Laureate Education Inc (LAUR) fair value: what the stock is really worth
As of Nov 6, 2026: fair value (intrinsic value) of Laureate Education Inc stock $42.74, price $33.59, upside +27.2%, quality 71 out of 100. Rating: undervalued. Calculated from audited financials with 26 valuation models and 37 quality factors, updated daily.
69 individual criteria per stock, every one traceableSee the method →
Price vs Fair Value
White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year. As of Nov 6, 2026.
How to read this chart
60‑month range $7.13 – $40.46 · fair‑value band $28.69 – $54.72 · the $33.59 price screens below the $42.74 fair value. Green steps = our fair value per fiscal year (point-in-time, no hindsight). As of Nov 6, 2026.
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Laureate Education, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, offers higher education programs and services to students through a portfolio of higher education institutions in Mexico, Peru, and the United States.
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The company offers a range of undergraduate, graduate, and specialized degree programs in the areas of medicine and health sciences, engineering and information technology, and business and management through campus-based, online, and hybrid programs.
It also operates universities and technical-vocational institutions, as well as provides high school education services. The company was formerly known as Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. and changed its name to Laureate Education, Inc. in May 2004.
Laureate Education, Inc. was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Miami, Florida.
Stock analysis
Laureate Education Inc (LAUR) currently trades at $33.59, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is $42.74, implying the stock looks roughly 21% undervalued today.
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Valuation
Bull case: the DCF Models group reads highest at a median of $52.40 per share, and 12 of the 26 models we run sit above the $33.59 price.
Bear case: the Earnings-Based group reads lowest at $26.53, and 14 of the 26 models stay below the price. Data coverage for this calculation is high.
Scenario range: $28.69 (bear) to $54.72 (bull), the price of $33.59 sits inside it. Bear and bull are the same models on cautious and optimistic assumptions, a range, not a price target.
Quality & growth
The Quality Score stands at 71/100 (solid quality), in the Consumer Defensive sector.
Mixed Growth: Revenue is growing, but margins or cash flow do not fully confirm the trend.
Laureate Education Inc reported revenue of $1.7B in FY2025 versus $1.1B in FY2021, a compound +11.9%/yr. Reported net income was $282M in FY2025, compounding +10.0%/yr from FY2021.
Key figures
Market cap $4.8B Mid · P/E ratio 12.4 · P/S ratio 2.48 · EPS (TTM) $2.70 · Dividend yield 0.0% · Net margin 20.3% · Return on equity 34.1% · Return on assets (EBIT) 13.8% (5-year average).
Competitive moat
Our AI-assisted moat analysis scores the competitive advantage at 81 out of 100 (low confidence).
What moves the price
The share trades about 17% below its 52-week high and 13% above its 52-week low, currently below its 200-day average.
For context, the median of 10 Consumer Defensive peers we cover trades at 31% fair-value upside, at 27%, LAUR screens richer than that median.
Fair Value models
Bear$28.69Fair Value $42.74Bull$54.72
Price $33.59 · Upside +27.2%
Model ⓘEach model values the company its own way (discounted cash flow, earnings, assets, dividends). The fair value above starts from their evidence-weighted blend, not from a single model. In cyclical trough or peak years, after dilution or a stock split it is adjusted afterwards, so it can sit above or below the models. Based on fiscal year 2025 figures (about 10 months old). Earnings retained since then ($2.32 per share) are deliberately not added.Bear ⓘBear = the cautious scenario: the same model computed with conservative anchors (lower growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bull it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.BaseBull ⓘBull = the optimistic scenario: the same model computed with favourable anchors (higher growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bear it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target. If a model's bull case is above four times its base value, the table shows that limit with a > sign (like the overall Bull above): beyond it no assumption holds.Coverage ⓘCoverage = how well-backed THIS model's estimate is for this stock (0–100): how complete and reliable its input data are, and how well the model fits the company. The final Fair Value is an evidence-weighted blend, so better-evidenced models count more. Green ≥70, amber 50–69, grey below 50.
