Which has the lower trailing P/E, APEI or LINC?

APEI has the lower trailing P/E: APEI trades at 18.45 and LINC at 30.16. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, APEI or LINC?

Over the past five years, APEI grew revenue faster — APEI at a 15.04% CAGR versus LINC at 12.34%.

Is APEI or LINC more profitable?

APEI runs the higher net margin — APEI at 6.84% versus LINC at 3.99%.

How have APEI and LINC total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, APEI delivered 8.10% and LINC delivered 26.48% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

American Public Education, Inc. (APEI) vs Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC)

A side-by-side comparison of American Public Education, Inc. and Lincoln Educational Services Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 6, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

APEI

American Public Education, Inc.

$822M

$44.83Consumer DefensiveDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 11:35 AM EDT

LINC

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation

$708M

$22.32Consumer DefensiveDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 11:31 AM EDT

Total return — APEI vs LINC

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

APEI +121.6% (+8.3%/yr)LINC +1004.5% (+27.1%/yr)LINC compounded faster over this window

APEI LINC

APEI vs LINC: by the numbers

•APEI is the larger company ($822M vs $708M market cap).
•APEI trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (18.45 vs 30.16 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•APEI converts more revenue to profit (6.84% vs 3.99% net margin).
•APEI grew revenue faster over the past five years (15.04% vs 12.34% CAGR).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	APEI	LINC
P/E ratio	18.45	30.16
Forward P/E	17.09	28.67
PEG ratio	10.85	N/A
P/S ratio	1.23	1.24
P/B ratio	2.62	3.50
EV / EBITDA	12.09	14.48
FCF yield	8.52%	3.47%

Profitability

Metric	APEI	LINC
Gross margin	54.61%	59.84%
Operating margin	9.59%	5.92%
Net margin	6.84%	3.99%
ROE	14.54%	11.27%
ROIC	10.85%	6.33%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	APEI	LINC
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	15.04%	12.34%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	1.97%	-15.29%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	32.90%	N/A
Total return CAGR (5Y)	10.80%	26.01%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, APEI or LINC?: APEI has the lower trailing P/E: APEI trades at 18.45 and LINC at 30.16. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, APEI or LINC?: Over the past five years, APEI grew revenue faster — APEI at a 15.04% CAGR versus LINC at 12.34%.
Is APEI or LINC more profitable?: APEI runs the higher net margin — APEI at 6.84% versus LINC at 3.99%.
How have APEI and LINC total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, APEI delivered 8.10% and LINC delivered 26.48% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full APEI analysis Full LINC analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

American Public Education P/E ratio Lincoln Educational Services P/E ratio American Public Education ROE Lincoln Educational Services ROE American Public Education operating margin Lincoln Educational Services operating margin American Public Education revenue growth Lincoln Educational Services revenue growth American Public Education free cash flow Lincoln Educational Services free cash flow

American Public Education & Lincoln Educational Services appear in these rankings

Fastest Revenue Growth Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Highest 10-Year Total Return Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 6, 2026.