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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC (APEI) and OLAPLEX HOLDINGS, INC. (OLPX). 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 $105.1M, roughly 1.5× OLAPLEX HOLDINGS, INC.). AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC runs the higher net margin — 8.0% vs -12.5%, a 20.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, OLAPLEX HOLDINGS, INC. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (4.3% vs -3.5%). OLAPLEX HOLDINGS, INC. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($32.6M vs $-15.6M). Over the past eight quarters, OLAPLEX HOLDINGS, INC.'s revenue compounded faster (3.1% 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.

Olaplex Holdings, Inc. is a specialty beauty company developing and selling patented bond-repair hair care products. It runs three core segments: professional salon distribution, direct-to-consumer sales, and third-party retail, serving customers across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific with products that repair and protect damaged hair.

APEI vs OLPX — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
APEI
APEI
1.5× larger
APEI
$158.3M
$105.1M
OLPX
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
OLPX
OLPX
+7.9% gap
OLPX
4.3%
-3.5%
APEI
Higher net margin
APEI
APEI
20.4% more per $
APEI
8.0%
-12.5%
OLPX
More free cash flow
OLPX
OLPX
$48.2M more FCF
OLPX
$32.6M
$-15.6M
APEI
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
OLPX
OLPX
Annualised
OLPX
3.1%
1.3%
APEI

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Revenue
$158.3M
$105.1M
Net Profit
$12.6M
$-13.1M
Gross Margin
56.4%
68.0%
Operating Margin
12.0%
-4.3%
Net Margin
8.0%
-12.5%
Revenue YoY
-3.5%
4.3%
Net Profit YoY
-2.7%
-48.9%
EPS (diluted)
$0.67
$-0.02

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
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
$158.3M
$105.1M
Q3 25
$163.2M
$114.6M
Q2 25
$162.8M
$106.3M
Q1 25
$164.6M
$97.0M
Q4 24
$164.1M
$100.7M
Q3 24
$153.1M
$119.1M
Q2 24
$152.9M
$103.9M
Q1 24
$154.4M
$98.9M
Net Profit
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
$12.6M
$-13.1M
Q3 25
$5.6M
$11.1M
Q2 25
$4.5M
$-7.7M
Q1 25
$8.9M
$465.0K
Q4 24
$13.0M
$-8.8M
Q3 24
$2.3M
$14.8M
Q2 24
$371.0K
$5.8M
Q1 24
$516.0K
$7.7M
Gross Margin
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
56.4%
68.0%
Q3 25
54.2%
69.1%
Q2 25
51.8%
71.2%
Q1 25
54.5%
69.5%
Q4 24
56.3%
66.3%
Q3 24
50.8%
68.6%
Q2 24
50.2%
69.7%
Q1 24
53.1%
72.1%
Operating Margin
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
12.0%
-4.3%
Q3 25
5.9%
3.7%
Q2 25
4.3%
-1.1%
Q1 25
7.4%
8.7%
Q4 24
13.1%
3.0%
Q3 24
2.7%
23.5%
Q2 24
1.5%
15.7%
Q1 24
3.4%
19.8%
Net Margin
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
8.0%
-12.5%
Q3 25
3.4%
9.7%
Q2 25
2.8%
-7.3%
Q1 25
5.4%
0.5%
Q4 24
7.9%
-8.7%
Q3 24
1.5%
12.4%
Q2 24
0.2%
5.6%
Q1 24
0.3%
7.8%
EPS (diluted)
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
$0.67
$-0.02
Q3 25
$0.30
$0.02
Q2 25
$-0.02
$-0.01
Q1 25
$0.41
$0.00
Q4 24
$0.63
$-0.01
Q3 24
$0.04
$0.02
Q2 24
$-0.06
$0.01
Q1 24
$-0.06
$0.01

