Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPublicHBCU

Lincoln University

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania·Public, 4-year or above·Mid East·lincoln.edu
6-yr Graduation
44%
+4.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
1,670
peer median 2,241
Avg net price
$14,977
-$858 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data SetDocumentsAlumni

About

Lincoln University (LU) is a public state-related historically black university (HBCU) in Lower Oxford Township, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as the private Ashmun Institute in 1854, it has been a public institution since 1972. Lincoln is also recognized as the first college-degree-granting HBCU in the country. Its main campus is located on 422 acres (170.8 ha) in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university has a second location in University City, Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides undergraduate and graduate coursework to approximately 2,000 students. It is a member-school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
5,248
5,248 candidates competed
Admitted
3,449
65.7% acceptance rate
Enrolled
424
12.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
44%+4.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
30%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
44%
Full-time retention
73%

Pell equity

8.0pp gap
Pell recipients
41%157 of 380
Non-Pell (all)
49%76 of 155
Subsidized loan, no Pell
44%43 of 97
No Federal Aid
57%33 of 58

Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 37 Title IV programs, 15 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 22 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
37
Passing
15
40.5% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

37programs
  • Passing15 · 40.5%
  • No Data22 · 59.5%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
0
Safe
13
No data
22

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

15
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+3.6%
$36,544 vs $35,274
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+4.2%
$61,250 vs $58,761
Political Science and Government
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+34.3%
$47,374 vs $35,274
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+38.1%
$48,706 vs $35,274
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+39.4%
$49,159 vs $35,274
Computer and Information Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
+40.1%
$49,412 vs $35,274
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+42.1%
$50,141 vs $35,274
Human Services General
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+42.9%
$50,390 vs $35,274

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

2
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+3.6%
+$1,270
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+4.2%
+$2,489

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

13
Radio Television and Digital Communication
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
74%
$27,000 debt · $36,544 earn
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
69%
$35,000 debt · $51,056 earn
Political Science and Government
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
64%
$30,125 debt · $47,374 earn
Human Services General
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
62%
$31,000 debt · $50,390 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
61%
$33,500 debt · $54,632 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
55%
$27,000 debt · $48,706 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
55%
$27,000 debt · $49,159 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
54%
$35,684 debt · $66,552 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 1922Next review Nov 2019

Programmatic accreditations · 1

Action history · 4

  1. May 2023Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Denial
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  2. Mar 2023Adverse Action Initiated
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  3. Feb 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  4. Jun 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$14,011
$30–48k$13,000
$48–75k$15,641
$75–110k$19,881
$110k+$21,303

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$14,977
-$857vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $15,835
Federal loans
79.0%
In-state tuition
$12,512
Out-of-state
$19,384

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 1,159 students received $7.7M in Pell grants, alongside $17.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,159
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$7.7M
$7,691,133 total
Direct Loans
$17.6M
2,943 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$4.6M
1,153 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$3.9M
1,155 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$1.5M
110 loan awards
Parent PLUS$7.5M
517 loan awards
Grad PLUS$78K
8 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 762 borrowers who entered repayment, 50 (6.5%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
6.5%
+4.2pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
762
Defaulted
50
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
11.5%
2017
13.9%
2018
11.2%
2019
6.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Lincoln

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs43
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

380 total completions
01Health Professions
6617.4%
02Public Admin
6015.8%
03Business
6015.8%
04Psychology
379.7%
05Communication
338.7%
06Security/Protective
328.4%
07Education
318.2%
08Biological Sciences
246.3%
09Social Sciences
195.0%
10Computer Sciences
184.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
1,670
12-mo unduplicated
1,795
Undergraduate
1,634
Graduate
161

Gender split

Men
36%647
Women
64%1,148

Race / ethnicity composition

Black
84.2%
Hispanic
5.7%
Two or more
4.0%
Unknown
2.6%
Non-resident
2.1%
White
0.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.4%
Asian
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
274
190 M · 84 W
Women athletes
30.7%
Athletic aid
$1.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$3.7M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$655K
$438K
Recruiting expense
$77K
$40K
Head-coach salaries
$65K
$56K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 7

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
75 M · 57 W
$369K
Football
99 M · —
$913K
Basketball
16 M · 16 W
$1.2M
Baseball
32 M · —
$244K
Soccer
— · 19 W
$159K
Softball
— · 16 W
$278K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
3.25
6 offenses · 1,848 students

3-year trend

5.742 yrs ago9.321 yr ago3.25Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
34
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
22
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
5

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
2
Aggravated assault
2
Rape
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

6total
  • On campus6

Includes 4 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
4
Dating violence
0
Stalking
4 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs082
Liquor024

Residence-hall fires

  • Houston Hall1 fire
    OtherDamage $0-$99
  • Rendall Hall1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
12.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
109

