Strategic Education, Inc. (STRA) Stock Price & Analysis
Strategic Education, Inc. (STRA) closed at USD 81.59 on Thursday, October 22, 2026, up 2.56% on the day. The US market is currently closed (pre-market); this is not a live price.
The prior close was USD 79.55; the Oct 22, 2026 session ranged USD 79.59–81.63 on volume of 191,615 shares. Market capitalization is $1.81B, with a 52-week range of USD 69.7–89.73 (NMS). Source: Nexqual, retrieved October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.
Also available as compact Markdown for AI agents: nexqual.com/STRA.md
Key facts (STRA)
- Last four reported quarters (through Jun 30, 2026): revenue $1.29B, net income $135M (10.5% margin), free cash flow $169M (SEC filings).
- Valuation: P/E 13.5x (avg 22.2x at the last 3 fiscal year-ends).
- Analysts: Buy (mean 2.00 on a 1–5 scale) (3 analysts), mean target USD 96.67 (range 90–105).
- Total return with dividends: 1Y +0.5% vs S&P 500 +14.9%; 5Y +33.4% vs S&P 500 +80.3%.
- Next earnings: 2026-11-05, EPS estimate USD 1.95, revenue estimate $327M.
Financials (SEC 10-K; TTM = last four 10-Q/10-K quarters) (STRA)
| USD | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | TTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $1.13B | $1.07B | $1.13B | $1.22B | $1.27B | $1.29B |
| Operating income | $73.9M | $70.8M | $95.3M | $156M | $174M | $180M |
| Net income | $55.1M | $46.7M | $69.8M | $113M | $127M | $135M |
| EPS (diluted) | $2.28 | $1.94 | $2.91 | $4.67 | $5.41 | — |
| Free cash flow | $131M | $82.9M | $80.2M | $129M | $154M | $169M |
| Operating margin | 6.5% | 6.6% | 8.4% | 12.8% | 13.7% | 14.0% |
| Net margin | 4.9% | 4.4% | 6.2% | 9.2% | 10.0% | 10.5% |
| Revenue growth | +10.1% | -5.9% | +6.3% | +7.7% | +4.0% | — |
| Cash + short-term investments | $275M | $223M | $208M | $184M | $148M | — |
| Total debt | $142M | $101M | $61.4M | $0K | — | — |
Fiscal years end Dec. EPS is split-adjusted.
Valuation (price ÷ last four quarters, through Jun 30, 2026) (STRA)
P/E 13.5x · P/S 1.4x · P/FCF 10.7x · P/B 1.1x · FCF yield 9.30% · Earnings yield 7.42% · Dividend yield (paid, TTM) 3.05% · Buyback yield (TTM) 8.37%
P/E at fiscal year-ends: Dec 2025 14.8x, Dec 2024 20.0x, Dec 2023 31.7x.
Analysts (STRA)
Consensus Buy (mean 2.00 on a 1–5 scale), 3 analysts; mean target USD 96.67 (low 90, high 105).
Rating changes, last 120 days:
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-05 | BMO Capital | Target lowered | Outperform | $100 → $95 |
| 2026-07-30 | Truist Securities | Target raised | Hold | $80 → $90 |
| 2026-07-06 | BMO Capital | Target raised | Outperform | $86 → $91 |
Total return (dividends reinvested) (STRA)
| 1Y (from 2025-10-23) | 5Y (from 2021-10-18) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total return | +0.5% | +33.4% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | +14.9% | +80.3% |
| Per year | +0.5% | +5.9% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 36.0% | 34.1% |
| Max drawdown | -15.8% (Jan 2026→Apr 2026) | -36.1% (Apr 2024→Jul 2025) |
STRA analyst estimates and revisions
| Period | EPS estimate | 90 days ago | Change | Revenue estimate | Analysts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current quarter (ends Sep 2026) | $1.95 | $1.91 | +2.4% | $326.7M | 3 |
| Next quarter (ends Dec 2026) | $2.08 | $2.07 | +0.5% | $330.2M | 3 |
| Current fiscal year (ends Dec 2026) | $7.21 | $7.19 | +0.3% | $1.30B | 3 |
| Next fiscal year (ends Dec 2027) | $8.45 | $8.09 | +4.4% | $1.34B | 3 |
STRA options: expected move
Options price a move of about ±10.6% (±$8.65) by Nov 20, 2026, which includes earnings on Nov 5, 2026.
| Expiration | Days | ATM implied volatility | Expected move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 20, 2026 | 28 | 47.2% | ±10.6% |
| Dec 18, 2026 | 56 | 36.3% | ±11.5% |
| Jan 15, 2027 | 84 | 30.3% | ±12.9% |
| Apr 16, 2027 | 175 | 33.0% | ±18.0% |
| May 21, 2027 | 210 | 35.1% | ±20.9% |
30-day implied volatility 44.8% vs 25.5% realized over the last 30 trading days. Put/call ratio (volume) 0. Cboe delayed quotes (15 min). Expected move = at-the-money straddle.
