COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
LOPE vs STRA
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. LOPE scored 77.6, STRA scored 73.2 — LOPE leads.
Compare another set
LOPE
Grand Canyon Education, Inc.
77.6
$147.46 · $3.8B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
4.4
LOPE leads
STRA
Strategic Education, Inc.
73.2
$83.42 · $1.9B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestSTRA13.9x
- Fastest growthLOPE+7.0%
- Strongest balance sheetSTRA0.07
- Highest qualityLOPE81 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueSTRA-45%
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)
LOPE
stronger →← stronger
STRA
81
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
69
73
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
62
79
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
91
LOPE is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
LOPE
STRA
$243mC
FCF
$169mC
+7.0%C+
Rev
+3.5%C+
0.16A-
D/E
0.07A
17.8xB+
P/E
13.9xA-
0.95B+
PEG
0.75A-
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
LOPE
STRA
39% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
45% below
~-4%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~-4%/yr
+49%
1-yr DCF upside
+52%
+65%
5-yr DCF upside
+82%
+93%
10-yr DCF upside
+137%
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 $3.8b. Down 34% from 52-week high of $223.04 — deep drawdown territory. PEG 0.95 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 3 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $195.00 (implying +32% 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
Down 34% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Net margin 0.7% 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 $1.9b. 7% off the 52-week high of $89.73. PEG 0.75 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 3 sell-side analysts publish a mean 1-yr target of $98.33 (implying +18% upside).
Moat
FCF converts 125% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
Value re-rating depends on a catalyst. Without one — analyst day, divestiture, margin recovery, capital return — the stock can stay cheap on these multiples for years.
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.
Where LOPE and STRA diverge
On the headline score the gap is 4.4 points in favor of LOPE. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- ValueLOPE 78.9 · STRA 91.4STRA +12.5
- QualityLOPE 81.4 · STRA 69.4LOPE +12.0
- GrowthLOPE 72.7 · STRA 61.9LOPE +10.8
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.