Universal Technical Institute (UTI) Reports Q4: Everything You Need To Know Ahead Of Earnings

Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Universal Technical Institute and the best and worst performers in the education services industry.

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 7 education services stocks we track reported a very strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Luckily, education services stocks have performed well with share prices up 10.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

Universal Technical Institute

Founded in 1965, Universal Technical Institute is a leading provider of technical training programs, specializing in automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, and marine technicians.

Universal Technical Institute reported revenues of $222.4 million, up 13.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and adjusted operating income estimates.

"Fiscal 2025 was an exceptional year for Universal Technical Institute and a defining start to the second phase of our North Star strategy," said Jerome Grant, CEO of Universal Technical Institute, Inc.

Universal Technical Institute scored the highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. Investor expectations, however, were likely higher than Wall Street’s published projections, leaving some wishing for even better results (analysts’ consensus estimates are those published by big banks and advisory firms, not the investors who make buy and sell decisions). The stock is down 3.6% since reporting and currently trades at $28.43.

Best Q3: Lincoln Educational

Established in 1946, Lincoln Educational is a provider of specialized technical training in the United States, offering career-oriented programs to provide practical skills required in the workforce.

Lincoln Educational reported revenues of $141.4 million, up 23.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.5%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

Lincoln Educational scored the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 50.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $26.71.

Weakest Q3: Grand Canyon Education

Founded in 1949, Grand Canyon Education is an educational services provider known for its operation at Grand Canyon University.

Grand Canyon Education reported revenues of $261.1 million, up 9.6% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a slower quarter as it posted full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations significantly and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Grand Canyon Education delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. The stock is flat since the results and currently trades at $180.01.

Read our full analysis of Grand Canyon Education’s results here.

Bright Horizons

Founded in 1986, Bright Horizons is a global provider of child care, early education, and workforce support solutions.

Bright Horizons reported revenues of $802.8 million, up 11.6% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also produced an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is up 5.1% since reporting and currently trades at $96.98.

Read our full, actionable report on Bright Horizons here, it’s free.

Strategic Education

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

Strategic Education reported revenues of $319.9 million, up 4.6% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. It was a very strong quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Strategic Education had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 13% since reporting and currently trades at $84.53.

Read our full, actionable report on Strategic Education here, it’s free.

What Happened?

A number of stocks jumped in the afternoon session after investors wagered geopolitical tension would be contained following the U.S. military's operation in Venezuela, with the Dow hitting a fresh record. 

Sentiment remained firmly "risk-on" for early 2026, with Wall Street prioritizing domestic economic strength over foreign turbulence. Analysts noted that while the event raises short-term supply questions, the market largely viewed the potential stabilization of Venezuela's vast oil reserves as a long-term economic positive.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Education Services company Universal Technical Institute jumped 11.1%. Is now the time to buy Universal Technical Institute? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Travel and Vacation Providers company Delta jumped 4.8%. Is now the time to buy Delta? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Travel and Vacation Providers company Choice Hotels jumped 3.6%. Is now the time to buy Choice Hotels? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Leisure Products company Ruger jumped 3.1%. Is now the time to buy Ruger? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Specialized Consumer Services company Mister Car Wash jumped 4.4%. Is now the time to buy Mister Car Wash? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Zooming In On Universal Technical Institute (UTI)

Universal Technical Institute’s shares are quite volatile and have had 17 moves greater than 5% over the last year. But moves this big are rare even for Universal Technical Institute and indicate this news significantly impacted the market’s perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 28 days ago when the stock dropped 3% on the news that new economic data intensified market agitation ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy decision later in the week. 

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, real consumer spending, which is adjusted for inflation, stalled in September, marking its weakest performance in four months. Compounding the issue, the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, while slightly improved, remained gloomy, with one economist noting that many households faced affordability issues forcing them to be more cautious. This pressure on consumers was reflected in the market, where the Consumer Discretionary sector was among the leading decliners. The broader economic picture showed other signs of caution, as new orders for U.S. factory goods also increased less than anticipated. These indicators collectively suggest a widening slowdown across both consumer and industrial sectors as the Federal Reserve prepared to announce its final policy actions for the year.

