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KinderCare LearningKLC -1.97%26 Debt-to-EBITDA is 15.93 as of Jun. 2026, which is 40% above its 10-year median of 11.39. GuruFocus rates KLC with a GF Score™ of 26/100. The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 187 Education companies, KinderCare Learning ranks worse than 534758.82% 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 KinderCare Learning's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
KLC'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -9.29 Med: 11.39 Max: 154.23
Current: -9.29
During the past 8 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of KinderCare Learning was 154.23. The lowest was -9.29. And the median was 11.39.
KLC's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 100% of 187
companies
in the Education industry
Industry Median: 1.52
vs KLC: -9.29
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.
KinderCare Learning Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
KinderCare Learning Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for KinderCare Learning's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* 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.
KLC vs GOTU, APEI, JDZG: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Education & Training Services subindustry, KinderCare Learning'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.
KinderCare Learning Debt-to-EBITDA vs Education Industry
For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, KinderCare Learning's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where KinderCare Learning'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 (Jun. 2026) EBITDA data.
KinderCare Learning (KLC) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 15.93 as of Jun. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on KinderCare Learning. This is 40% above median its historical median of 11.39. According to the industry distribution chart, KinderCare Learning ranks #999999 out of 187 companies in the Education industry.
Is KinderCare Learning's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
KinderCare Learning's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 15.93 is 40% above median its 10-year median of 11.39. The Education industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.52. KinderCare Learning's value of 15.93 is 948% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, KinderCare Learning ranks #999999 out of 187 companies in the Education industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, KinderCare Learning has a GF Score™ of 26/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does KinderCare Learning's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to GOTU and APEI?
According to the Education industry distribution chart, KinderCare Learning ranks #999999 out of 187 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places KinderCare Learning in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.52. KinderCare Learning's value of 15.93 is 948% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 11.39 vs. the industry median of 1.52, KinderCare Learning 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. KinderCare Learning's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 15.93 is 948% 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 KinderCare Learning. 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. KinderCare Learning's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 15.93, which is 40% above median its own 10-year median of 11.39. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is KinderCare Learning stock overvalued right now?
KinderCare Learning (KLC) has a current Debt-to-EBITDA of 15.93. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 15.93, which is 40% above median its 10-year median of 11.39 and 948% above the Education industry median of 1.52. KinderCare Learning's overall GF Score™ is 26/100 with 6 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 KinderCare Learning (KLC), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 15.93 as of Jun. 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.
KinderCare Learning Companies Inc is a private provider of early childhood education and child care services, serving children from six weeks to twelve years through a nationwide network of centers and programs. The company operates through three consumer-facing brands: KinderCare Learning Centers, Creme School, and Champions. KinderCare Learning Centers provide community-based early education and care, Creme School offers premium early education with enrichment-focused programs, and Champions delivers before- and after-school and summer programs for school-aged children.
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