Key Statistics (as of October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC)
| Price | USD 81.59 |
|---|---|
| Change | ▲ 2.56% (up) |
| Previous Close | USD 79.55 |
| Open | USD 80 |
| Day Range | USD 79.59 – 81.63 |
| 52-Week Range | USD 69.7 – 89.73 |
| Volume | 191,615 shares |
| Market Cap | $1.81B |
| Exchange | NMS |
Technical Analysis (STRA)
Nexqual's technical model rates STRA "STRONG BUY" based on 5 bullish and 0 bearish signals across 127 daily candles, as of October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.
| Overall Signal | STRONG BUY |
|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 53.12 (neutral) |
| vs SMA50 | Above (USD 81.21) |
| MACD | 0.21 (positive) |
Analyst Ratings (STRA)
Wall Street analysts rate STRA "Buy" based on 3 analysts, with a mean price target of USD 96.67 (range USD 90–105), per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.
| Consensus Rating | Buy |
|---|---|
| Analyst Count | 3 |
| Mean Target | USD 96.67 |
| High Target | USD 105 |
| Low Target | USD 90 |
| Buy / Hold / Sell | 2 / 1 / 0 |
Earnings (STRA)
| Next Earnings Date | 2026-11-05 |
|---|---|
| EPS Estimate | USD 1.95 |
| Revenue Estimate | $326.68M |
Recent Earnings History
| Quarter | Actual vs Estimate |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | USD 1.76 vs est 1.8 ▼ miss |
| 2026-03-31 | USD 1.41 vs est 1.49 ▼ miss |
| 2025-12-31 | USD 1.74 vs est 1.41 ▲ beat |
| 2025-09-30 | USD 1.63 vs est 1.3 ▲ beat |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.
Financials & Fundamentals (STRA)
| Total Revenue | $1.29B |
|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (latest quarter, YoY) | +4.90% |
| Gross Margin | +49.06% |
| Operating Margin | +15.70% |
| Profit Margin | +10.46% |
| ROE | +8.15% |
| Debt / Equity | 0.07 |
| Current Ratio | 1.1 |
| Total Cash | $128.75M |
| Total Debt | $106.71M |
| Free Cash Flow (last four quarters to Jun 2026, SEC 10-Q / 10-K) | $168.59M (13.1% of revenue) |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.
Financial Health Score (STRA)
Nexqual rates Strategic Education, Inc.'s overall financial health "Solid" across five dimensions, as of October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.
| Growth | Mixed — Revenue +4.0% YoY (annual), slow |
|---|---|
| Profitability | Strong — Gross margin 49%, operating 16% (last 12 months) |
| Balance Sheet | Strong — $129M cash vs $107M debt, net cash position |
| Cash Flow | Solid — FCF $169M (last 4 quarters to Jun 2026, SEC), 13% margin |
| Efficiency | Mixed — ROE 8%, ROA 6.1% |
Ownership (STRA)
| Insider Ownership | +3.76% |
|---|---|
| Institutional Ownership | +109.94% |
| Shares Outstanding | 22.21M |
| Float | 21.10M |
| Short % of Float | +9.36% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.
Leadership (STRA)
Strategic Education, Inc. is led by Karl McDonnell, President, CEO & Director, per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.
| President, CEO & Director | Karl McDonnell |
|---|---|
| Executive VP, CFO & Chief Administrative Officer | Daniel W. Jackson |
| Director of Investor Relations | Terese Wilke |
| President Emerita and Director of Accreditation & Regulatory Affairs - Strayer University | Sondra F. Stallard |
| President of U.S. Higher Education | Andrew E. Watt |
Major Backers & Investors (STRA)
Notable institutional backers of Strategic Education, Inc. include Bank of Montreal /CAN/, T. Rowe Price, Morgan Stanley, according to Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.
Active Investors
| Investor | Stake |
|---|---|
| Bank of Montreal /CAN/ | 5.66% |
| T. Rowe Price | 2.67% |
| Morgan Stanley | 2.66% |
| Marshfield Associates | 2.52% |
| DFA INVESTMENT DIMENSIONS GROUP INC-U.S. Small Cap Value Portfolio | 1.52% |
Index Funds (Passive)
| Fund | Stake |
|---|---|
| BlackRock | 17.11% |
| Vanguard Group | 10.84% |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors | 6.56% |
| State Street | 4.1% |
| Geode Capital | 2.7% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC.
Peers & Related Stocks
| Symbol | Name | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PRDO | Perdoceo Education Corporation | USD 33.82 | ▲ 3.14% |
| COUR | Coursera, Inc. | USD 5.07 | ▲ 2.01% |
| DAO | Youdao, Inc. | USD 19.35 | ▲ 4.59% |
| AFYA | Afya Limited | USD 14.91 | ▲ 0.07% |
| UTI | Universal Technical Institute I | USD 21.66 | ▲ 4.13% |
| MH | McGraw Hill, Inc. | USD 14.8 | ▲ 1.93% |
Data source: Nexqual — market data, technical indicators, analyst consensus, earnings, SEC EDGAR filings. Last updated: October 23, 2026 at 10:11 UTC. This page is informational and not investment advice.
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