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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (APEI) and Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. (MEC). 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 $134.3M, roughly 1.2× Mayville Engineering Company, Inc.). AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC runs the higher net margin — 8.0% vs -3.2%, a 11.2% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (10.7% vs -3.5%). Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($10.2M vs $-15.6M). Over the past eight quarters, AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC's revenue compounded faster (1.3% CAGR vs -8.8%).

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.

Mayville Engineering Company, Inc. is a U.S.-headquartered leading manufacturer of metal components, fabricated assemblies, and custom engineered solutions. It serves OEM clients across agriculture, construction, transportation, defense, and power sports markets, offering end-to-end services from prototyping to high-volume production for North America.

APEI vs MEC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
APEI
APEI
1.2× larger
APEI
$158.3M
$134.3M
MEC
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
MEC
MEC
+14.2% gap
MEC
10.7%
-3.5%
APEI
Higher net margin
APEI
APEI
11.2% more per $
APEI
8.0%
-3.2%
MEC
More free cash flow
MEC
MEC
$25.8M more FCF
MEC
$10.2M
$-15.6M
APEI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
APEI
APEI
Annualised
APEI
1.3%
-8.8%
MEC

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Revenue
$158.3M
$134.3M
Net Profit
$12.6M
$-4.4M
Gross Margin
56.4%
6.8%
Operating Margin
12.0%
-4.1%
Net Margin
8.0%
-3.2%
Revenue YoY
-3.5%
10.7%
Net Profit YoY
-2.7%
-127.3%
EPS (diluted)
$0.67
$-0.22

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
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
$158.3M
$134.3M
Q3 25
$163.2M
$144.3M
Q2 25
$162.8M
$132.3M
Q1 25
$164.6M
$135.6M
Q4 24
$164.1M
$121.3M
Q3 24
$153.1M
$135.4M
Q2 24
$152.9M
$163.6M
Q1 24
$154.4M
$161.3M
Net Profit
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
$12.6M
$-4.4M
Q3 25
$5.6M
$-2.7M
Q2 25
$4.5M
$-1.1M
Q1 25
$8.9M
$20.0K
Q4 24
$13.0M
$16.0M
Q3 24
$2.3M
$3.0M
Q2 24
$371.0K
$3.8M
Q1 24
$516.0K
$3.2M
Gross Margin
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
56.4%
6.8%
Q3 25
54.2%
11.0%
Q2 25
51.8%
10.3%
Q1 25
54.5%
11.3%
Q4 24
56.3%
8.9%
Q3 24
50.8%
12.6%
Q2 24
50.2%
13.6%
Q1 24
53.1%
13.0%
Operating Margin
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
12.0%
-4.1%
Q3 25
5.9%
0.0%
Q2 25
4.3%
0.1%
Q1 25
7.4%
1.2%
Q4 24
13.1%
19.0%
Q3 24
2.7%
4.2%
Q2 24
1.5%
5.0%
Q1 24
3.4%
4.7%
Net Margin
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
8.0%
-3.2%
Q3 25
3.4%
-1.9%
Q2 25
2.8%
-0.8%
Q1 25
5.4%
0.0%
Q4 24
7.9%
13.2%
Q3 24
1.5%
2.2%
Q2 24
0.2%
2.3%
Q1 24
0.3%
2.0%
EPS (diluted)
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
$0.67
$-0.22
Q3 25
$0.30
$-0.13
Q2 25
$-0.02
$-0.05
Q1 25
$0.41
$0.00
Q4 24
$0.63
$0.76
Q3 24
$0.04
$0.14
Q2 24
$-0.06
$0.18
Q1 24
$-0.06
$0.16

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$174.1M
$1.5M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.7M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$294.8M
$240.7M
Total Assets
$521.4M
$563.6M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.32×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
$174.1M
$1.5M
Q3 25
$191.3M
$1.2M
Q2 25
$174.9M
$206.0K
Q1 25
$161.6M
$183.0K
Q4 24
$131.9M
$206.0K
Q3 24
$135.4M
$178.0K
Q2 24
$129.8M
$314.0K
Q1 24
$125.3M
$314.0K
Total Debt
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
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
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
$294.8M
$240.7M
Q3 25
$279.3M
$244.8M
Q2 25
$272.2M
$246.8M
Q1 25
$310.0M
$250.0M
Q4 24
$303.9M
$251.8M
Q3 24
$290.4M
$238.4M
Q2 24
$288.7M
$238.1M
Q1 24
$288.5M
$234.0M
Total Assets
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
$521.4M
$563.6M
Q3 25
$525.3M
$585.6M
Q2 25
$537.4M
$433.7M
Q1 25
$578.7M
$447.7M
Q4 24
$570.1M
$445.6M
Q3 24
$569.6M
$466.0M
Q2 24
$560.7M
$488.2M
Q1 24
$559.0M
$499.9M
Debt / Equity
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
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
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-11.6M
$13.4M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-15.6M
$10.2M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-9.9%
7.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
2.4%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.92×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$46.1M
$26.9M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
$-11.6M
$13.4M
Q3 25
$21.7M
$1.9M
Q2 25
$14.8M
$15.0M
Q1 25
$37.0M
$8.3M
Q4 24
$1.6M
$38.0M
Q3 24
$14.1M
$17.9M
Q2 24
$12.5M
$23.3M
Q1 24
$20.7M
$10.6M
Free Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
$-15.6M
$10.2M
Q3 25
$17.5M
$-1.1M
Q2 25
$11.1M
$12.5M
Q1 25
$33.1M
$5.4M
Q4 24
$-1.8M
$35.6M
Q3 24
$7.8M
$15.1M
Q2 24
$7.3M
$19.2M
Q1 24
$14.5M
$7.8M
FCF Margin
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
-9.9%
7.6%
Q3 25
10.7%
-0.8%
Q2 25
6.8%
9.5%
Q1 25
20.1%
4.0%
Q4 24
-1.1%
29.4%
Q3 24
5.1%
11.1%
Q2 24
4.7%
11.7%
Q1 24
9.4%
4.9%
Capex Intensity
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
2.6%
2.4%
Q3 25
2.6%
2.1%
Q2 25
2.3%
1.8%
Q1 25
2.4%
2.2%
Q4 24
2.0%
1.9%
Q3 24
4.1%
2.1%
Q2 24
3.4%
2.5%
Q1 24
4.0%
1.7%
Cash Conversion
APEI
APEI
MEC
MEC
Q4 25
-0.92×
Q3 25
3.90×
Q2 25
3.29×
Q1 25
4.16×
416.65×
Q4 24
0.12×
2.38×
Q3 24
6.22×
6.03×
Q2 24
33.57×
6.15×
Q1 24
40.20×
3.28×

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%

MEC
MEC

Fabrication$72.2M54%
Construction And Access$19.2M14%
Tubes$16.2M12%
Other Market$11.9M9%
Agriculture$7.7M6%
Military$6.7M5%
Outdoor Sports$1.7M1%

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