SaleMarcelo CardosoEVP & CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER2× since Jan 2, 2026: 13,843 shares, avg. $33.74$466,995Mar 17, 202610b5-1 plan
SaleRichard M. BuskirkSVP & CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER61,803 shares at $33.69$2.1MMar 11, 2026
SaleJudith RodinDirector7,065 shares at $30.30$214,070Dec 8, 2025
Plus 11 other filings such as grants, option exercises or tax withholding. They are not market purchases or sales.
Sales are often planned (taxes, diversification, 10b5-1 plans). Purchases with their own money are seen as the stronger sign. For information only: not part of the quality score or Fair Value.
Growth Quality ⓘGrowth is valuable only when reinvestment earns attractive returns (Aswath Damodaran): sustainable growth depends on return on capital, reinvestment and efficiency. Basis: total company revenue over the periods shown on the cards (3Y/5Y/all years), not per share, so a merger can show up as a growth jump; per-share earnings growth is in the value-creation card.84/100
Revenue is growing, but margins or cash flow do not fully confirm the trend.
Revenue growth 1 year
+8.6%
Revenue growth 3 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+11.1%
Revenue growth 5 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+10.7%
Start year 2020 (pandemic)
Revenue growth 7 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+5.8%
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What shareholders gained per year (last 5 years) (mathematically smoothed) ⓘWhat the business itself delivers per year: earnings growth per share plus the dividend yield. This is what you get IF the market keeps valuing the stock the same way: it contains no assumption about the market changing its mind. Computed per share, so buybacks count and a merger does not pass as growth. For a company that pays no dividend it is pure earnings growth per share. Period: earnings growth per share as CAGR over the last 5 reported fiscal years (annual statements), plus the current dividend yield. The start value is the median of the three years around the start, so a single crisis year (a pandemic or a write-down) does not distort the rate. Smoothed = median of all growth paths between the years of the window (trend line on the logarithm of earnings per share): a single extreme year cannot distort the rate. The reported figure stays in the tooltip.
+42.9%
Earnings growth per share plus dividend.
Earnings per share, growth per year+42.9%
Dividend (yield on the price)0.0%
Pace: 5 vs 10 years ⓘTwo data points, not a trend model: earnings growth per share over the last 5 fiscal years against the last 10. Labelled "steady" when both rates are within 3 percentage points of each other, otherwise picking up or flattening. Shown only when ten years of history exist.−6.3% vs −3.8%, steady
Profit margin 2020 to 2025 ⓘOperating margin then vs now, from reported annual statements. A falling margin after a boom year is the classic peak-earnings signal: the growth rate then leans on an inflated base.−32% → 25%
2025 sits 178% above its own trend. The rate follows the median trend of the last 5 years, not that single year.
Pace: the 5-year rate starts in 2020 (pandemic)
⚠ Revenue per share shrinking 10.9%/yr over ~10Y (margins intact) ⓘStructural-decline marker: revenue PER SHARE has fallen over the last decade (robust median trend, not a single year). Backtested across 2005 to 2017, such businesses trailed the market by about 2.5 percentage points per year. Display only: it does not change the fair value or the quality score.
Growth Forecast
Price in line with expectations
The price assumes less growth than the company has delivered so far and about what analysts expect.
What the price assumes ⓘThis turns our valuation around: instead of asking what the share is worth, it asks what growth the current price requires. It uses the cash the company keeps after all spending (free cash flow), the same discount rate as our models, five years of growth, then slowing evenly to 2 % a year by year ten. Compared with the analysts' sales forecasts extended to the same five years (at least three analysts, for context only, it does not enter the Fair Value): within 3 percentage points counts as "in line" (amber), below that little optimism (green), above that a lot of optimism (red).
+4.5%
Yearly growth needed for the next five years to justify today's price.
What forecasts expect ⓘAnalysts publish sales forecasts for the next two fiscal years. For the years after that, growth slows evenly to 2 % a year by year ten (2 % is the long-run rate our models use). Projected years are marked as such.
+7.3%
Yearly sales growth analysts expect, extended to five years.
After inflation (USA: IMF forecast 2.4% a year to 2030, 3.1% from 2016 to 2025) that is about +2.0% a year for the price and +4.8% for the forecasts.
