Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
Laureate EducationLAUR -2.40%67 Debt-to-EBITDA is 0.72 as of Jun. 2026, which is 74% below its 10-year median of 2.79. GuruFocus rates LAUR with a GF Score™ of 67/100 and a GF Value™ of $24.39 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 188 Education companies, Laureate Education ranks better than 53.72% 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 Laureate Education's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
LAUR'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -12 Med: 2.79 Max: 10.53
Current: 1.27
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Laureate Education was 10.53. The lowest was -12.00. And the median was 2.79.
LAUR's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked better than 53.72% of 188
companies
in the Education industry
Industry Median: 1.46
vs LAUR: 1.27
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.
Laureate Education Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Laureate Education Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Laureate Education'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.
LAUR vs TAL, CVSA, LOPE: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Education & Training Services subindustry, Laureate 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.
Laureate Education Debt-to-EBITDA vs Education Industry
For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Laureate Education's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Laureate 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 (Jun. 2026) EBITDA data.
Laureate Education (LAUR) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 0.72 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 Laureate Education. This is 74% below median its historical median of 2.79. According to the industry distribution chart, Laureate Education ranks #87 out of 188 companies in the Education industry, placing it in the top 46.3%.
Is Laureate Education's Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Laureate Education's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 0.72 is 74% below median its 10-year median of 2.79. The Education industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.46. Laureate Education's value of 0.72 is 50.7% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Laureate Education ranks #87 out of 188 companies in the Education industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Laureate Education has a GF Score™ of 67/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Laureate Education's Debt-to-EBITDA compare to TAL and CVSA?
According to the Education industry distribution chart, Laureate Education ranks #87 out of 188 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This puts Laureate Education in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.46. Laureate Education's value of 0.72 is 50.7% below this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 2.79 vs. the industry median of 1.46, Laureate Education has consistently been below 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 1.46, based on 188 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. Laureate Education's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 0.72 is 50.7% below 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 Laureate Education. For the Education industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.46 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Laureate Education's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 0.72, which is 74% below median its own 10-year median of 2.79. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Laureate Education stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Laureate Education (LAUR) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $24.39, compared to a current price of $36.38 — trading 49.1% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 0.72, which is 74% below median its 10-year median of 2.79 and 50.7% below the Education industry median of 1.46. Laureate Education's overall GF Score™ is 67/100 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 Laureate Education (LAUR), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 0.72 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.
Is Laureate Education (LAUR) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Laureate Education stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $36.38 is trading 49.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of $24.39.
GuruFocus considers Laureate Education to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for LAUR:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 0.72 (74% below median its 10-year median of 2.79)
GF Value™: $24.39 vs. price of $36.38 (49.1% above fair value)
Industry Position: 50.7% below the Education median (#87 of 188)
No single metric tells the full story. See the LAUR stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Laureate Education Inc is an international community of universities. The company provides higher education programs and services to students through an international network of licensed universities and higher education institutions. Its reportable segments include Peru and Mexico, of which Mexico derives maximum revenue. Geographically, the company operates in Mexico, Peru and United States.
67GF Score
Get the complete analysis for LAUR
Debt-to-EBITDA is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
LAUR has been successfully added to your 
