American Public EducationAPEI +1.60%69 Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 33.35% as of Mar. 2026, which is 306% above its 10-year median of 8.21. GuruFocus rates APEI with a GF Score™ of 69/100 and a GF Value™ of $20.39 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 247 Education companies, American Public Education ranks better than 62.75% on this metric.
Return-on-Tangible-Equity is calculated as Net Income divided by its average total shareholder tangible equity. Total shareholder tangible equity equals to Total Stockholders Equity minus Intangible Assets. American Public Education's annualized net income for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $70.9 Mil. American Public Education's average shareholder tangible equity for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $212.7 Mil. Therefore, American Public Education's annualized Return-on-Tangible-Equity for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 33.35%.
The historical rank and industry rank for American Public Education's Return-on-Tangible-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
APEI'
s Return-on-Tangible-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -85.36 Med: 8.21 Max: 19.73
Current: 19.73
During the past 13 years, American Public Education's highest Return-on-Tangible-Equity was 19.73%. The lowest was -85.36%. And the median was 8.21%.
APEI's Return-on-Tangible-Equity is ranked better than 62.75% of 247
companies
in the Education industry
Industry Median: 11.4
vs APEI: 19.73
American Public Education (NAS:APEI) Return-on-Tangible-Equity Explanation
Return-on-Tangible-Equity measures the rate of return on the ownership interest (shareholder's tangible equity) of the common stock owners. It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from every unit of shareholders' tangible equity (shareholders equity minus intangibles). Return-on-Tangible-Equity shows how well a company uses investment funds to generate earnings growth. Return-on-Tangible-Equitys between 15% and 20% are considered desirable.
Be Aware
Net Income is used.
Because a company can increase its Return-on-Tangible-Equity by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high Return-on-Tangible-Equity companies. Like Return-on-Tangible-Asset, Return-on-Tangible-Equity is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective.
Asset light businesses require very few assets to generate very high earnings. Their Return-on-Tangible-Equitys can be extremely high.
American Public Education Return-on-Tangible-Equity Related Terms
American Public Education Return-on-Tangible-Equity Historical Data
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The historical data trend for American Public Education's Return-on-Tangible-Equity 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.
American Public Education Return-on-Tangible-Equity Chart
APEI vs PXED, DAO, AFYA: Return-on-Tangible-Equity Comparison
For the Education & Training Services subindustry, American Public Education's Return-on-Tangible-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Return-on-Tangible-Equity 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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity vs Education Industry
For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, American Public Education's Return-on-Tangible-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where American Public Education's Return-on-Tangible-Equity 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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total shareholder tangible equity over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the net income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data.
Return-on-Tangible-Equity is displayed in the 10-year financial page.
What does a Return-on-Tangible-Equity of 33.35% mean?
American Public Education (APEI) has a Return-on-Tangible-Equity of 33.35% as of Mar. 2026. Return on tangible equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period tangible equity. View historical data on American Public Education and its competitors. This is 306% above median its historical median of 8.21. According to the industry distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #92 out of 247 companies in the Education industry, placing it in the top 37.2%.
Is American Public Education's Return-on-Tangible-Equity too high?
American Public Education's current Return-on-Tangible-Equity of 33.35% is 306% above median its 10-year median of 8.21. The Education industry median Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 11.40. American Public Education's value of 33.35% is 192.5% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #92 out of 247 companies in the Education industry, which is above 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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity compare to PXED and DAO?
According to the Education industry distribution chart, American Public Education ranks #92 out of 247 companies for Return-on-Tangible-Equity. This puts American Public Education in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 11.40. American Public Education's value of 33.35% is 192.5% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 8.21 vs. the industry median of 11.40, 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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity for an Education company?
The median Return-on-Tangible-Equity among Education companies is 11.40, based on 247 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Return-on-Tangible-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Return-on-Tangible-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. American Public Education's current Return-on-Tangible-Equity of 33.35% is 192.5% 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 Return-on-Tangible-Equity mean?
A high Return-on-Tangible-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on tangible equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period tangible equity. View historical data on American Public Education and its competitors. For the Education industry, the median Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 11.40 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. American Public Education's current Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 33.35%, which is 306% above median its own 10-year median of 8.21. 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 $20.39, compared to a current price of $56.72 — trading 178.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 33.35%, which is 306% above median its 10-year median of 8.21 and 192.5% above the Education industry median of 11.40. American Public Education's overall GF Score™ is 69/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Return-on-Tangible-Equity calculated?
Return-on-Tangible-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For American Public Education (APEI), the current Return-on-Tangible-Equity is 33.35% 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 $56.72 is trading 178.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of $20.39.
GuruFocus considers American Public Education to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for APEI:
Return-on-Tangible-Equity: 33.35% (306% above median its 10-year median of 8.21)
GF Value™: $20.39 vs. price of $56.72 (178.2% above fair value)
Industry Position: 192.5% above the Education median (#92 of 247)
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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