College ROI

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Lincoln University

Lincoln University, PA 1,539 Undergrads 47.9% Grad Rate
Share
Total Cost
$28,505
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$14,977
After Aid
Median Earnings
$50,871
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$14,977
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$50,871
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$43,167
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate47.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age21.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients67.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.7%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS55.1%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
65.7%
SAT Avg
920
SAT Reading
25th: 42049875th: 500
SAT Math
25th: 40048475th: 460
ACT Composite
25th: -1975th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$461k
-$6k
-$24k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$407k
-$60k
-$77k
Full Cost$29k/yr
+$358k
-$109k
-$126k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
Never
-144%
Full Cost$29k/yr
Never
-123%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-122%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-84%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,431
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Median Debt
$30,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,706
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$96k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,523
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,000
Earnings (4yr)
$49,412
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
-$90k
Median Debt
$32,500
Earnings (4yr)
$54,632
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$46k
Engineering Science
BachCIP: 1413
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,782
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,159
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$32,687
Earnings (4yr)
$51,056
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$29,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,390
Natl Median: $48,597
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Journalism
BachCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$50,643
Natl Median: $56,278
Lifetime Value Added
-$88k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,012
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physical Sciences, General
BachCIP: 4001
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,944
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$28,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,374
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$107k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$27,500
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$36,544
Natl Median: $50,497
Lifetime Value Added
-$200k
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$74,652
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$111k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,141
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$27,334
Earnings (4yr)
$61,250
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$129k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$57,925
Natl Median: $65,184
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $110,694
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$27,573
Earnings (4yr)
$63,698
Natl Median: $57,050
Lifetime Value Added
-$106k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$68,343
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$65k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,552
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.