American Public Education (APEI) vs Coursera (COUR)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
American Public Education (APEI) has outperformed Coursera (COUR) over the past year, gaining 24.4% versus a loss of 48.3%. Over five years, APEI leads with a +82.9% price change compared with -84.5% for COUR. Coursera is the larger company by market cap ($1.51 billion vs $871.7 million), about 1.7 times the size.
On valuation, Coursera trades at a lower forward P/E (6.4x vs 12.7x for American Public Education).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | APEI | COUR |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $47.63 | $5.27 |
| Market cap | $871.70M | $1.51B |
| 1-day change | +3.43% | +3.15% |
| YTD return | +21.83% | -30.57% |
| 1-year return | +24.43% | -48.33% |
| 5-year return | +82.88% | -84.53% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 19.21 | — |
| Forward P/E | 12.67 | 6.40 |
| EPS (TTM) | $2.48 | $-0.71 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 52-week high | $61.59 | $10.77 |
| 52-week low | $30.20 | $4.53 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -22.67% | -51.06% |
| Analyst consensus | strong_buy | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +31.91% | +50.63% |
| Average volume | 300.63K | 6.11M |
| Shares outstanding | 18.30M | 286.36M |
| Employees | 2,360 | 1,307 |
| Sector | Real Estate | Technology |
| Industry | Other Consumer Services | Computer Software: Prepackaged Software |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- APEI has outperformed COUR by 72.8 percentage points over the past year.
- The two companies sit in different sectors: American Public Education in Real Estate and Coursera in Technology.
About American Public Education
APEI stock →American Public Education, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides online and campus-based postsecondary education services in the United States. It operates through three segments: American Public University System, Rasmussen University, and Hondros College of Nursing.
Real Estate · Other Consumer Services · 2,360 employees
About Coursera
COUR stock →Coursera, Inc. operates an online learning platform that provides education and skills training in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and internationally.
Technology · Computer Software: Prepackaged Software · 1,307 employees
APEI vs COUR FAQ
Which is bigger, American Public Education or Coursera?
Coursera (COUR) is larger, with a market capitalization of $1.51B compared with $871.70M for American Public Education (APEI).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, APEI or COUR?
APEI returned +24.43% over the past 12 months, compared with -48.33% for COUR (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Are American Public Education and Coursera in the same industry?
No. American Public Education is in the Real Estate sector, while Coursera is in Technology.