American Public Education (APEI) vs KinderCare Learning Companies (KLC)
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 KinderCare Learning Companies (KLC) over the past year, gaining 24.4% versus a loss of 69.2%. American Public Education is the larger company by market cap ($874.3 million vs $233.5 million), about 3.7 times the size. On valuation, KinderCare Learning Companies trades at a lower forward P/E (9.2x 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 | KLC |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $47.77 | $1.97 |
| Market cap | $874.26M | $233.48M |
| 1-day change | +3.74% | 0.00% |
| YTD return | +21.83% | -54.40% |
| 1-year return | +24.43% | -69.17% |
| 5-year return | +82.88% | — |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 19.26 | — |
| Forward P/E | 12.70 | 9.18 |
| EPS (TTM) | $2.48 | $-3.97 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 52-week high | $61.59 | $6.46 |
| 52-week low | $30.20 | $1.75 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -22.44% | -69.49% |
| Analyst consensus | strong_buy | hold |
| Avg. price target upside | +31.53% | +98.48% |
| Average volume | 300.63K | 763.22K |
| Shares outstanding | 18.30M | 118.52M |
| Employees | 2,360 | 35,700 |
| Sector | Real Estate | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Other Consumer Services | Other Consumer Services |
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
- American Public Education is about 3.7 times larger than KinderCare Learning Companies by market value ($874.26M vs $233.48M).
- APEI has outperformed KLC by 93.6 percentage points over the past year.
- The two companies sit in different sectors: American Public Education in Real Estate and KinderCare Learning Companies in Consumer Discretionary.
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 KinderCare Learning Companies
KLC stock →KinderCare Learning Companies, Inc. provides early childhood education and care services in the United States.
Consumer Discretionary · Other Consumer Services · 35,700 employees
APEI vs KLC FAQ
Which is bigger, American Public Education or KinderCare Learning Companies?
American Public Education (APEI) is larger, with a market capitalization of $874.26M compared with $233.48M for KinderCare Learning Companies (KLC).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, APEI or KLC?
APEI returned +24.43% over the past 12 months, compared with -69.17% for KLC (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Are American Public Education and KinderCare Learning Companies in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Other Consumer Services industry within the Real Estate sector.