Public · University
Lincoln University
Jefferson City, Missouri · Small city
- —
- Admit rate
- $19,092
- Avg net price
- 21%
- Graduation rate
- $39,463
- Median earnings
Lincoln University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Jefferson City, Missouri (small city setting), enrolling 1,392 undergraduates. It is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).
About Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri. In the late 17th century, frontiersmen began to inhabit the area, including Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, Louis Jolliet, Jacques Marquette, Robert de LaSalle, and Daniel Boone, with the latter having the greatest influence on the region. Jefferson City's economy is driven by its residents, citizens of surrounding communities, and tourists. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 28 miles to Columbia, MO
- To Great Lakes shore
- 328 miles
- Nearest airport
- 18 miles to Columbia (COU)
How Lincoln University compares
Higher than 6% · #49 of 51 in Missouri
Higher than 13%
Higher than 13% · #46 of 53 in Missouri
Cheaper than 54% · #23 cheapest of 51 in Missouri
Lower than 5%
Lower than 68%
Larger than 47%
Percentiles compare Lincoln University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Missouri.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate1,39292%
- Graduate1288%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women78656%
- Men60644%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White29%
- Black50%
- Hispanic3.9%
- Asian0.7%
- Other or multiracial17%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,392
- Graduate enrollment
- 128
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 49%
- First-generation students
- 38%
- Students over 25
- 12%
- Median family income
- $24,957
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $50,634
- Endowment
- $3,270,186
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 348 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Missouri69%
- Other U.S. states24%
- International6.6%
A regional draw: about 69% of first-years come from Missouri, the rest from elsewhere.
7% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $9,796
- Out-of-state tuition
- $17,692
- Room & board
- $10,256
- Books & supplies
- $2,000
- Total cost of attendance
- $23,704
- Average net price
- $19,092
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 21%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 10%
- First-year retention
- 60%
- Transferred to another college
- 36%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $32,185
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $39,463
- Median debt at graduation
- $28,875
- Students with federal loans
- 44%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 26%
About 11% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 717
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 52%
- Housing charge (year)
- $6,425
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,127
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II with football
- Football conference
- Great Lakes Valley Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 349 (216 men · 133 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (9)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 3.9 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 8
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 16
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (2,054 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$18,287/year × about 4.8 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 21% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,736. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 341 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $39,463
- Typical debt at graduation
- $28,875
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 73%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 43%
Typical debt would take roughly 7.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $1,093 (3%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 88°F
- Winter low
- 21°F
- Annual rain
- 43.6″
- Annual snow
- 8.9″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Jefferson City Wtp, MO US station (1.7 mi from campus).
What Lincoln University graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Lincoln University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Lincoln University side by side →
The University of Montana-Western
Dillon, Montana · Remote town · 132 mi to Missoula
- Students
- 1,198
- Admission
- 100%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $43k
University of Montevallo
Montevallo, Alabama · Fringe town · 29 mi to Birmingham
- Students
- 2,151
- Admission
- 54%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $43k
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Winston Salem, North Carolina · Large city · 2 mi to Winston-Salem
- Students
- 945
- Admission
- 30%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1260
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $38k
Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, Arkansas · Distant town · 61 mi to Little Rock
- Students
- 1,456
- Admission
- —
- Net price
- $23k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $43k
West Liberty University
West Liberty, West Virginia · Fringe rural · 37 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 1,511
- Admission
- 97%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1045
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $43k
University of Maine at Farmington
Farmington, Maine · Remote rural · 70 mi to Portland
- Students
- 1,140
- Admission
- 97%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1130
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $44k
Colleges near Lincoln University
Missouri College of Cosmetology and Esthetics
Jefferson City, MO · Private for-profit · Certificate · 97 students
State Technical College of Missouri
Linn, MO · Public · Associate · 2,123 students
Westminster College
Fulton, MO · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 638 students
William Woods University
Fulton, MO · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,300 students
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia, MO · Public · Bachelor's · 23,929 students
Stephens College
Columbia, MO · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 391 students
Columbia College
Columbia, MO · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 4,950 students
Paul Mitchell the School-Missouri Columbia
Columbia, MO · Private for-profit · Certificate · 107 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













