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American Public EducationAPEI -0.87%69 Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.59 as of Mar. 2026, which is 382% above its 10-year median of 0.33. GuruFocus rates APEI with a GF Score™ of 69/100 and a GF Value™ of $20.46 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 187 Education companies, American Public Education ranks worse than 58.29% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for American Public Education's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
APEI'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -9.99 Med: 0.33 Max: 5.06
Current: 2.13
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of American Public Education was 5.06. The lowest was -9.99. And the median was 0.33.
APEI's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 58.29% of 187
companies
in the Education industry
Industry Median: 1.52
vs APEI: 2.13
American Public Education (NAS:APEI) Debt-to-EBITDA Explanation
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
American Public Education Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
American Public Education Debt-to-EBITDA 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.
APEI vs PXED, DAO, AFYA: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Education & Training Services subindustry, American Public Education's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA 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 Debt-to-EBITDA vs Education Industry
For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, American Public Education's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where American Public Education's Debt-to-EBITDA 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.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
American Public Education (APEI) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.59 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on American Public Education. This is 382% above median its historical median of 0.33. According to the industry distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #109 out of 187 companies in the Education industry, placing it in the top 58.3%.
Is American Public Education's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
American Public Education's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.59 is 382% above median its 10-year median of 0.33. The Education industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.52. American Public Education's value of 1.59 is 4.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #109 out of 187 companies in the Education industry, which is below the industry midpoint. 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 Debt-to-EBITDA compare to PXED and DAO?
According to the Education industry distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #109 out of 187 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places American Public Education in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.52. American Public Education's value of 1.59 is 4.6% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 0.33 vs. the industry median of 1.52, 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 Debt-to-EBITDA for an Education company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Education companies is 1.52, based on 187 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. American Public Education's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 1.59 is 4.6% 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 Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on American Public Education. For the Education industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.52 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. American Public Education's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.59, which is 382% above median its own 10-year median of 0.33. 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 $20.46, compared to a current price of $47.59 — trading 132.6% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.59, which is 382% above median its 10-year median of 0.33 and 4.6% above the Education industry median of 1.52. 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 Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For American Public Education (APEI), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.59 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 $47.59 is trading 132.6% above its estimated GF Value™ of $20.46.
GuruFocus considers American Public Education to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for APEI:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 1.59 (382% above median its 10-year median of 0.33)
GF Value™: $20.46 vs. price of $47.59 (132.6% above fair value)
Industry Position: 4.6% above the Education median (#109 of 187)
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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