News mood ⓘNews mood, the average tone of recent news (95 articles), rated against how stocks are usually covered. 🚀 Hype = unusually upbeat · 🙂 Positive = above average · 😐 Neutral = typical · 🙁 Negative = below average · 😨 Very negative = unusually downbeat. It reflects the tone of coverage, not our valuation.Hype
Recent news coverage is unusually upbeat, far more positive than stocks are typically covered.
AI conclusion: Laureate benefits from enrollment growth in Mexico and Peru that has lifted revenue and prompted raised guidance, yet thin evidence of durable advantages and sector regulatory pressures limit overall business quality.
Main risk: Regulatory pressures in the education sector represent the biggest risk to Laureate by constraining operations and enrollment demand at its higher education institutions.
Laureate runs higher education institutions mainly in Mexico and Peru, where enrollment growth has driven recent revenue increases and prompted raised full-year guidance. At the same time the company is accelerating AI-powered learning tools via a Google Cloud partnership to improve student outcomes and efficiency. Will these technology investments compound the benefits from campus expansion or create new dependencies on external platforms and integration challenges?
Price, fair value, quality and upside side by side.
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Peer GroupⓘHow this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.Education & Training Services · 109 stocks
Beats the industry median on 9/15 measures
Overall it ranks above its industry peers.
Valuation
Quality Score71 · Top 25%
Fair Value upside+27.2% · Above median
Profitability
Return on equity (12 months)34.1% · Top 25%
Return on assets12.8% · Top 25%
Net margin (12 months)20.3% · Top 25%
Operating margin (12 months)24.6% · Top 25%
Growth and dividend
Revenue growth (quarter YoY)21.2% · Top 25%
Dividend yield (12 months)0.0% · Bottom 25%
Balance sheet
Debt / equity0.06× · Below median
Valuation Multiplesvs Education & Training Services median · lower = cheaper
P/E (12 months)12.4× · Cheaper than median
P/B4.00× · Priciest 25%
P/S (12 months)2.48× · Pricier than median
Price / free cash flow (fiscal year)18.1× · Pricier than median
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Is Laureate Education Inc (LAUR) overvalued or undervalued?
As of Nov 6, 2026, our model estimates a fair value of $42.74 versus a price of $33.59, about +27% upside (undervalued).
What is the fair value of LAUR?
Our model-based fair value for Laureate Education Inc is $42.74 (as of Nov 6, 2026), built from audited fundamentals. The current price: $33.59.
What is the quality score of LAUR?
Laureate Education Inc has a Quality Score of 71/100. It measures business quality (profitability, growth, cash flow, balance-sheet strength, investment discipline, share issuance). Market factors such as price momentum and volatility do not enter the number; they are shown separately in the detail view.
What is the price target for Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
Our model-based price target is the fair value of $42.74 (as of Nov 6, 2026) from 26 valuation models. Cautious scenario $28.69, optimistic scenario $54.72. It is a calculation from audited fundamentals, not an analyst target.
What is the Laureate Education Inc stock forecast for 2026?
Our models put fair value at $42.74, about +27% upside versus a price of $33.59 (undervalued). Cautious scenario $28.69, optimistic scenario $54.72. The calculation is refreshed regularly with new filings.
What is the revenue of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
Laureate Education Inc reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of about $1.9B (latest available figure, as of Nov 6, 2026).
Does Laureate Education Inc pay a dividend?
Laureate Education Inc currently shows a dividend yield of 0.01% relative to its recent price (as of Nov 6, 2026).
How much is the dividend of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
Laureate Education Inc has a dividend yield of 0.0%.
What growth is priced into Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
For today's price to be fair in a discounted-cash-flow model, Laureate Education Inc would have to grow free cash flow by +4.5 % per year for five years (discount rate 8.5 %, then slowing evenly to 2 % perpetual growth by year ten). Over the last 5 years revenue grew +10.7 % per year. As of Nov 6, 2026.
What discount rate (WACC) does the fair value of LAUR use?
