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American Public Education (NAS:APEI) Forward PE Ratio Explanation
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
American Public Education Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
American Public Education Forward PE 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.
American Public Education Forward PE Ratio Chart
American Public Education Annual Data
Trend
2015-12
2016-12
2017-12
2018-12
2019-12
2020-12
2021-12
2022-12
2023-12
2024-12
2025-12
Forward PE Ratio
11.93
17.79
23.42
17.12
26.11
20.33
13.91
23.31
21.46
15.29
17.12
American Public Education Quarterly Data
2015-12
2016-03
2016-06
2016-09
2016-12
2017-03
2017-06
2017-09
2017-12
2018-03
2018-06
2018-09
2018-12
2019-03
2019-06
2019-09
2019-12
2020-03
2020-06
2020-09
2020-12
2021-03
2021-06
2021-09
2021-12
2022-03
2022-06
2022-09
2022-12
2023-03
2023-09
2023-12
2024-03
2024-06
2024-09
2024-12
2025-03
2025-06
2025-09
2025-12
2026-03
Forward PE Ratio
11.93
10.82
14.25
13.91
17.79
22.32
21.69
23.26
23.42
27.93
25.64
19.46
17.12
19.57
20.41
19.05
26.11
32.57
40.65
20.33
20.33
24.81
28.25
13.12
13.91
18.05
19.49
18.28
23.31
17.79
16.61
21.46
31.65
37.45
12.25
15.29
17.74
22.31
18.25
17.12
22.78
APEI vs PXED, DAO, AFYA: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Education & Training Services subindustry, American Public Education's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE 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 Forward PE Ratio vs Education Industry
For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, American Public Education's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where American Public Education's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
American Public Education Forward PE Ratio Calculation
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
American Public Education (APEI) has a Forward PE Ratio of 19.90 as of Jul. 17, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on American Public Education and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #82 out of 99 companies in the Education industry, placing it in the top 82.8%.
Is American Public Education's Forward PE Ratio too high?
American Public Education's current Forward PE Ratio is 19.90. The Education industry median Forward PE Ratio is 10.81. American Public Education's value of 19.90 is 84.1% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #82 out of 99 companies in the Education industry, which is in the bottom quartile 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 Forward PE Ratio compare to PXED and DAO?
According to the Education industry distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #82 out of 99 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This places American Public Education in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 10.81. American Public Education's value of 19.90 is 84.1% above this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for an Education company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Education companies is 10.81, based on 99 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. American Public Education's current Forward PE Ratio of 19.90 is 84.1% 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 Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on American Public Education and its competitors. For the Education industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 10.81 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. American Public Education's current Forward PE Ratio is 19.90. 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 $20.43, compared to a current price of $50.74 — trading 148.4% above its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 19.90 and 84.1% above the Education industry median of 10.81. 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 Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For American Public Education (APEI), the current Forward PE Ratio is 19.90 as of Jul. 17, 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 $50.74 is trading 148.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of $20.43.
GuruFocus considers American Public Education to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for APEI:
Forward PE Ratio: 19.90
GF Value™: $20.43 vs. price of $50.74 (148.4% above fair value)
Industry Position: 84.1% above the Education median (#82 of 99)
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
Get the complete analysis for APEI
Forward PE Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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