Lincoln vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Lincoln selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectLincoln University
44%—1,670$14,977Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Alabama State University
30%97.6%4,081$20,435Doctoral/Professional
Alverno College
51%85.7%1,317$22,540Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Chicago State University
15%43.3%2,238$12,335Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Dillard University
43%41.9%1,080$22,094Baccalaureate
Fort Lewis College
36%77.3%3,544$17,296Baccalaureate
Fort Valley State University
41%65.9%2,897$10,338Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Francis Marion University
43%86.4%4,112$11,386Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Mid-America Christian University
39%91.8%2,397$16,692Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Mississippi University for Women
47%90.3%2,193$12,411Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Neumann University
53%81.3%2,244$27,804Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
South Carolina State University
37%82.6%3,242$18,097Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Texas A&M University-Texarkana
30%63.5%2,412$12,997Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Tougaloo College
33%59.9%1,301$17,043Baccalaureate
Trinity Washington University
49%99.5%1,948$9,302Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
University of South Carolina Beaufort
34%72.5%2,208$14,656Baccalaureate
Peer group median40%81.3%2,241$15,835

Institutions like Lincoln

Explore the federal data for institutions in Lincoln's comparison group.

IPEDS

Lincoln Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning
Email
oierp [at] lincoln.edu
Phone
484-365-7842
Address
John Miller Dickey Hall Suite 257

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning (OIERP) is responsible for ensuring data-driven decision making and strives to provide accurate, timely, and reliable information about Lincoln University.

Visit IR office page
Team
3 members
  • Turan Gonul
    Associate Director
  • Nancy Smith
    Director
  • Yeganeh Faraji
    Research Analyst

Common Data Set

Lincoln's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
64.3%
Accessible
Yield
9.7%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
1,527
1,424 UG · 103 grad
6-yr graduation rate
44%
First-year retention
76%
Student–faculty ratio
11 to 1
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
5,512
Admitted
3,545
Enrolled
344

5,512 applied → 3,545 admitted (64.3%) → 344 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
64.3%

Accessible — 64.3% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
male64.1%
female65.0%
unknown27.8%

Admit rate varies by gender.

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important1
Rigor of secondary school record
Important1
Academic GPA
Considered3
Class rankStandardized test scoresApplication Essay
Not Considered13
Recommendation(s)InterviewExtracurricular activitiesTalent/abilityCharacter/personal qualitiesFirst generationAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceState residencyReligious affiliation/commitmentVolunteer workWork experienceLevel of applicant’s interest

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Federal46.0%
Institutional36.4%
Stateall states13.6%
Scholarships/grants from external sources4.1%

36% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
89%
Avg debt
$34,058

89% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $34,058 on average.

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
44%
Retention
76%

6-year graduation rate 44%; first-year retention 76%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students44%
Pell recipients41%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 2 pts below the overall rate (41% vs 44%).

04

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students97
10-19 students121
20-29 students69
30-39 students37
40-49 students6
50-99 students1
100+ students0

66% of classes have under 20 students; 0% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
11 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
71%
Women faculty
49%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Health professions and related programs18.54%
Public administration and social services14.04%
Business/marketing11.52%
Psychology10.39%
Communication/journalism9.27%
Homeland Security, law enforcement, firefighting, and protective services8.99%
Biological/life sciences6.74%
Social sciences5.34%

STEM-dominant: ~15% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
Black or African American83.6%
Hispanic/Latino5.3%
Two or more races4.2%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown3.9%
Nonresidents1.8%
White0.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native0.3%
Asian0.1%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander0.1%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
25
Share
2%

2% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
1,42493%
Graduate
1037%

1,424 undergraduates and 103 graduate students.

06

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
125
Admitted
92
Enrolled
64

125 transfer applicants → 92 admitted (73.6%) → 64 enrolled

Source publications

Reports & documents (7)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of Lincoln (10)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Thurgood Marshall
    Law
  • Langston Hughes
    Literature
  • Hildrus Poindexter
    Science
  • Horace Mann Bond
    Education
  • Roscoe Lee Browne
    Arts
  • Robert L. Carter
    Law
  • Nnamdi Azikiwe
    Politics
  • Kwame Nkrumah
    Politics
  • Melvin B. Tolson
    Education
  • Brenda A. Allen
    Education

Frequently asked questions about Lincoln University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Lincoln.

What is the graduation rate at Lincoln University?

Lincoln University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 44% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Lincoln University?

Lincoln University reports a total enrollment of 1,670 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Lincoln University?

The average net price at Lincoln University is $14,977 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Lincoln University?

Lincoln University's yield rate is 12.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Lincoln University located?

Lincoln University is located in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania 19352-0999.

Who runs Institutional Research at Lincoln University?

Lincoln University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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