Public · University

Lincoln University

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania · Large suburb

65.7%
Admit rate
$14,977
Avg net price
44%
Graduation rate
$43,167
Median earnings

Lincoln University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania (large suburb setting), enrolling 1,539 undergraduates. It is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

PublicSmall · 1,539 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 66% admitNCAA Division II with football · Central Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Lincoln University's admitted students.

Admit rate
65.7%
SAT (mid 50%)
820–960
Avg GPA (est.)
2.72

Enter a test score to see where you land against Lincoln University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Lincoln University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

Lincoln University is located in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, a large suburb setting.

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
14 miles
Nearest airport
19 miles to Wilmington (ILG)

How Lincoln University compares

Selectivity65.7%

More selective than 70% · #25 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average920

Higher than 1%

Graduation rate44%

Higher than 29% · #89 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention73%

Higher than 41%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$43,167

Higher than 20% · #109 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$14,977

Cheaper than 73% · #6 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$28,250

Lower than 6%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment1,539

Larger than 50%

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 Pennsylvania.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,664students
  • Undergraduate1,53992%
  • Graduate1258%

Undergraduates by gender

1,539undergrads
  • Women94661%
  • Men59339%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White0.7%
  • Black84%
  • Hispanic5.7%
  • Other or multiracial9.2%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,539
Graduate enrollment
125
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
69%
First-generation students
39%
Students over 25
5%
Median family income
$30,819
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$86,220
Endowment
$56,324,821

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 551 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania46%
  • Other U.S. states53%
  • International1.1%

A regional draw: about 46% of first-years come from Pennsylvania, the rest from elsewhere.

1% 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.

Admissions

Admission rate
65.7%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
820–960
SAT average
920
SAT reading
420–500
SAT math
400–460
ACT composite
Average GPA (estimated)
2.72

Cost

In-state tuition
$12,512
Out-of-state tuition
$19,384
Room & board
$11,616
Books & supplies
$1,597
Total cost of attendance
$28,505
Average net price
$14,977

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)
44%
Graduated on time (4 years)
30%
First-year retention
73%
Transferred to another college
30%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$32,865
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$43,167
Median debt at graduation
$28,250
Students with federal loans
79%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
22%

About 14% 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)

All students
30%
Low-income (Pell)
41%
First-generation
41%

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
1,714
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%+
Housing charge (year)
$5,972
Meal plan (year)
$5,088
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Varsity athletes
343 (222 men · 121 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 (7)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)132
Football99
Baseball32
Basketball32
Soccer19
Softball16
Volleyball13

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
6.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
30
Property offenses (2022–2024)
4

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (1,670 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.

11reported offenses a year
10 violent a year1.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Aggravated assault
4.7
Rape
3.0
Fondling
2.0
Burglary
1.0
Murder
0.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

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.

< $30k
$14,011
$30–48k
$13,000
$48–75k
$15,641
$75–110k
$19,881
$110k+
$21,303

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.

Est. total to a degree
$70,015

$15,641/year × about 4.5 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.

97%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$9,457
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 97% — get grant money from Lincoln University itself, averaging $9,457, which softens the sticker price.

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 397 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)
$43,167
Typical debt at graduation
$28,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
65%
Out-earn a HS grad
44%

Typical debt would take roughly 6.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Weigh it value

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.

Women
$44,792
Men
$40,424

Women out-earn men by $4,368 (11%) 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
85°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
48.4″
Annual snow
18.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Octoraro Lake, PA US station (6.3 mi from campus).

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 →

Colleges near Lincoln University

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.