The end of an earnings season can be a great time to discover new stocks and assess how companies are handling the current business environment. Let’s take a look at how Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) and the rest of the education services stocks fared in Q4.

A whole industry has emerged to address the problem of rising education costs, offering consumers alternatives to traditional education paths such as four-year colleges. These alternative paths, which may include online courses or flexible schedules, make education more accessible to those with work or child-rearing obligations. However, some have run into issues around the value of the degrees and certifications they provide and whether customers are getting a good deal. Those who don’t prove their value could struggle to retain students, or even worse, invite the heavy hand of regulation.

The 8 education services stocks we track reported a strong Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 3.7% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

While some education services stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 4.4% since the latest earnings results.

Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA)

Formed through the merger of Strayer Education and Capella Education in 2018, Strategic Education (NASDAQ:STRA) is a career-focused higher education provider.

Strategic Education reported revenues of $311.5 million, up 2.9% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a decent beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

“During 2024, we delivered strong performance consistent with our notional operating model including enrollment, revenue, and earnings growth,” said Karl McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer of Strategic Education.

Strategic Education delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth of the whole group. The stock is down 13.4% since reporting and currently trades at $84.80.

Is now the time to buy Strategic Education? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free .

Best Q4: Adtalem (NYSE:ATGE)

Formerly known as DeVry Education Group, Adtalem Global Education (NYSE:ATGE) is a global provider of workforce solutions and educational services.

Adtalem reported revenues of $447.7 million, up 13.9% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4.7%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.