Grand Canyon Education, Inc.
- Open
- 140.32
- Day high
- 148.75
- Day low
- 138.61
- Prev close
- 147.66
- Volume
- 218K
- Mkt cap
- $3.8B
- P/E (TTM)
- 17.5
- EPS (TTM)
- $8.32
- P/B
- 5.7
- P/S
- 3.3
- Yield
- —
- Per share
- —
Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (LOPE) is a Consumer Defensive company listed on NASDAQ. The stock is down 26% over the past year. Drillr has 1 published research article covering LOPE.
Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (LOPE) financials & analyst ratings
Fundamentals (TTM)
Analyst consensus · 2 analysts
Source: exchange market data + company filings. Figures are trailing-twelve-month or as most recently reported. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
LOPE earnings date, history & EPS estimates
| Report date | EPS est | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2026 | $1.67 | $1.81 | +8.4% | $264M | +0.8% |
| Apr 30, 2026 | $2.78 | $2.86 | +2.9% | $309M | +0.3% |
| Feb 18, 2026 | $3.19 | $3.21 | +0.6% | $308M | +0.0% |
| Nov 5, 2025 | $1.78 | $1.78 | +0.0% | $261M | -15.2% |
| Aug 6, 2025 | $1.37 | $1.53 | +11.7% | $247M | +2.7% |
| Feb 19, 2025 | $2.93 | $2.95 | +0.7% | $293M | +1.0% |
| Feb 13, 2024 | $2.72 | $2.77 | +1.8% | $278M | +1.2% |
| Nov 2, 2023 | $1.09 | $1.26 | +15.6% | $222M | +1.0% |
| Aug 3, 2023 | $0.89 | $1.01 | +13.5% | $211M | +1.2% |
| May 2, 2023 | $1.96 | $2.00 | +2.0% | $250M | +0.2% |
| Feb 16, 2023 | $2.24 | $2.36 | +5.4% | $259M | +1.0% |
| Oct 27, 2022 | $0.87 | $1.02 | +17.2% | $209M | +0.4% |
LOPE insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 11, 2026 | HENRY JACK Adirector | Grant | 498 | — |
| Jun 11, 2026 | Ward Saradirector | Grant | 498 | — |
| Jun 11, 2026 | Keegan Lisa Grahamdirector | Grant | 498 | — |
| Jun 11, 2026 | Humphrey Chevydirector | Grant | 498 | — |
| Jun 11, 2026 | Warren Kevin F.director | Grant | 498 | — |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Browning Loriofficer: CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER | Grant | 1,442 | — |
| Jan 30, 2026 | BACHUS DANIEL Eofficer: CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | Grant | 3,696 | — |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Marsh Dilekofficer: CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER | Grant | 2,859 | — |
| Jan 30, 2026 | MUELLER BRIAN Edirector, officer: CEO | Grant | 6,926 | — |
| Jan 30, 2026 | Meyer William Stanofficer: CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER | Grant | 3,696 | — |
| Nov 12, 2025 | Humphrey Chevydirector | Sell | 600 | $166.15 |
| Jun 12, 2025 | Keegan Lisa Grahamdirector | Grant | 409 | — |
| Jun 12, 2025 | Warren Kevin F.director | Grant | 409 | — |
| Jun 12, 2025 | Ward Saradirector | Grant | 409 | — |
| Jun 12, 2025 | HENRY JACK Adirector | Grant | 409 | — |
Source: LOPE SEC Form 4 filings, latest Jun 11, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
See the full LOPE insider & 13F page →Grand Canyon Education, Inc. company profile
Overview
Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) is a Phoenix-based education services company founded in 1949 that provides comprehensive educational support services to colleges and universities across the United States. Originally established as Grand Canyon College, the company has evolved from a traditional educational institution into a leading provider of technology-enabled educational services. Today, Grand Canyon Education operates as a service provider supporting educational institutions through its various technology, academic, counseling, marketing, and back-office services, while maintaining a significant relationship with Grand Canyon University (GCU) as its primary client.
