COMPARE · Reviewed July 29, 2026
LOPE vs STRA
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. LOPE scored 74.7, STRA scored 72.4 — LOPE leads.
Compare another set
LOPE
Grand Canyon Education, Inc.
74.7
$159.31 · $4.2B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
2.3
LOPE leads
STRA
Strategic Education, Inc.
72.4
$87.62 · $2.0B
fundamentals as of
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
LOPE
stronger →← stronger
STRA
82
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
69
73
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
63
70
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
87
LOPE is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
LOPE
STRA
$260mC
FCF
$169mC
+7.4%B
Rev
+3.5%C+
0.15A-
D/E
0.07A
19.9xB
P/E
15.5xA-
0.92B+
PEG
0.73A-
Winner per row is the stronger grade in our model; a tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
LOPE
STRA
39% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
61% below
~-4%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~-13%/yr
+47%
1-yr DCF upside
+123%
+63%
5-yr DCF upside
+154%
+90%
10-yr DCF upside
+208%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
LOPE
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Durable high returns
STRA
Why this score
- Buying back stock
The companies
LOPEGrand Canyon Education, Inc.
Why now
Education & Training Services · market cap $4.2b. Down 29% from 52-week high of $223.04 — deep drawdown territory. PEG 0.92 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 3 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $205.00 (implying +29% upside).
Moat
Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income — non-cash charges (depreciation, intangible amortization) are holding down GAAP earnings while cash generation stays strong.
Risk
Net margin 0.4% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first. ROE 1% is below the long-run sustainable threshold of ~10% — capital efficiency would need to improve for the equity base to compound at the market rate.
STRAStrategic Education, Inc.
Why now
Education & Training Services · market cap $2.0b. Trading near 52-week high of $87.86 — momentum setup, limited technical margin of safety. PEG 0.73 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 3 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $88.67 (implying +1% upside).
Moat
FCF converts 125% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Trading within 0% of the 52-week high — limited technical margin of safety; a momentum reversal would test conviction.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.