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American Public EducationAPEI -2.32%69 Cash Ratio is 2.30 as of Mar. 2026, which is 23% below its 10-year median of 2.97. GuruFocus rates APEI with a GF Score™ of 69/100 and a GF Value™ of $20.49 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 259 Education companies, American Public Education ranks better than 82.24% on this metric.
American Public Education has a Cash Ratio of 2.30. It generally indicates that the company is able to cover all short-term debt and still have cash remaining.
The historical rank and industry rank for American Public Education's Cash Ratio or its related term are showing as below:
APEI'
s Cash Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.27 Med: 2.97 Max: 6.35
Current: 2.3
During the past 13 years, American Public Education's highest Cash Ratio was 6.35. The lowest was 1.27. And the median was 2.97.
APEI's Cash Ratio is ranked better than 82.24% of 259
companies
in the Education industry
Industry Median: 0.78
vs APEI: 2.30
American Public Education (NAS:APEI) Cash Ratio Explanation
The cash ratio is more conservative than other liquidity ratios, such as Quick Ratio and Current Ratio, because it only considers a company's most liquid resources. The numerator of cash ratio only considers Cash, Cash Equivalents and marketable securities. Other current assets, such as accounts receivable and inventories, are not included. The rationale is that these assets may require time to be transformed into cash, and the amount of money received is also uncertain.
The cash ratio shows a company’s ability to pay all current liabilities immediately without selling or liquidating other assets. Generally speaking, a higher cash ratio suggests the company has a stronger ability to cover its short-term debt. However, a high cash ratio could also indicate inefficient management: the company is inefficient in making full utilization of cash to invest protential profitable project. It may also suggest that the company is not confident about future profitability.
In general, the higher the cash ratio, the better the company's liquidity position.
American Public Education Cash Ratio Related Terms
American Public Education Cash Ratio Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Education & Training Services subindustry, American Public Education's Cash Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Cash Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
American Public Education Cash Ratio vs Education Industry
For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, American Public Education's Cash Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where American Public Education's Cash Ratio falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
American Public Education (APEI) has a Cash Ratio of 2.30 as of Mar. 2026. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on American Public Education and its competitors. This is 23% below median its historical median of 2.97. Over the past decade, American Public Education's Cash Ratio has ranged from 1.27 to 6.35. According to the industry distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #46 out of 259 companies in the Education industry, placing it in the top 17.8%.
Is American Public Education's Cash Ratio too high?
American Public Education's current Cash Ratio of 2.30 is 23% below median its 10-year median of 2.97. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.27 to a high of 6.35. The Education industry median Cash Ratio is 0.78. American Public Education's value of 2.30 is 194.9% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #46 out of 259 companies in the Education industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, American Public Education has a GF Score™ of 69/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does American Public Education's Cash Ratio compare to PXED and KLC?
According to the Education industry distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #46 out of 259 companies for Cash Ratio. This places American Public Education in the top 18% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Cash Ratio is 0.78. American Public Education's value of 2.30 is 194.9% above this benchmark. Historically, American Public Education's own Cash Ratio has ranged from 1.27 to 6.35 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 2.97 vs. the industry median of 0.78, American Public Education has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Cash Ratio for an Education company?
The median Cash Ratio among Education companies is 0.78, based on 259 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Cash Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Cash Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. American Public Education's current Cash Ratio of 2.30 is 194.9% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Cash Ratio mean?
A high Cash Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on American Public Education and its competitors. For the Education industry, the median Cash Ratio is 0.78 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. American Public Education's current Cash Ratio is 2.30, which is 23% below median its own 10-year median of 2.97. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is American Public Education stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, American Public Education (APEI) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $20.49, compared to a current price of $48.51 — trading 136.7% above its estimated fair value. The current Cash Ratio is 2.30, which is 23% below median its 10-year median of 2.97 and 194.9% above the Education industry median of 0.78. American Public Education's overall GF Score™ is 69/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Cash Ratio calculated?
Cash Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For American Public Education (APEI), the current Cash Ratio is 2.30 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is American Public Education (APEI) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, American Public Education stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $48.51 is trading 136.7% above its estimated GF Value™ of $20.49.
GuruFocus considers American Public Education to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for APEI:
Cash Ratio: 2.30 (23% below median its 10-year median of 2.97)
GF Value™: $20.49 vs. price of $48.51 (136.7% above fair value)
Industry Position: 194.9% above the Education median (#46 of 259)
No single metric tells the full story. See the APEI stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
American Public Education Inc provides online and campus based postsecondary education including various undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The fields of study include business administration, health science, technology, criminal justice, education, liberal arts, national security, military studies, intelligence, and homeland security. There are three reporting segments: the American Public University segment which is the key revenue generator, provides online postsecondary education as a distance-learning, graduate-level institution for military officers seeking a degree in military studies; the Rasmussen University Segment and the Hondros College of Nursing segment. The revenue is generated from net course registrations and enrollment, tuition rate, net tuition, and other fees.
69GF Score
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