10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$185,218at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF
Lincoln University
Lincoln University, PA · 17 field-and-degree records
Earnings reported for 16 · Federal debt reported for 10
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$185,218 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
43.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−77%Estimated return after 10 years
$50,469Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your question
What do you want to understand?
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.
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25
What makes up the annual price?
Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.
Living off campus: $11,616 housing and food allowance plus $4,416 in other expenses.
Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.
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−$125,310
$8,000Annual price−$157,310
$15,000Current college-wide context−$185,310
$16,000Annual price−$189,310
$24,000Annual price−$221,310
$32,000Annual price−$253,310
$40,000Annual price−$285,310
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24
Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.
IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.
Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.
College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- Suburban
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- Historically Black college or university
STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024
Prices in Pennsylvania run 2% below the U.S. level.
BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.
What it costs and what graduates earn
$14,977Average net price / year
$28,505Cost of attendance
$28,250Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$299/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$50,469Median earnings · year 5 after completion
43.5%Completion rate
65.7%Admission rate
920Average SAT score
19ACT midpoint
1,539Student size
Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.
What the numbers say about Lincoln University
What does Lincoln University cost?
Lincoln University reports an average annual net price of $14,977 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 $50,469 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 $28,250. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Lincoln University worth the same?
No. The current release contains 17 field-and-degree records for Lincoln University; 16 report year-4 earnings and 10 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.
DEBT AFTER COLLEGE
Are borrowers making progress?
Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.
Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.
Who studied here during the year
1,795Students enrolled at any point
1,634Undergraduate students
161Graduate students
Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.
More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
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
44% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
646 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
31% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$39,534Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$43,956Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$48,978Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income28%
Middle income34%
Higher income37%
Undergraduate student composition
White1%
Black84%
Hispanic6%
Asian0%
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.
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 every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS OVER TIME
What graduates earned in later years
$32,398Year 1
$50,871Year 4
$50,469Year 5
Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.
Your choice of degree can change the payoff.
Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.
1Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · Bachelor's Degree$74,6522Special Education and Teaching · Master's Degree$68,3433Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · Master's Degree$66,5524Human Services, General · Master's Degree$63,6985Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$61,2506Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology · Master's Degree$57,9257Biology, General · Bachelor's Degree$55,4318Criminal Justice and Corrections · Bachelor's Degree$54,632Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges
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.
1Human Services, GeneralMaster's Degree · $63,698 reported+12%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt2Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's Degree · $66,552 reported+11%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Special Education and TeachingMaster's Degree · $68,343 reported+6%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Human Services, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $50,390 reported+4%vs same-degree national median$37,500federal debt5English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's Degree · $49,159 reported+1%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's Degree · $54,632 reported-1%vs same-degree national median$35,000federal debt
Comparable colleges in PA
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Harrisburg, PA
Harrisburg Area Community College
- Annual net price
- $14,471
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,140
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -78%
York County School of Technology-Adult & Continuing Education
- Annual net price
- $13,490
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,506
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -81%
Community College of Allegheny County
- Annual net price
- $13,970
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $48,518
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -85%
Greene County Career and Technology Center
- Annual net price
- $14,909
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $47,385
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -90%
Compare fields and degree levels
Showing all 17 field-and-degree records in the current release.
| Major or field | Degree level | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2024–25 graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Bachelor's Degree | $74,652 | $31,000 | Not reported |
| Special Education and Teaching | Master's Degree | $68,343 | Not available | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $66,552 | Not available | Not reported |
| Human Services, General | Master's Degree | $63,698 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $61,250 | Not available | Not reported |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | Master's Degree | $57,925 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $55,431 | $25,219 | Not reported |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Bachelor's Degree | $54,632 | $35,000 | Not reported |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $51,056 | $34,375 | Not reported |
| Human Services, General | Bachelor's Degree | $50,390 | $37,500 | Not reported |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $50,141 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $49,412 | $28,000 | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $49,159 | Not available | Not reported |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $48,706 | $33,000 | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $47,374 | $28,500 | Not reported |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | Bachelor's Degree | $36,544 | $27,000 | Not reported |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $30,000 | Not reported |
Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.
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.