Grand Canyon Education Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Grand Canyon Education Inc (LOPE) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Grand Canyon Education Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 1,142M vs 5,873M combined for its competitors (16.3% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-7.5% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+10.8%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Grand Canyon Education Inc generated 6.7% revenue growth year over year in Q2 2026, vs 11.0% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 17.4% net margin compares with 15.7% for the peer group.
- Scale: Grand Canyon Education Inc ranks #4 of 44 companies by market capitalization in the Educational Services industry, holding 9.8% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Grand Canyon Education Inc accounted for 14.0% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 14.5% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.86M compares with $0.13M for the peer group (6.6x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
LOPE Sales vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Grand Canyon Education Inc reported revenue growth of 6.69 % year on year in Q2 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 10.97 %.
With a net margin of 17.37 %, Grand Canyon Education Inc achieved higher profitability than its competitors (15.73 %).
Grand Canyon Education Inc generated 13.97 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 14.45 % a year earlier.
Grand Canyon Education Inc vs. its Competitors, Q2 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in Grand Canyon Education Inc reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Grand Canyon Education Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon Education inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (3) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Grand Canyon Education Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Educational Services industry grew revenue 8.3% year over year, combined, vs 6.7% for Grand Canyon Education Inc. Grand Canyon Education Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 2.04% to 2.01%, a loss of 0.03 percentage points.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon Education inc | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Competitors combined (5) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (1) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
LOPE Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
LOPE Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
LOPE Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Public Education Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Laureate Education Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Strategic Education Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Covista inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Perdoceo Education Corp | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Grand Canyon Education Inc's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Grand Canyon Education inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Grand Canyon Education inc |
3,877.56 | 1,142.07 |
 Laureate Education Inc |
4,583.86 | 1,914.95 |
 Covista inc |
4,298.46 | 2,003.33 |
 Perdoceo Education Corp |
1,890.88 | 854.84 |
 Strategic Education Inc |
1,585.86 | 1,286.35 |
 American Public Education Inc |
763.12 | 668.01 |
| SUBTOTAL | 16,999.74 | 7,869.55 |
Sources: Grand Canyon Education inc's official press releases and company reports; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the company reports and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Grand Canyon Education inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Grand Canyon Education Inc reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Aspen Group Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Strategic Education Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Laureate Education Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Perdoceo Education Corp | Company report | 85% |
| American Public Education Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Zovio inc | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Grand Canyon Education Inc's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from Grand Canyon Education Inc reports (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Laureate Education Inc | Mexico 52.87 % |
| Covista inc | Walden University Segment 42.36 % |
| Perdoceo Education Corp | CTU 54.12 % |
| Strategic Education Inc | U.S. Higher Education 65.39 % |
| American Public Education Inc | Health+ 50.20 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon Education inc | 3,878 | 858,696 | 168,635 |
| Laureate Education Inc | 4,584 | 56,488 | 11,453 |
| Covista inc | 4,298 | - | - |
| Perdoceo Education Corp | 1,891 | 142,473 | 28,363 |
| Strategic Education Inc | 1,586 | 209,708 | 21,928 |
| American Public Education Inc | 763 | 114,366 | 7,819 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 13,122 | 129,686 | 19,196 |
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent report. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Covista inc | Domestic Operations 79.97 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 40 companies in Grand Canyon Education Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Grand Canyon Education Inc ranks #4 of 40 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 9.82 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 792, indicating a unconcentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graham Holdings Co | 5,035 | 12.75 % |
