
Net Profit
$12.6M
$10.3M
Gross Margin
56.4%
39.7%
Operating Margin
12.0%
7.4%
Net Margin
8.0%
4.4%
Revenue YoY
-3.5%
20.3%
Net Profit YoY
-2.7%
-61.9%
EPS (diluted)
$0.67
$0.62

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
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
$158.3M
$233.0M
Q3 25
$163.2M
$277.0M
Q2 25
$162.8M
$263.6M
Q1 25
$164.6M
$230.5M
Q4 24
$164.1M
$193.6M
Q3 24
$153.1M
$227.9M
Q2 24
$152.9M
$226.2M
Q1 24
$154.4M
$210.9M
Net Profit
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
$12.6M
$10.3M
Q3 25
$5.6M
$40.7M
Q2 25
$4.5M
$40.9M
Q1 25
$8.9M
$35.1M
Q4 24
$13.0M
$26.9M
Q3 24
$2.3M
$36.1M
Q2 24
$371.0K
$38.6M
Q1 24
$516.0K
$31.8M
Gross Margin
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
56.4%
39.7%
Q3 25
54.2%
43.0%
Q2 25
51.8%
43.8%
Q1 25
54.5%
44.2%
Q4 24
56.3%
41.4%
Q3 24
50.8%
45.6%
Q2 24
50.2%
47.5%
Q1 24
53.1%
44.4%
Operating Margin
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
12.0%
7.4%
Q3 25
5.9%
20.5%
Q2 25
4.3%
20.8%
Q1 25
7.4%
19.5%
Q4 24
13.1%
15.3%
Q3 24
2.7%
22.6%
Q2 24
1.5%
24.3%
Q1 24
3.4%
21.0%
Net Margin
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
8.0%
4.4%
Q3 25
3.4%
14.7%
Q2 25
2.8%
15.5%
Q1 25
5.4%
15.2%
Q4 24
7.9%
13.9%
Q3 24
1.5%
15.8%
Q2 24
0.2%
17.1%
Q1 24
0.3%
15.1%
EPS (diluted)
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
$0.67
$0.62
Q3 25
$0.30
$2.41
Q2 25
$-0.02
$2.43
Q1 25
$0.41
$2.05
Q4 24
$0.63
$1.60
Q3 24
$0.04
$2.26
Q2 24
$-0.06
$2.47
Q1 24
$-0.06
$2.03

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$174.1M
$40.2M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.7M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$294.8M
$1.1B
Total Assets
$521.4M
$2.3B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.32×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
$174.1M
$40.2M
Q3 25
$191.3M
$31.5M
Q2 25
$174.9M
$38.0M
Q1 25
$161.6M
$225.8M
Q4 24
$131.9M
$213.8M
Q3 24
$135.4M
$273.2M
Q2 24
$129.8M
$18.9M
Q1 24
$125.3M
$22.2M
Total Debt
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
$94.7M
Q3 25
$94.4M
Q2 25
$94.1M
Q1 25
$93.7M
$800.1M
Q4 24
$93.4M
Q3 24
$93.1M
Q2 24
$92.8M
Q1 24
$95.0M
$166.0M
Stockholders' Equity
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
$294.8M
$1.1B
Q3 25
$279.3M
$1.1B
Q2 25
$272.2M
$1.1B
Q1 25
$310.0M
$1.1B
Q4 24
$303.9M
$1.0B
Q3 24
$290.4M
$1.0B
Q2 24
$288.7M
$650.2M
Q1 24
$288.5M
$615.7M
Total Assets
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
$521.4M
$2.3B
Q3 25
$525.3M
$1.5B
Q2 25
$537.4M
$1.5B
Q1 25
$578.7M
$1.4B
Q4 24
$570.1M
$1.4B
Q3 24
$569.6M
$1.4B
Q2 24
$560.7M
$1.1B
Q1 24
$559.0M
$1.0B
Debt / Equity
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
0.32×
Q3 25
0.34×
Q2 25
0.35×
Q1 25
0.30×
0.75×
Q4 24
0.31×
Q3 24
0.32×
Q2 24
0.32×
Q1 24
0.33×
0.27×

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
CSW
CSW
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-11.6M
$28.9M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-15.6M
$22.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-9.9%
9.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
2.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.92×
2.81×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$46.1M
$162.0M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
$-11.6M
$28.9M
Q3 25
$21.7M
$61.8M
Q2 25
$14.8M
$60.6M
Q1 25
$37.0M
$27.3M
Q4 24
$1.6M
$11.6M
Q3 24
$14.1M
$66.8M
Q2 24
$12.5M
$62.7M
Q1 24
$20.7M
$22.4M
Free Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
$-15.6M
$22.7M
Q3 25
$17.5M
$58.7M
Q2 25
$11.1M
$57.7M
Q1 25
$33.1M
$22.8M
Q4 24
$-1.8M
$8.5M
Q3 24
$7.8M
$61.3M
Q2 24
$7.3M
$59.6M
Q1 24
$14.5M
$17.5M
FCF Margin
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
-9.9%
9.8%
Q3 25
10.7%
21.2%
Q2 25
6.8%
21.9%
Q1 25
20.1%
9.9%
Q4 24
-1.1%
4.4%
Q3 24
5.1%
26.9%
Q2 24
4.7%
26.3%
Q1 24
9.4%
8.3%
Capex Intensity
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
2.6%
2.6%
Q3 25
2.6%
1.1%
Q2 25
2.3%
1.1%
Q1 25
2.4%
2.0%
Q4 24
2.0%
1.6%
Q3 24
4.1%
2.4%
Q2 24
3.4%
1.4%
Q1 24
4.0%
2.3%
Cash Conversion
APEI
APEI
CSW
CSW
Q4 25
-0.92×
2.81×
Q3 25
3.90×
1.52×
Q2 25
3.29×
1.48×
Q1 25
4.16×
0.78×
Q4 24
0.12×
0.43×
Q3 24
6.22×
1.85×
Q2 24
33.57×
1.62×
Q1 24
40.20×
0.71×

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%

CSW
CSW

Contractor Solutions Segment$166.3M71%
Specialized Reliability Solutions Segment$38.2M16%
Engineered Building Solutions Segment$28.5M12%

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