Lincoln University
Lincoln University, Pennsylvania · Public · 65.7% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 18/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Lincoln University in rural Chester County, Pennsylvania - the nation's first degree-granting HBCU - scores 18 out of 100 in the Below Benchmark tier. The cost-side numbers are in-state tuition $12,512, out-of-state $19,384, net price $14,977, and a four-year total of $59,908. The problem is the outcomes side. Earnings are just $26,900 six years after enrollment and only $43,167 by year ten. Combined with $28,250 of median debt, the debt-to-earnings ratio is 1.05 - borrowers owe more than a year of pre-tax income. The 24.5-year payback period and a 43.5% three-year repayment rate (43% of borrowers had paid down any principal) are the key figures. Completion at 43.6% is the structural problem: more than half of starters never earn the degree. The 68.7% Pell rate signals a student body that arrives with significant financial and academic challenges.
How Lincoln University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score18/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.05 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- Payback period24.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Lincoln University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $12,512/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $19,384/yr |
| Average net price | $14,977/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $59,908 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $43,167 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $26,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $28,250 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $299 |
| Estimated payback period | 24.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 43.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,539 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $12,512/year ($19,384/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $14,977/year, or roughly $59,908 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $14,011/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $21,303/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $28,250, which works out to about $299 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($26,900) and comes to 1.05, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $14,011 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $13,000 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,641 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $19,881 |
| $110,001+ | $21,303 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $14,011 net per year. With Pell ($7,395 max) and Pennsylvania PHEAA grants stacked, the actual out-of-pocket is meaningfully lower for most low-income students - but with a 43.6% completion rate and 35% three-year repayment, the modal outcome is borrowed money and no degree.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Slightly inverted: $30,001-$48,000 families pay $13,000 (the lowest), then $48,001-$75,000 pays $15,641, $75,001-$110,000 jumps to $19,881. The inversion is small enough to attribute to small-sample noise.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,001+ pay $21,303 - which exceeds the listed $19,384 out-of-state tuition. The discrepancy reflects room/board fees not in the tuition figure. At $85K over four years, high-income families paying full freight for $26,900 six-year average earnings have made a poor financial bet.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Lincoln University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Human Services, General | $50,390 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $54,632 | F |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $51,056 | F |
| Registered Nursing | $74,652 | C+ |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | $36,544 | F |
| Biology | $55,431 | C+ |
| Psychology | $33,699 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $48,706 | F |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $49,412 | D |
| English Language and Literature | $49,159 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Nursing is far and away Lincoln's standout program: 27 graduates with $68,662 first-year and $74,652 four-year earnings against $31,000 median debt - a 0.451 ratio and C+ grade (the school's best). The high debt is offset by high earnings; this is the one Lincoln program where the cost-outcome math works decisively. Students focused on a nursing career can attend Lincoln and get a respectable ROI.
Biology
Biology shows $55,431 four-year earnings (first-year not reported) against $25,219 median debt - a 0.455 ratio and C+ grade with 19 graduates. The relatively low debt is a positive; the four-year earnings figure suggests graduates progress into healthcare-adjacent or laboratory roles. Biology at Lincoln makes sense as a pre-nursing or pre-health-professions pipeline; as a terminal bachelor's, the standard low-pay outcomes for biology majors apply.
Human Services, General
Human Services is Lincoln's largest program (50 graduates): $34,374 first-year and $50,390 four-year earnings against $37,500 median debt, a 1.091 ratio and F grade. Career paths feed into social services, case management, and nonprofit work where pay ceilings are low. Students entering this program need to plan for graduate school and licensure to make the math work.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice (39 graduates) shows $28,847 first-year and $54,632 four-year earnings against $35,000 median debt - a 1.213 debt-to-earnings ratio and F grade. Career paths into Pennsylvania state corrections, federal law enforcement, and local police pay reasonably well after promotion, but the entry-level pay and debt mismatch is severe.
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
Allied Health graduates 36 students with $32,664 first-year and $51,056 four-year earnings against a striking $34,375 median debt - a 1.052 ratio and F grade. Allied health pathways depend heavily on follow-on credentials (nursing, PT, RT certifications); the bachelor's alone delivers weak ROI.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 31.7% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 43.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 36.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 40.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Lincoln University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 65.7% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 400-460 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 420-500 |
| Enrollment | 1,539 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 68.7% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,580 |
Lincoln admits 65.7% of applicants. SAT mid-50% bands run Math 400-460 and Reading 420-500, consistent with serving students who arrive academically under-prepared by traditional measures. ACT data is not reported. The low test profile correlates directly with the 43.6% completion rate; the school accepts students whose preparation predicts difficulty completing, and the support infrastructure to bridge that gap appears insufficient.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln University (this school) | 18 | $14,977 | $43,167 |
| Norfolk State University | 20 | $15,282 | $44,666 |
| Fayetteville State University | 19 | $7,892 | $40,144 |
| North Carolina Central University | 17 | $15,359 | $42,968 |
| West Virginia State University | 17 | $11,139 | $40,492 |
| Southern University and A & M College | 16 | $20,077 | $43,371 |
Who Thrives Here
Lincoln fits Pennsylvania students who specifically want the HBCU experience and the school's unique heritage as the nation's oldest HBCU. Enrollment of 1,539 with a 68.7% Pell rate paints a picture of a heavily working-class, predominantly Black student body. Outcomes look strongest for nursing graduates ($68K first-year earnings is genuinely strong) and acceptable for biology pre-health pathways. Beyond those two programs, the program data shows weaker outcomes. Students considering Lincoln for the cultural experience should be specific about their intended major - nursing or biology pencil out, while criminal justice, communications, business, and human services do not.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Lincoln University scores 18/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $14,977 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $43,167 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 24.5 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 43.5% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 43.5% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $28,250 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $26,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Lincoln University: Common Questions
Is Lincoln University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Lincoln University scores 18/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $14,977 a year after aid against $43,167 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 24.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Lincoln University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $14,977 a year, or roughly $59,908 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Lincoln University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $43,167 ten years after enrolling, roughly $1,367 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Lincoln University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 24.5 years for Lincoln University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Lincoln University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $28,250, against average earnings of $26,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.05. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Lincoln University?
The six-year graduation rate is 43.5%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.