| 2 | Laureate Education Inc | 4,649 | 11.77 % |
| 3 | Covista inc | 4,440 | 11.25 % |
| 4 | Grand Canyon Education inc | 3,878 | 9.82 % |
| 5 | Stride Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Lixiang Education Holding Co Ltd | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Youdao Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Tal Education Group | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Perdoceo Education Corp | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Strategic Education Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Grand Canyon Education Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-10-30.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graham Holdings Co | 5,035 | 12.62 % |
| 2 | Laureate Education Inc | 4,649 | 19.51 % |
| 3 | Covista inc | 4,440 | -9.03 % |
| 4 | Grand Canyon Education inc | 3,878 | -25.13 % |
| 5 | Stride Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 6 | Lixiang Education Holding Co Ltd | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 7 | Youdao Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 8 | Tal Education Group | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 9 | Perdoceo Education Corp | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Grand Canyon Education Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-10-30. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Educational Services industry average (63 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Educational Services industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 305.2x | 20.6x | +284.6x |
| EV / EBITDA | 12.2x | 14.9x | -2.8x |
| P/B | 5.8x | 2.6x | +3.2x |
| Return on Equity | 0.31 % | industry aggregate | -16.35 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | - | -3.50 % (avg) | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | -13.14 % | -7.97 % | 8.59 % | 6.04 % | 1.64 % | 5.44 % | 7.50 % | 7.07 % |
| Operating Margin | 30.37 % | 34.05 % | 30.53 % | 31.47 % | 26.06 % | 25.94 % | 26.66 % | 24.37 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 11.11 % | 9.03 % | 8.05 % | 9.56 % | 17.27 % | 16.39 % | 15.75 % | 15.22 % |
| P/E | 22.1x | 16.9x | 18.6x | 13.6x | 18.9x | - | - | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs Grand Canyon Education Inc's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
Grand Canyon Education Inc falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.77x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 0.9% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | High | Industry HHI of 792 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | Lower than typical for the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 3.16 % vs industry average 4.94 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments. Supplier power and buyer power are not assessed here -- see Grand Canyon Education Inc's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages for concentration data; threat of substitutes has no systematic data source in this system and is not estimated.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Grand Canyon Education Inc falls in the Low attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Harvest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
No rule matched.
Weaknesses
- Return on equity 16.3 points below the industry aggregate.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-7.5% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below, the standard financial-distress signal.
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
No rule matched.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon Education inc | 0.95 | 3.08 | - |
| Laureate Education Inc | 0.34 | 0.67 | 0.26 |
| Covista inc | 0.41 | 0.85 | 0.39 |
| Perdoceo Education Corp | 0.97 | 4.63 | - |
| Strategic Education Inc | 0.56 | 1.18 | - |
| American Public Education Inc | - | 3.11 | 0.31 |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon Education inc | Q2 2026 | +6.7 % | +10.4 % |
| Laureate Education Inc | Q3 2026 | +21.2 % | +194.4 % |
| Covista inc | Q3 2026 | +10.7 % | +9.0 % |
| Perdoceo Education Corp | Q1 2026 | +4.1 % | +23.5 % |
| Strategic Education Inc | Q2 2026 | +4.9 % | +14.9 % |
| American Public Education Inc | Q2 2026 | +5.5 % | +882.2 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +10.2 % | +46.8 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon Education inc | Q2 2026 | - | +24.6 % |
| Laureate Education Inc | Q3 2026 | +11.6 % | +53.6 % |
| Covista inc | Q3 2026 | +9.8 % | +134.6 % |
| Perdoceo Education Corp | Q1 2026 | - | +0.2 % |
| Strategic Education Inc | Q2 2026 | - | +30.5 % |
| American Public Education Inc | Q2 2026 | -2.3 % | +28.2 % |
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon Education inc | 22.93% | 23.73% | 31.25% |
| Laureate Education Inc | 16.54% | 20.71% | 34.24% |
| Covista inc | 9.00% | 10.45% | 18.16% |
| Perdoceo Education Corp | 13.27% | 17.21% | 17.21% |
| Strategic Education Inc | 6.48% | 7.40% | 8.19% |
| American Public Education Inc | 8.61% | 10.30% | 15.30% |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Grand Canyon Education Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon Education inc | 284.38 | 3.40 |
| Laureate Education Inc | 12.26 | 2.39 |
| Covista inc | 17.10 | 2.15 |
| Perdoceo Education Corp | 11.47 | 2.21 |
| Strategic Education Inc | 12.24 | 1.23 |
| American Public Education Inc | 16.63 | 1.14 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 13.93 | 2.16 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.