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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (APEI) and MediaAlpha, Inc. (MAX). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
MediaAlpha, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($310.0M vs $158.3M, roughly 2.0× AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC). AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC runs the higher net margin — 8.0% vs 4.5%, a 3.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, MediaAlpha, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (17.3% vs -3.5%). Over the past eight quarters, MediaAlpha, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (31.9% 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.
Alpha Group Co., Ltd. is a Chinese multinational conglomerate with animation, toy, mass media asset and entertainment company headquartered created by Cai Dongqing in 1993. In 2016, it changed its name from Alpha Animation. The company has a Chinese webcomics site, U17, and also an American film company, Alpha Pictures, and has announced the creation of an animation division also based in the United States.
APEI vs MAX — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $158.3M | $310.0M |
| Net Profit | $12.6M | $14.0M |
| Gross Margin | 56.4% | 15.1% |
| Operating Margin | 12.0% | 7.2% |
| Net Margin | 8.0% | 4.5% |
| Revenue YoY | -3.5% | 17.3% |
| Net Profit YoY | -2.7% | 701.8% |
| EPS (diluted) | $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.
| Q1 26 | — | $310.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $158.3M | $291.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $163.2M | $306.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $162.8M | $251.6M | ||
| Q1 25 | $164.6M | $264.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $164.1M | $300.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $153.1M | $259.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $152.9M | $178.3M |
| Q1 26 | — | $14.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $12.6M | $31.4M | ||
| Q3 25 | $5.6M | $14.9M | ||
| Q2 25 | $4.5M | $-18.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $8.9M | $-1.9M | ||
| Q4 24 | $13.0M | $4.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.3M | $9.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $371.0K | $3.6M |
| Q1 26 | — | 15.1% | ||
| Q4 25 | 56.4% | 15.4% | ||
| Q3 25 | 54.2% | 14.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | 51.8% | 15.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 54.5% | 15.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | 56.3% | 16.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 50.8% | 15.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 50.2% | 17.8% |
| Q1 26 | — | 7.2% | ||
| Q4 25 | 12.0% | 7.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | 5.9% | 6.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 4.3% | -8.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 7.4% | 0.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 13.1% | 6.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.7% | 6.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.5% | 3.6% |
| Q1 26 | — | 4.5% | ||
| Q4 25 | 8.0% | 10.8% | ||
| Q3 25 | 3.4% | 4.9% | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.8% | -7.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | 5.4% | -0.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 7.9% | 1.5% | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.5% | 3.7% | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.2% | 2.0% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $0.67 | $0.50 | ||
| Q3 25 | $0.30 | $0.26 | ||
| Q2 25 | $-0.02 | $-0.33 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.41 | $-0.04 | ||
| Q4 24 | $0.63 | $0.09 | ||
| Q3 24 | $0.04 | $0.17 | ||
| Q2 24 | $-0.06 | $0.07 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $174.1M | $26.1M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $94.7M | $163.5M |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $294.8M | — |
| Total Assets | $521.4M | $367.7M |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.32× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | $26.1M | ||
| Q4 25 | $174.1M | $46.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $191.3M | $38.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $174.9M | $85.4M | ||
| Q1 25 | $161.6M | $63.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $131.9M | $43.3M | ||
| Q3 24 | $135.4M | $32.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $129.8M | $28.7M |
| Q1 26 | — | $163.5M | ||
| Q4 25 | $94.7M | $153.4M | ||
| Q3 25 | $94.4M | $155.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $94.1M | $158.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $93.7M | $160.2M | ||
| Q4 24 | $93.4M | $162.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $93.1M | $164.7M | ||
| Q2 24 | $92.8M | $166.9M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $294.8M | $4.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $279.3M | $-29.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $272.2M | $-3.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $310.0M | $7.9M | ||
| Q4 24 | $303.9M | $2.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $290.4M | $-8.4M | ||
| Q2 24 | $288.7M | $-24.4M |
| Q1 26 | — | $367.7M | ||
| Q4 25 | $521.4M | $383.8M | ||
| Q3 25 | $525.3M | $266.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $537.4M | $249.4M | ||
| Q1 25 | $578.7M | $240.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $570.1M | $262.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $569.6M | $236.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $560.7M | $198.2M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.32× | 36.88× | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.34× | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.35× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.30× | 20.23× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.31× | 68.31× | ||
| 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 | | |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $-11.6M | $-7.4M | ||
| Q3 25 | $21.7M | $23.6M | ||
| Q2 25 | $14.8M | $25.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $37.0M | $23.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.6M | $14.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | $14.1M | $8.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $12.5M | $21.6M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $-15.6M | $-7.5M | ||
| Q3 25 | $17.5M | $23.6M | ||
| Q2 25 | $11.1M | $25.5M | ||
| Q1 25 | $33.1M | $23.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-1.8M | $14.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | $7.8M | $8.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $7.3M | $21.5M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | -9.9% | -2.6% | ||
| Q3 25 | 10.7% | 7.7% | ||
| Q2 25 | 6.8% | 10.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 20.1% | 8.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | -1.1% | 4.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 5.1% | 3.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 4.7% | 12.0% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 2.6% | 0.0% | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.6% | 0.0% | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.3% | 0.1% | ||
| Q1 25 | 2.4% | 0.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 2.0% | 0.0% | ||
| Q3 24 | 4.1% | 0.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.4% | 0.1% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | -0.92× | -0.24× | ||
| Q3 25 | 3.90× | 1.58× | ||
| Q2 25 | 3.29× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 4.16× | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.12× | 3.13× | ||
| Q3 24 | 6.22× | 0.85× | ||
| Q2 24 | 33.57× | 5.97× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
APEI
| American Public Education Inc Segment | $71.0M | 45% |
| Rasmussen University Segment | $66.6M | 42% |
| Hondros College Of Nursing Segment | $20.7M | 13% |
MAX
Segment breakdown not available.
