Public Graduate Fair 52/100

Lincoln University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Jefferson City, Missouri

About Lincoln University

Thinking about Lincoln University, a college in Missouri where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Lincoln University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Jefferson City, Missouri. It enrolls 1,392 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
27.8%
Net Price
$19,092
Median Earnings (10yr)
$39,463
Enrollment
1,392
Student : Faculty
13:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Fair
52/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 25
Value 29
Affordability 47
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Lincoln University does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $19,092 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$19,092
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
49%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
44%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$9,796
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$17,692
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,256
Room & Board (off-campus)
$7,900
Books & Supplies
$2,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,396
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,716
Total Cost of Attendance
$23,704

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $20,070
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $19,313
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $18,287
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $14,466
  • Over $110,000
    $19,984

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,050
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$28,875
Median percentile
$23,500
75% percentile
$41,000
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $20,000 ↓ $8,875
No Pell $14,375 ↓ $14,500
Dependent students $17,750 ↓ $11,125
Independent students $21,938 ↓ $6,937
Female students $18,750 ↓ $10,125
Male students $20,375 ↓ $8,500
Pell recipients: 17.7% (5,102 students)No Pell: 12.7% (3,667 students)Dependent students: 15.7% (4,528 students)Independent students: 19.4% (5,597 students)Female students: 16.6% (4,783 students)Male students: 18.0% (5,198 students)Overall Median$28,875
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($28,875), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

28% of students who start here finish within six years, and 55% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
28%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
55%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $39,463 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$39,463
Earning > $25K
68%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$31,000$33,000$36,000$38,000$41,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$34,700

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$34,300

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$31,100

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$36,000

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$40,800

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 21.7 pts across 6 years
48.7%1yr59%3yr65.1%5yr70.5%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 70% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,392 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 38% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
1,392
Part-Time
9%
First-Generation
38%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Black 49.9% 694
White 28.7% 400
International 8.0% 111
Other 4.8% 67
Hispanic 3.9% 54
Asian 0.7% 10
Black: 49.9% (694 students)White: 28.7% (400 students)International: 8.0% (111 students)Other: 4.8% (67 students)Hispanic: 3.9% (54 students)Asian: 0.7% (10 students)Total1,392

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Lincoln University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Small City Jefferson City, Missouri
Housing
Mostly residential 717 beds on campus
Adult Learners
12% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Historically Black College / University (HBCU)

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Health graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Lincoln University offers a varied set of programs: 35 distinct programs across 19 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

4 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$10,009
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$3.1M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$59,437
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

88 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 25 28% $72,072
Associate Professors 14 16% $58,723
Assistant Professors 42 48% $54,579
Instructors 6 7% $43,809
Lecturers 1 1% $51,337

Pros & Cons of Lincoln University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Lincoln University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Higher than typical student debt at graduation
Best for: Based on the data, Lincoln University is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Lincoln University

The questions families ask most about Lincoln University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Lincoln University cost?
Budget around $19,092 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Lincoln University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $39,463 a year against a net price of $19,092, about 2.1 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Lincoln University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Foods & Nutrition, Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Lincoln University graduates earn?
About $39,463 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Lincoln University accredited?
Yes. Lincoln University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Lincoln University?
1,392 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Lincoln University?
28% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Lincoln University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Lincoln University located?
Lincoln University is located in Jefferson City, Missouri.
What programs does Lincoln University offer?
35 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Foods & Nutrition, Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Lincoln University?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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