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Side-by-side financial comparison of Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (LOPE) and StepStone Group Inc. (STEP). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

StepStone Group Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($586.5M vs $308.1M, roughly 1.9× Grand Canyon Education, Inc.). Grand Canyon Education, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 28.1% vs -21.0%, a 49.2% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, StepStone Group Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (73.0% vs 5.3%). Grand Canyon Education, Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($122.9M vs $26.7M). Over the past eight quarters, StepStone Group Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (28.2% CAGR vs 5.9%).

Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (GCE) is an American for-profit corporation that provides services to universities, specializing in program development, online education, and operational support. Formerly affiliated with Grand Canyon University (GCU), a Christian university in Arizona, GCE became a separate publicly traded company in 2008.

Rosetta Stone Inc. is an American education technology software company that develops language, literacy and brain-fitness software. Best known for its language-learning products, in 2013, the company expanded beyond language into education-technology with its acquisitions of Livemocha, Lexia Learning, Fit Brains, and Tell Me More. In 2021, it became a subsidiary of IXL Learning.

LOPE vs STEP — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
STEP
STEP
1.9× larger
STEP
$586.5M
$308.1M
LOPE
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
STEP
STEP
+67.7% gap
STEP
73.0%
5.3%
LOPE
Higher net margin
LOPE
LOPE
49.2% more per $
LOPE
28.1%
-21.0%
STEP
More free cash flow
LOPE
LOPE
$96.1M more FCF
LOPE
$122.9M
$26.7M
STEP
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STEP
STEP
Annualised
STEP
28.2%
5.9%
LOPE

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q3 FY2026

Metric
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Revenue
$308.1M
$586.5M
Net Profit
$86.7M
$-123.5M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
35.1%
-33.2%
Net Margin
28.1%
-21.0%
Revenue YoY
5.3%
73.0%
Net Profit YoY
5.9%
35.7%
EPS (diluted)
$3.13
$-1.55

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
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$308.1M
$586.5M
Q3 25
$261.1M
$454.2M
Q2 25
$247.5M
$364.3M
Q1 25
$289.3M
$377.7M
Q4 24
$292.6M
$339.0M
Q3 24
$238.3M
$271.7M
Q2 24
$227.5M
$186.4M
Q1 24
$274.7M
$356.8M
Net Profit
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$86.7M
$-123.5M
Q3 25
$16.3M
$-366.1M
Q2 25
$41.5M
$-38.4M
Q1 25
$71.6M
$-18.5M
Q4 24
$81.9M
$-192.0M
Q3 24
$41.5M
$17.6M
Q2 24
$34.9M
$13.3M
Q1 24
$68.0M
$30.8M
Operating Margin
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
35.1%
-33.2%
Q3 25
6.9%
-148.8%
Q2 25
20.9%
-5.6%
Q1 25
30.4%
2.6%
Q4 24
34.2%
-101.7%
Q3 24
20.2%
21.3%
Q2 24
18.8%
29.4%
Q1 24
30.8%
26.5%
Net Margin
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
28.1%
-21.0%
Q3 25
6.2%
-80.6%
Q2 25
16.8%
-10.5%
Q1 25
24.8%
-4.9%
Q4 24
28.0%
-56.6%
Q3 24
17.4%
6.5%
Q2 24
15.3%
7.2%
Q1 24
24.8%
8.6%
EPS (diluted)
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$3.13
$-1.55
Q3 25
$0.58
$-4.66
Q2 25
$1.48
$-0.49
Q1 25
$2.52
$-0.37
Q4 24
$2.83
$-2.61
Q3 24
$1.42
$0.26
Q2 24
$1.19
$0.20
Q1 24
$2.29
$0.47

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$111.8M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$270.2M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$746.9M
$-378.8M
Total Assets
$992.3M
$5.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$111.8M
Q3 25
$97.3M
Q2 25
$192.3M
Q1 25
$144.5M
Q4 24
$324.6M
Q3 24
$263.6M
Q2 24
$241.3M
Q1 24
$196.2M
Total Debt
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$270.2M
Q3 25
$269.9M
Q2 25
$269.6M
Q1 25
$269.3M
Q4 24
$168.9M
Q3 24
$172.3M
Q2 24
$172.1M
Q1 24
$148.8M
Stockholders' Equity
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$746.9M
$-378.8M
Q3 25
$758.0M
$-233.5M
Q2 25
$778.0M
$153.9M
Q1 25
$780.7M
$179.4M
Q4 24
$783.9M
$209.8M
Q3 24
$764.1M
$397.5M
Q2 24
$759.2M
$366.9M
Q1 24
$759.4M
$324.5M
Total Assets
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$992.3M
$5.2B
Q3 25
$1.0B
$5.3B
Q2 25
$1.0B
$4.8B
Q1 25
$1.0B
$4.6B
Q4 24
$1.0B
$4.3B
Q3 24
$992.9M
$4.0B
Q2 24
$992.7M
$3.8B
Q1 24
$1.0B
$3.8B
Debt / Equity
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
Q3 25
Q2 25
1.75×
Q1 25
1.50×
Q4 24
0.81×
Q3 24
0.43×
Q2 24
0.47×
Q1 24
0.46×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$130.5M
$27.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$122.9M
$26.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
39.9%
4.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.5%
0.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.50×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$238.6M
$18.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$130.5M
$27.2M
Q3 25
$-48.6M
$16.2M
Q2 25
$124.0M
$46.3M
Q1 25
$67.6M
$-66.5M
Q4 24
$135.8M
$27.6M
Q3 24
$-29.4M
$53.7M
Q2 24
$98.6M
$50.2M
Q1 24
$85.0M
$7.6M
Free Cash Flow
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$122.9M
$26.7M
Q3 25
$-58.3M
$15.9M
Q2 25
$115.4M
$45.2M
Q1 25
$58.7M
$-69.2M
Q4 24
$126.1M
$27.0M
Q3 24
$-39.0M
$52.4M
Q2 24
$89.6M
$49.6M
Q1 24
$76.0M
$6.7M
FCF Margin
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
39.9%
4.6%
Q3 25
-22.3%
3.5%
Q2 25
46.6%
12.4%
Q1 25
20.3%
-18.3%
Q4 24
43.1%
8.0%
Q3 24
-16.3%
19.3%
Q2 24
39.4%
26.6%
Q1 24
27.7%
1.9%
Capex Intensity
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
2.5%
0.1%
Q3 25
3.7%
0.1%
Q2 25
3.5%
0.3%
Q1 25
3.1%
0.7%
Q4 24
3.3%
0.2%
Q3 24
4.0%
0.5%
Q2 24
3.9%
0.3%
Q1 24
3.3%
0.3%
Cash Conversion
LOPE
LOPE
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
1.50×
Q3 25
-2.99×
Q2 25
2.98×
Q1 25
0.94×
Q4 24
1.66×
Q3 24
-0.71×
3.05×
Q2 24
2.83×
3.76×
Q1 24
1.25×
0.25×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

LOPE
LOPE

Segment breakdown not available.

STEP
STEP

Other$210.1M36%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Focused Commingled Funds$143.3M24%
Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$85.1M15%
Carried Interest Allocation Separately Managed Accounts$63.6M11%
Carried Interest Allocation Realized$46.7M8%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Advisory And Other Services$18.3M3%
Legacy Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$10.3M2%
Income Based Incentive Fees$6.0M1%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Fund Reimbursement Revenues$3.1M1%

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