Universal Technical Institute is up 10.4% since the beginning of the year, but at $27.44 per share, it is still trading 23.6% below its 52-week high of $35.90 from June 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Universal Technical Institute’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $4,348.

Let’s dig into the relative performance of Laureate Education and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q3 education services earnings season.

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 7 education services stocks we track reported a very strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 1.4% on average since the latest earnings results.

Laureate Education

Founded in 1998 by Douglas L. Becker and based in Miami, Laureate Education is a global network of higher education institutions.

Laureate Education reported revenues of $400.2 million, up 8.6% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.7%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with full-year revenue guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Eilif Serck-Hanssen, President and Chief Executive Officer, said “We are pleased to report another strong quarter, driven by favorable operating performance as well as a weaker U.S. dollar. We were especially encouraged by our continued ability to scale our fully online offerings in Peru through our industry-leading digital portfolio and to deliver continued growth in Mexico despite a softer macroeconomic environment. The results from the intake cycles, combined with favorable foreign currency trends, give us the confidence to increase our full-year outlook for 2025.”

Interestingly, the stock is up 15.3% since reporting and currently trades at $33.31.

Best Q3: Lincoln Educational

Established in 1946, Lincoln Educational is a provider of specialized technical training in the United States, offering career-oriented programs to provide practical skills required in the workforce.

Lincoln Educational reported revenues of $141.4 million, up 23.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.5%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

Lincoln Educational pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 31.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $23.34.

Weakest Q3: Grand Canyon Education

Founded in 1949, Grand Canyon Education is an educational services provider known for its operation at Grand Canyon University.

Grand Canyon Education reported revenues of $261.1 million, up 9.6% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a slower quarter as it posted full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Grand Canyon Education delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 7.2% since the results and currently trades at $165.39.

Read our full analysis of Grand Canyon Education’s results here.

Universal Technical Institute

Founded in 1965, Universal Technical Institute is a leading provider of technical training programs, specializing in automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, and marine technicians.

Universal Technical Institute reported revenues of $222.4 million, up 13.3% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. It was a strong quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Universal Technical Institute delivered the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is down 15.8% since reporting and currently trades at $24.84.

Read our full, actionable report on Universal Technical Institute here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Adtalem

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

Adtalem reported revenues of $462.3 million, up 10.8% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but full-year revenue guidance meeting analysts’ expectations.

Adtalem had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 26.4% since reporting and currently trades at $104.44.

Read our full, actionable report on Adtalem here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Let’s dig into the relative performance of Grand Canyon Education and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q3 education services earnings season.

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 7 education services stocks we track reported a very strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.2% on average since the latest earnings results.

Weakest Q3: Grand Canyon Education

Founded in 1949, Grand Canyon Education is an educational services provider known for its operation at Grand Canyon University.

Grand Canyon Education reported revenues of $261.1 million, up 9.6% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations significantly and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Grand Canyon Education delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 5.7% since reporting and currently trades at $168.07.

Read our full report on Grand Canyon Education here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Lincoln Educational

Established in 1946, Lincoln Educational is a provider of specialized technical training in the United States, offering career-oriented programs to provide practical skills required in the workforce.

Lincoln Educational reported revenues of $141.4 million, up 23.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.5%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and EBITDA estimates.

Lincoln Educational pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 36.4% since reporting. It currently trades at $24.28.

Adtalem

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

Adtalem reported revenues of $462.3 million, up 10.8% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 2%. Still, it was a mixed quarter as it posted full-year revenue guidance meeting analysts’ expectations.

Adtalem delivered the weakest full-year guidance update in the group. As expected, the stock is down 27.5% since the results and currently trades at $102.77.

Read our full analysis of Adtalem’s results here.

Universal Technical Institute

Founded in 1965, Universal Technical Institute is a leading provider of technical training programs, specializing in automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, and marine technicians.

Universal Technical Institute reported revenues of $222.4 million, up 13.3% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. It was a strong quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Universal Technical Institute scored the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is down 8.5% since reporting and currently trades at $26.99.

Read our full, actionable report on Universal Technical Institute here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Bright Horizons

Founded in 1986, Bright Horizons is a global provider of child care, early education, and workforce support solutions.