Our models discount Laureate Education Inc at 8.5 %: a base by market capitalisation (mid), damped by beta 0.47, country premium for USA. The same rate applies in all 26 models.
What is a reverse DCF?
A reverse DCF turns the usual calculation around. Instead of deriving a value from assumptions, it takes today's price as given and asks: what free-cash-flow growth would a company have to deliver for exactly this price to be fair? The result is not a forecast but the expectation already priced in. For Laureate Education Inc that is +4.5 % per year for five years, then slowing evenly to 2 % by year ten, using the same discount rate (8.5 %) and the same formula as our fair value.
How much growth has Laureate Education Inc (LAUR) delivered so far?
Over the past 5 years revenue at Laureate Education Inc grew +10.7 % a year. The price currently implies free-cash-flow growth of +4.5 % per year. Comparing the two shows how much confidence is in the price: if it demands more than has been delivered, the business has to accelerate for the maths to work.
How fast is the sector of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR) growing?
The median revenue growth in the sector is +4.8 % a year. That is the yardstick for the growth priced into Laureate Education Inc (+4.5 % per year): it shows whether the expectation is within the usual range or beyond it.
What is the free cash flow yield of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
The free-cash-flow yield on the price is 5.53 %: that much free cash flow Laureate Education Inc produces per unit of market value. When it exceeds the discount rate of our models (8.5 %), the business already earns more than its cost of capital demands, and the price needs little additional growth.
What is the intrinsic value of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
Intrinsic value and fair value mean the same thing: what the business is worth on its numbers, independent of the share price. For Laureate Education Inc it is $42.74 per share (as of Nov 6, 2026), against a price of $33.59. It is the blended result of 26 valuation models in 8 families (DCF Models, Earnings-Based, Dividend Discount, Multiples, Asset-Based, Growth DCF, Economic Profit, Growth Earnings).
Is Laureate Education Inc stock overvalued or undervalued in 2026?
As of Nov 6, 2026, LAUR trades below its calculated fair value: price $33.59, fair value $42.74, a gap of about +27% (undervalued). The calculation is refreshed with each new quarterly report, so the verdict can change during the year.
Is fair value the same as the market price of LAUR?
No. The price is what the market pays today ($33.59); the fair value is what the company's own numbers justify ($42.74). For Laureate Education Inc the two are $9.15 per share apart. That gap is exactly why we show both numbers side by side.
How much is Laureate Education Inc worth?
The market values Laureate Education Inc at about $4.8B (market capitalisation, as of Nov 6, 2026). Per share that is $33.59; our models calculate a fair value of $42.74 per share.
What do the bullish and bearish scenarios say about LAUR?
Our models span a range for Laureate Education Inc: cautious scenario $28.69, base $42.74, optimistic $54.72 per share (as of Nov 6, 2026, price $33.59). The range comes from different growth and margin assumptions, not from analyst opinions.
What is the P/E ratio of LAUR?
Laureate Education Inc trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.4 (as of Nov 6, 2026). A P/E on its own says little: it compares the price with ONE year of profit, while our fair value of $42.74 is built from several models across several years. Median P/E at fiscal year-end, 5 fiscal years (2017 to 2025), reported earnings, 4 of the years ex one-offs: 17.8. Other multiples: PEG 1.0, P/B 4.0, P/S 2.5, EV/EBITDA 8.0.
What is the PEG ratio of LAUR?
The PEG ratio of Laureate Education Inc is 0.96 (P/E divided by earnings growth, as of Nov 6, 2026). That is below 1, so growth is priced more cheaply than the earnings multiple alone suggests.
How solid is the balance sheet of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
Balance-sheet figures for Laureate Education Inc (as of Nov 6, 2026): return on equity 34.1%, debt of 0.06 per unit of equity. They feed the Quality Score of 71/100, which measures business quality independently of the share price.
How far is LAUR from its 52-week high?
Laureate Education Inc trades at $33.59, about 17% below its 52-week high of $40.46 and 13% above the low of $29.69 (as of Nov 6, 2026). Distance from the high says nothing about value: that is what the fair value of $42.74 is for.