Business
Grand Canyon Education operates in the higher education services industry, providing comprehensive support services that enable colleges and universities to deliver educational programs across multiple delivery formats. The company's core business model centers around offering Education Program Management (EPM) services, which encompass the full spectrum of operational support needed to run modern educational institutions. The company's service offerings are organized into several key categories. Technology services include learning management systems that facilitate online course delivery, internal administration systems for student records and institutional operations, IT infrastructure management, and comprehensive technical support services. Academic services comprise program and curriculum development, faculty recruitment and training, class scheduling optimization, and specialized skills and simulation laboratory sites for hands-on learning experiences. Counseling and student support services cover the entire student lifecycle, including admissions processing, financial aid administration, and field experience coordination for programs requiring practical training components. The company also provides extensive marketing and communication services such as lead acquisition and digital marketing strategies, brand identity development, market research and analytics, media planning and strategy, video production, and business intelligence and data science capabilities. Additionally, Grand Canyon Education offers back-office services including finance and accounting, human resources management, audit services, and procurement operations. Through its subsidiary Orbis Education Services, the company specifically supports healthcare education programs for 27 universities, demonstrating specialized expertise in this high-demand sector. The company's revenue is primarily derived from its service contract with Grand Canyon University, which represents the vast majority of its business, with additional revenue coming from its healthcare education partnerships through Orbis Education Services.
Revenue model
Grand Canyon Education generates revenue primarily through service fee arrangements with educational institutions, with the majority of its income derived from a comprehensive service agreement with Grand Canyon University. Under this model, the company receives service fees calculated as a percentage of GCU's net revenue, typically ranging in the mid-to-high 60% range of the university's revenue. This arrangement covers the full spectrum of services the company provides, from technology infrastructure and academic support to marketing and back-office operations. The company's customers are primarily colleges and universities seeking to enhance their operational capabilities, expand their program offerings, or improve their online and hybrid education delivery. Grand Canyon Education's primary client, Grand Canyon University, operates across multiple educational delivery formats including traditional ground campus programs, online degree programs for working adults, and hybrid programs that combine online and in-person instruction. Several factors influence the company's profitability and margins. Enrollment growth at partner institutions directly impacts revenue, as higher student populations generate increased service fees. The company benefits from economies of scale, as its technology platforms and operational infrastructure can support growing enrollment without proportional increases in costs. Program mix also affects margins, with certain high-demand programs like nursing and education typically commanding premium pricing and generating stronger returns. Regulatory changes in higher education, particularly around federal financial aid programs and accreditation requirements, can impact both costs and revenue potential. Competition from other education service providers and alternative educational delivery methods creates pricing pressure. Labor market conditions affect both the demand for educational programs and the company's ability to attract qualified faculty and staff. Technology investments require significant upfront capital but can improve long-term margins through operational efficiency gains. The company's business model benefits from recurring revenue characteristics, as students typically remain enrolled for multiple years, providing revenue visibility and predictability. However, the business is subject to seasonal fluctuations, with stronger enrollment periods during traditional academic calendar periods.