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$174.1M
$318.7M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$94.7M
$352.3M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$294.8M
$879.4M
Total Assets
$521.4M
$1.5B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.32×
0.40×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
$174.1M
$318.7M
Q3 25
$191.3M
$286.4M
Q2 25
$174.9M
$289.3M
Q1 25
$161.6M
$580.9M
Q4 24
$131.9M
$586.0M
Q3 24
$135.4M
$538.8M
Q2 24
$129.8M
$507.9M
Q1 24
$125.3M
$507.5M
Total Debt
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
$94.7M
$352.3M
Q3 25
$94.4M
$352.1M
Q2 25
$94.1M
$351.9M
Q1 25
$93.7M
$649.1M
Q4 24
$93.4M
$650.5M
Q3 24
$93.1M
$651.8M
Q2 24
$92.8M
$653.1M
Q1 24
$95.0M
$654.4M
Stockholders' Equity
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
$294.8M
$879.4M
Q3 25
$279.3M
$888.7M
Q2 25
$272.2M
$874.2M
Q1 25
$310.0M
$878.3M
Q4 24
$303.9M
$874.4M
Q3 24
$290.4M
$879.7M
Q2 24
$288.7M
$863.3M
Q1 24
$288.5M
$855.7M
Total Assets
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
$521.4M
$1.5B
Q3 25
$525.3M
$1.5B
Q2 25
$537.4M
$1.5B
Q1 25
$578.7M
$1.8B
Q4 24
$570.1M
$1.8B
Q3 24
$569.6M
$1.8B
Q2 24
$560.7M
$1.8B
Q1 24
$559.0M
$1.8B
Debt / Equity
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
0.32×
0.40×
Q3 25
0.34×
0.40×
Q2 25
0.35×
0.40×
Q1 25
0.30×
0.74×
Q4 24
0.31×
0.74×
Q3 24
0.32×
0.74×
Q2 24
0.32×
0.76×
Q1 24
0.33×
0.76×

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
OLPX
OLPX
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-11.6M
$32.7M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-15.6M
$32.6M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-9.9%
31.0%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.6%
0.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.92×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$46.1M
$58.3M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
$-11.6M
$32.7M
Q3 25
$21.7M
$8.0M
Q2 25
$14.8M
$20.9M
Q1 25
$37.0M
$-2.9M
Q4 24
$1.6M
$49.7M
Q3 24
$14.1M
$33.5M
Q2 24
$12.5M
$16.2M
Q1 24
$20.7M
$43.7M
Free Cash Flow
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
$-15.6M
$32.6M
Q3 25
$17.5M
$7.9M
Q2 25
$11.1M
$20.8M
Q1 25
$33.1M
$-3.0M
Q4 24
$-1.8M
$49.2M
Q3 24
$7.8M
$33.3M
Q2 24
$7.3M
$16.1M
Q1 24
$14.5M
$43.3M
FCF Margin
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
-9.9%
31.0%
Q3 25
10.7%
6.9%
Q2 25
6.8%
19.6%
Q1 25
20.1%
-3.1%
Q4 24
-1.1%
48.9%
Q3 24
5.1%
28.0%
Q2 24
4.7%
15.5%
Q1 24
9.4%
43.7%
Capex Intensity
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
2.6%
0.1%
Q3 25
2.6%
0.1%
Q2 25
2.3%
0.1%
Q1 25
2.4%
0.0%
Q4 24
2.0%
0.4%
Q3 24
4.1%
0.1%
Q2 24
3.4%
0.1%
Q1 24
4.0%
0.5%
Cash Conversion
APEI
APEI
OLPX
OLPX
Q4 25
-0.92×
Q3 25
3.90×
0.72×
Q2 25
3.29×
Q1 25
4.16×
-6.27×
Q4 24
0.12×
Q3 24
6.22×
2.26×
Q2 24
33.57×
2.81×
Q1 24
40.20×
5.64×

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%

OLPX
OLPX

Sales Channel Directly To Consumer$43.6M42%
Sales Channel Through Intermediary Professional$36.8M35%
Sales Channel Through Intermediary Specialty Retail$24.7M23%

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