10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$238,478at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Lincoln University
⌖ Jefferson City, MO · 14 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$238,478 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
143.3 yrsModeled economic break-even
−93%Modeled 10-year ROI
$46,789Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Lincoln University
What does Lincoln University cost?
Lincoln University reports an average annual net price of $19,092 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Lincoln University graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $46,789 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Lincoln University graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $28,875. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Lincoln University worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 14 field-and-credential outcomes at Lincoln University; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$162,110
$8,000Annual price−$194,110
$16,000Annual price−$226,110
$19,000Current college-wide context−$238,110
$24,000Annual price−$258,110
$32,000Annual price−$290,110
$40,000Annual price−$322,110
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- Historically Black college or university · Land-grant institution
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$19,092Average net price / year
$23,704Cost of attendance
$28,875Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$306/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$46,789Median earnings · year 5 after completion
20.8%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
1,392Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
30% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
133 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
33% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$35,897Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$42,591Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$43,377Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income24%
Middle income43%
Higher income55%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 51
$63,190Year 1
$73,728Year 5
$92,673Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Associate degree · Broad federal field 51
$59,673Year 1
$62,738Year 5
$74,015Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$54,993Year 1
$67,887Year 5
$67,343Year 10
Agricultural Business and Management.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 01
$40,342Year 1
$46,142Year 5
$65,986Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$40,820Year 1
$51,627Year 5
$64,402Year 10
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 13
$45,922Year 1
$52,745Year 5
$63,270Year 10
Computer Programming.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 11
$43,047Year 1
$50,767Year 5
$61,121Year 10
Anthropology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 45
$40,793Year 1
$65,986Year 5
$59,848Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$37,139Year 1
$50,859Year 4
$46,789Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$79,5202Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Associate's Degree$71,9243Criminal Justice and Corrections · Associate's Degree$57,2904Information Science/Studies · Bachelor's Degree$52,0715Criminal Justice and Corrections · Bachelor's Degree$48,3156Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$48,2767Psychology, General · Bachelor's Degree$45,8688Health-Related Knowledge and Skills · Bachelor's Degree$45,788Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's Degree · $57,290 reported+23%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Psychology, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $45,868 reported-10%vs same-degree national median$31,000federal debt3Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's Degree · $79,520 reported-11%vs same-degree national median$28,500federal debt4Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's Degree · $71,924 reported-11%vs same-degree national median$32,500federal debt5Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's Degree · $48,315 reported-13%vs same-degree national median$37,171federal debt6Health-Related Knowledge and SkillsBachelor's Degree · $45,788 reported-17%vs same-degree national median$29,995federal debt
Comparable colleges in MO
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Cape Girardeau, MO
Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center
- Annual net price
- $17,598
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,947
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -88%
Pike-Lincoln Technical Center
- Annual net price
- $16,125
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $46,844
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -92%
Carthage R9 School District-Carthage Technical Center
- Annual net price
- $16,874
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,911
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -84%
Saline County Career Center
- Annual net price
- $20,386
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $43,267
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -107%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $79,520 | $28,500 | Not reported |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Associate's Degree | $71,924 | $32,500 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Associate's Degree | $57,290 | Not available | Not reported |
| Information Science/Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $52,071 | Not available | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $48,315 | $37,171 | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $48,276 | $36,636 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $45,868 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Health-Related Knowledge and Skills | Bachelor's Degree | $45,788 | $29,995 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $40,887 | $43,382 | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $36,835 | $30,259 | Not reported |
| Journalism | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $34,532 | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $28,000 | Not reported |
| Social Work | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $31,000 | Not reported |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $31,000 | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.