Competitive moat
Grand Canyon Education possesses a moderate but meaningful competitive moat built primarily around its comprehensive service platform, operational expertise, and established relationships within the higher education sector. The company's primary competitive advantage stems from its integrated technology and service platform that has been developed and refined over more than a decade of operations. This platform combines learning management systems, student information systems, marketing automation, and back-office operations into a cohesive ecosystem that would be difficult and expensive for competitors to replicate quickly. The company benefits from significant switching costs for its university partners. Once an institution integrates Grand Canyon Education's comprehensive services, including technology systems, academic processes, and operational workflows, transitioning to another provider would require substantial time, cost, and operational disruption. This creates meaningful customer stickiness, particularly evident in the long-term nature of the company's primary service agreement with Grand Canyon University. Regulatory expertise and compliance capabilities represent another defensive element, as the company has developed deep knowledge of federal financial aid regulations, accreditation requirements, and state-specific educational regulations. This expertise is valuable to partner institutions and difficult for new entrants to quickly acquire. However, the company's moat faces several potential challenges. Concentration risk is significant, as the vast majority of revenue comes from a single client relationship with Grand Canyon University. This creates vulnerability if that relationship were to change or terminate. Competitive threats come from other education service providers, technology companies developing educational platforms, and the potential for universities to bring services in-house as they develop internal capabilities. Regulatory risk represents an ongoing challenge, as changes in federal education policy, accreditation standards, or financial aid regulations could impact the company's business model. The company has faced scrutiny regarding Grand Canyon University's nonprofit status and the nature of their service relationship, though recent court decisions have been favorable. The company's moat is strengthened by its track record of helping institutions achieve strong student outcomes, including high graduation rates and low default rates, which provides credibility in the market and supports its value proposition to potential new clients.
Risks & safety
Grand Canyon Education demonstrates a strong margin of safety with robust financial metrics and conservative capital structure, though concentration risk remains a key consideration. **Financial Strength:** - Cash and short-term investments of $144.5 million as of Q1 2025, providing substantial liquidity - Current ratio of 3.40, indicating strong short-term financial health - Debt-to-equity ratio of only 0.13, reflecting minimal leverage and low financial risk - Consistent positive free cash flow generation, with $58.7 million in Q1 2025 **Profitability and Cash Generation:** - Strong operating margins averaging in the mid-30% range - Return on equity of 9.2% in Q1 2025, demonstrating efficient capital utilization - Consistent EBITDA generation with $101 million in Q1 2025 - No significant cash burn concerns, with positive operating cash flows **Valuation Considerations:** - Trading at approximately 17x earnings (P/E ratio of 17.1) - EV/EBITDA multiple of 12.0, reasonable for the growth profile - Price-to-book ratio of 6.3, reflecting premium valuation but supported by asset-light model **Key Risk Factors:** - High client concentration with majority of revenue from single relationship - Regulatory oversight in higher education sector - Dependence on federal financial aid programs for ultimate revenue source
Recent development
Over the past several years, Grand Canyon Education has pursued a strategic expansion beyond its core relationship with Grand Canyon University, focusing on diversification and program innovation. The company has launched 148 new programs, emphases, and certificates since the pandemic, with particular emphasis on workforce development and labor market-aligned education. Key areas of expansion include nursing prerequisite programs, education certification programs for working professionals, and workforce development initiatives in high-demand fields like electrician pre-apprenticeship and manufacturing. The company has significantly expanded its hybrid education platform, growing from a small pilot to 45 locations with plans to reach 80 locations. This hybrid model combines online learning with in-person instruction and has shown strong enrollment growth, increasing 16.5% in Q1 2025 when excluding closed sites. The hybrid platform is approaching breakeven and represents a key growth driver for geographic expansion. Healthcare education partnerships have been strengthened through the Orbis Education Services subsidiary, which now supports 27 universities in delivering healthcare programs. The company has developed innovative solutions for nursing education, including online prerequisite courses that address capacity constraints at traditional nursing programs and advanced standing pathways that allow students to complete nursing degrees more efficiently. Workforce development initiatives have emerged as a significant strategic focus, with the company developing direct partnerships with employers, school districts, hospitals, and military bases. These B2B relationships help address specific workforce shortages while creating new revenue streams less dependent on traditional student enrollment patterns. The company has maintained its commitment to affordable education, with average tuition increases of only 1% annually since 2018, positioning it favorably in an increasingly cost-conscious higher education market. Technology investments have continued, with enhancements to learning management systems and development of new educational delivery platforms to support diverse student populations and learning preferences.
LOPE company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
Track LOPE with Drillr
SEC filings, earnings calls, insider activity, alt-data signals — all queryable through Drillr's AI terminal and MCP API.
Try Drillr for free