Which stocks are comparable to Laureate Education Inc?
From the same area (Consumer Defensive) we also value New Oriental Education & Technology Group, Covista Inc, Physicswallah Limited, Grand Canyon Education, Inc, among others. Each of them has its own fair-value calculation on this site using the same models, so the comparison is like for like.
Is Laureate Education Inc stock attractive at the current price?
The data as of Nov 6, 2026: price $33.59, calculated fair value $42.74 (+27%), Quality Score 71/100, from 26 models. Whether that fits your horizon and risk tolerance is your call. We provide the calculation, not investment advice.
How is the fair value of LAUR calculated?
We run Laureate Education Inc through 26 models from 8 families: DCF Models, Earnings-Based, Dividend Discount, Multiples, Asset-Based, Growth DCF, Economic Profit, Growth Earnings. Every model gets the same audited fundamentals; the fair value of $42.74 builds on their evidence-weighted average, with the spread shown as a cautious and an optimistic scenario.
Is it still worth investing in stocks now?
The global stock market currently sits 13.3% above its aggregate fair value. Laureate Education Inc currently trades 21% below its own fair value, and the market average says nothing about that. An expensive market is no reason to stay out and no reason to buy everything at once: keep a broad savings plan running, buy single stocks only with money you can do without, and hold part of your money liquid while the market is high. The full picture including sectors is on is it worth investing now.
What is the share price of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
The closing price on Nov 6, 2026 was $33.59. Our model-based fair value is $42.74, about +27% upside (undervalued). We carry closing prices from our data provider, not a live tick.
What should I pay attention to with Laureate Education Inc right now?
Solid quality (71/100) at a price below fair value, the discount is the argument here, not the business quality. A fairly wide model range ($28.69 to $54.72) leaves room in how you read the outcome.
Key figures of Laureate Education Inc
How large is the market capitalisation of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
The market capitalisation of Laureate Education Inc is $4.8B. The stock-market value of the whole company: share price times number of shares. It is what the market asks for the entire business today.
What is the P/S ratio of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
The price-to-sales ratio of Laureate Education Inc is 2.48 (last twelve months). Price to sales: market value relative to yearly revenue. Useful when profit is thin or distorted.
What are the earnings per share of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
Earnings per share at Laureate Education Inc are $2.70 (price ÷ EPS = P/E 12.4). Earnings per share over the last twelve months: total profit spread across every single share.
What is the dividend yield of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
The dividend yield of Laureate Education Inc is 0.0% (payout 0.1%). Yearly dividend relative to the share price. 3% pays 3 per 100 invested. Below: how much of profit is used for it.
What is the net margin of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
The net margin of Laureate Education Inc is 20.3% (last twelve months). How much of every unit of revenue ends up as profit. 10% means 10 cents of profit per dollar of sales.
What is the return on equity of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
The return on equity (ROE) of Laureate Education Inc is 34.1% (last twelve months). Profit relative to shareholders' equity, how efficiently the company works with its owners' money.
What is the EBIT return on assets of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
On an EBIT basis the return on assets of Laureate Education Inc is 13.8% (avg 5y). Operating profit (EBIT) relative to everything the company owns, as a multi-year average. It describes the business model rather than one good or bad year.
What is the operating margin of Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
The operating margin of Laureate Education Inc is 24.6% (last twelve months). Profit from the core business (before interest and taxes) relative to revenue.
How fast is revenue growing at Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
Revenue at Laureate Education Inc is growing +21.2% versus a year earlier (3y avg +11.1%). How much revenue grew versus a year earlier (YoY). The 3-year average next to it puts the single year in context.
How fast are earnings growing at Laureate Education Inc (LAUR)?
Earnings per share at Laureate Education Inc are growing +217% versus a year earlier. How much earnings per share grew versus a year earlier.
How much net debt does Laureate Education Inc (LAUR) carry?
The net debt of Laureate Education Inc is $701M (fiscal year 2025, ≈ 2.7 yrs of FCF). Debt minus cash on hand. The note shows how many years of free cash flow could in theory pay it off.
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Broad data
Nov 6, 2026