Bright Horizons reported revenues of $802.8 million, up 11.6% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

The stock is up 10.3% since reporting and currently trades at $101.81.

Read our full, actionable report on Bright Horizons here, it’s free for active Edge members.

As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q3. Today, we are looking at education services stocks, starting with Lincoln Educational .

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 7 education services stocks we track reported a very strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 3.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

Best Q3: Lincoln Educational

Established in 1946, Lincoln Educational is a provider of specialized technical training in the United States, offering career-oriented programs to provide practical skills required in the workforce.

Lincoln Educational reported revenues of $141.4 million, up 23.6% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 7.5%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

“As the demand for high-value career-focused training continues to reach new heights across America, Lincoln’s proven expertise, innovative training platforms, and campus development strategies are creating sustained levels of growth,” said Scott Shaw, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Lincoln Educational achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 33.9% since reporting and currently trades at $23.84.

Bright Horizons

Founded in 1986, Bright Horizons is a global provider of child care, early education, and workforce support solutions.

Bright Horizons reported revenues of $802.8 million, up 11.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue and adjusted operating income estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 10.1% since reporting. It currently trades at $101.62.

Weakest Q3: Grand Canyon Education

Founded in 1949, Grand Canyon Education is an educational services provider known for its operation at Grand Canyon University.

Grand Canyon Education reported revenues of $261.1 million, up 9.6% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a slower quarter as it posted full-year EPS guidance missing analysts’ expectations and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Grand Canyon Education delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 6.9% since the results and currently trades at $165.90.

Read our full analysis of Grand Canyon Education’s results here.

Adtalem

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

Adtalem reported revenues of $462.3 million, up 10.8% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 2%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but full-year revenue guidance meeting analysts’ expectations.

Adtalem had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 29% since reporting and currently trades at $100.72.

Read our full, actionable report on Adtalem here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Universal Technical Institute

Founded in 1965, Universal Technical Institute is a leading provider of technical training programs, specializing in automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle, and marine technicians.

Universal Technical Institute reported revenues of $222.4 million, up 13.3% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

Universal Technical Institute achieved the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is down 10.8% since reporting and currently trades at $26.30.

Read our full, actionable report on Universal Technical Institute here, it’s free for active Edge members.

What Happened?

A number of stocks fell in the afternoon session after new economic data intensified market agitation ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy decision later in the week. 

According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, real consumer spending, which is adjusted for inflation, stalled in September, marking its weakest performance in four months. Compounding the issue, the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, while slightly improved, remained gloomy, with one economist noting that many households faced affordability issues forcing them to be more cautious. This pressure on consumers was reflected in the market, where the Consumer Discretionary sector was among the leading decliners. The broader economic picture showed other signs of caution, as new orders for U.S. factory goods also increased less than anticipated. These indicators collectively suggest a widening slowdown across both consumer and industrial sectors as the Federal Reserve prepared to announce its final policy actions for the year.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks.

Among others, the following stocks were impacted:

• Apparel and Accessories company Levi's fell 2.7%. Is now the time to buy Levi's? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Education Services company Bright Horizons fell 3.1%. Is now the time to buy Bright Horizons? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Education Services company Universal Technical Institute fell 3%. Is now the time to buy Universal Technical Institute? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.
• Education Services company Laureate Education fell 2.7%. Is now the time to buy Laureate Education? Access our full analysis report here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Zooming In On Bright Horizons (BFAM)

Bright Horizons’s shares are not very volatile and have only had 9 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful, although it might not be something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 17 days ago when the stock gained 3.5% on the news that comments from a key Federal Reserve official bolstered hopes for an interest rate cut. New York Federal Reserve President John Williams stated he sees “room for a further adjustment” in the near term, sparking a significant market rally. Following his remarks, the probability of the central bank cutting rates at its December meeting jumped from 39% to over 73%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. This positive sentiment provided relief to markets amid concerns over high valuations, particularly in AI-related stocks.

Bright Horizons is down 9.9% since the beginning of the year, and at $99.56 per share, it is trading 24.3% below its 52-week high of $131.50 from May 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of Bright Horizons’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $590.51.