COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
LAUR vs LRN
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. LAUR scored 74.5, LRN scored 81.9 — LRN leads.
Compare another set
LAUR
Laureate Education, Inc.
74.5
$37.56 · $5.2B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
7.4
LRN leads
LRN
Stride, Inc.
81.9
$84.07 · $3.5B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestLRN11.8x
- Fastest growthLAUR+17.9%
- Strongest balance sheetLRN0.33
- Highest qualityLAUR91 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueLRN-49%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
LAUR
stronger →← stronger
LRN
91
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
86
80
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
67
57
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
96
LAUR is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
LAUR
LRN
$287mC
FCF
$433mC
+17.9%B+
Rev
+4.7%C+
0.64B+
D/E
0.33A-
17.0xB+
P/E
11.8xA
1.23B
PEG
0.49A
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
LAUR
LRN
5% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
49% below
~8%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~-11%/yr
-9%
1-yr DCF upside
+88%
+5%
5-yr DCF upside
+97%
+30%
10-yr DCF upside
+109%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
LAUR
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Durable high returns
LRN
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Durable high returns
The companies
LAURLaureate Education, Inc.
Why now
Education & Training Services · market cap $5.2b. 8% off the 52-week high of $40.92. Revenue growing +18%, comfortably above the S&P median. 7 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $41.21 (implying +10% upside).
Moat
Net margin 18% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 28% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which.
Risk
Mature compounder — the risk is paying up for quality at a moment when growth is decelerating. Watch for sequential revenue + margin trends; the inflection from "compounder" to "ex-compounder" is hard to spot until the multiple already started compressing.
LRNStride, Inc.
Why now
Education & Training Services · market cap $3.5b. Down 51% from 52-week high of $171.17 — deep drawdown territory. PEG 0.49 — paying under fair value for the growth rate.
Moat
Net margin 13% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 21% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 128% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Down 51% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
The model favors LRN (85.2) over LAUR (75.7) primarily due to LRN's significantly higher Value pillar of 97, reflected in its A- grade for P/E (11.6x). A contrarian, however, might prefer LAUR for its superior growth, with an 84 Growth pillar and B+ grade for +17.9% revenue expansion, despite its lower overall score. No structural caveats apply.
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.
Where LAUR and LRN diverge
On the headline score the gap is 7.4 points in favor of LRN. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- ValueLAUR 56.6 · LRN 95.7LRN +39.1
- GrowthLAUR 80.5 · LRN 66.9LAUR +13.6
- QualityLAUR 91.0 · LRN 86.1LAUR +4.9
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.