Start here if you're new
what it is
Perdoceo runs online colleges and blended programs for career-focused students in the U.S.
how it gets paid
Last year Perdoceo Education made $846M in revenue. Colorado Technical University was the main engine at $338M, or 40% of sales.
why it's growing
Revenue grew 24.2% last year. EPS was $1.87, up 212% from the year-ago quarter.
what just happened
Revenue hit $634M, up 199% vs. prior year.
At a glance
B++ balance sheet — above average — nothing keeping you up at night
80/100 earnings predictability — you can trust these numbers
6.6x trailing p/e — the market's not buying it — or you found a deal
1.7% dividend yield — cash in your pocket every quarter
14.4% return on capital — nothing to write home about
xvary composite: 61/100 — average
What they do
Perdoceo runs online colleges and blended programs for career-focused students in the U.S.
You have 41,400 students across two schools. That is a full machine for a $2B company. operating margin → profit after running the business → 23.2% means 23 cents of every dollar stayed after costs. A $54M debt load looks small next to that cash flow.
How they make money
$846M
annual revenue · their business grew +24.2% last year
Colorado Technical University
$338M
+15.0%
American InterContinental University
$278M
+28.0%
Student services and support
$142M
+12.0%
Technology, platform, and other
$88M
+10.0%
The products that matter
online career university
Colorado Technical University (CTU)
$211.6M · about 25% of segment revenue
CTU generated $211.6M in revenue and grew 20% from last year. It is the smaller campus, but it still carries real weight in a company this size.
25% of mix
online career university
American InterContinental University (AIU)
$635.4M · about 75% of segment revenue
AIU generated $635.4M and grew 24.2% from last year. This is the larger engine, so its enrollment trend carries more of your thesis.
main engine
Key numbers
$846M
annual revenue
This is the whole machine. On 41,400 students, that is about $20,434 of revenue per student.
23.2%
operating margin
This is the spread after running the business. At 23.2%, PRDO keeps more than most schools.
6.6x
trailing p/e
You are paying $6.60 for $1 of earnings. That is cheap unless growth falls apart.
41,400
students
That is the customer base. A 5% swing is about 2,070 students, which matters for tuition revenue.
Financial health
B++
strength
- balance sheet grade B++ — above average financial health
- risk rank 3 — safer than 50% of stocks
- price stability 50 / 100
- long-term debt $54M (2% of capital)
B++ — functional but not a standout on the balance sheet.
Total return vs. market
Return history isn't available for PRDO right now.
source: institutional data · return history unavailable
What just happened
beat estimates
Revenue hit $634M, up 199% vs. prior year.
EPS was $1.87, up 212% from the year-ago quarter. The business is still small enough that enrollment swings show up fast.
$634M
revenue
$1.87
eps
23.2%
operating margin
the number that mattered
The $634M quarter matters because it dwarfs the old run rate and shows the business can scale, not just survive.
source: company earnings report, 2026
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What could go wrong
the top risk here is student enrollment and retention slipping after the recent momentum.
med
Enrollment and retention slowdown
This is a tuition business. If fewer students start or more students leave, the same $846M revenue base that looks sturdy today gets pressured fast.
The 28% operating margin only looks durable if student demand stays healthy.
med
Federal aid and outcomes scrutiny
For-profit education always lives under a brighter regulatory light. Rules tied to recruiting, student outcomes, or aid eligibility would land directly on CTU and AIU.
That pressure would hit the same high-margin model currently making the stock look mispriced.
med
Execution or reputational stumble at the larger campus
AIU produced $635.4M versus $211.6M for CTU. That means the bigger campus carries more of the story, and a stumble there does not get averaged away.
A brand or operating issue at AIU would matter more because it represents about three quarters of segment revenue.
These risks sit on top of an $846M revenue base, so the valuation only works if student demand and compliance both hold.
source: institutional data · regulatory filings · risk analysis
Pay attention to
trend
AIU versus CTU growth
AIU is about 75% of revenue and CTU is about 25%. If growth starts narrowing or reversing, the mix tells you where the thesis is changing.
metric
Operating margin after the beat
The 28% operating margin is the reason this stock looks strange in a good way. If that slips while revenue growth slows, the cheap multiple is deserved.
calendar
The next quarterly report
Management raised 2026 EPS guidance. The next print is where words become numbers.
risk
Any change in federal oversight tone
When regulators tighten the conversation around student outcomes or aid, for-profit educators usually feel it before the full financial effect shows up.
Analyst rankings
earnings predictability
80 / 100
in human-speak, analysts think management's numbers are usually dependable.
risk rank
3
safer than about half the market. Not a bunker stock, not a balance-sheet drama.
price stability
50 / 100
the stock is middle-of-the-road on volatility. You are not buying a utility, but you are not buying chaos either.
source: institutional data
Institutional activity
institutional ownership data for PRDO is being compiled.
source: institutional data
Price targets
3-5 year target range
n/a
n/a
$33
current price
n/a
target midpoint · n/a from current
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