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Lincoln Educational ServicesLINC -0.73%63 Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.78 as of Mar. 2026, which is 12% below its 10-year median of 4.29. GuruFocus rates LINC with a GF Score™ of 63/100 and a GF Value™ of $18.99 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 187 Education companies, Lincoln Educational Services ranks worse than 75.4% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Lincoln Educational Services's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
LINC'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -3.85 Med: 4.29 Max: 13.01
Current: 3.73
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Lincoln Educational Services was 13.01. The lowest was -3.85. And the median was 4.29.
LINC's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 75.4% of 187
companies
in the Education industry
Industry Median: 1.52
vs LINC: 3.73
Lincoln Educational Services (NAS:LINC) Debt-to-EBITDA Explanation
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Lincoln Educational Services Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Lincoln Educational Services Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
LINC vs COUR, STRA, AFYA: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Education & Training Services subindustry, Lincoln Educational Services's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Lincoln Educational Services Debt-to-EBITDA vs Education Industry
For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Lincoln Educational Services's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Lincoln Educational Services's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
Lincoln Educational Services (LINC) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.78 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Lincoln Educational Services. This is 12% below median its historical median of 4.29. According to the industry distribution chart, Lincoln Educational Services ranks #141 out of 187 companies in the Education industry, placing it in the top 75.4%.
Is Lincoln Educational Services' Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Lincoln Educational Services' current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.78 is 12% below median its 10-year median of 4.29. The Education industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.52. Lincoln Educational Services' value of 3.78 is 148.7% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Lincoln Educational Services ranks #141 out of 187 companies in the Education industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Lincoln Educational Services has a GF Score™ of 63/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Lincoln Educational Services' Debt-to-EBITDA compare to COUR and STRA?
According to the Education industry distribution chart, Lincoln Educational Services ranks #141 out of 187 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places Lincoln Educational Services in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.52. Lincoln Educational Services' value of 3.78 is 148.7% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 4.29 vs. the industry median of 1.52, Lincoln Educational Services has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for an Education company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Education companies is 1.52, based on 187 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Lincoln Educational Services's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 3.78 is 148.7% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Lincoln Educational Services. For the Education industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.52 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Lincoln Educational Services's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.78, which is 12% below median its own 10-year median of 4.29. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Lincoln Educational Services stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Lincoln Educational Services (LINC) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $18.99, compared to a current price of $40.90 — trading 115.4% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.78, which is 12% below median its 10-year median of 4.29 and 148.7% above the Education industry median of 1.52. Lincoln Educational Services' overall GF Score™ is 63/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Lincoln Educational Services (LINC), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 3.78 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Lincoln Educational Services (LINC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Lincoln Educational Services stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $40.90 is trading 115.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of $18.99.
GuruFocus considers Lincoln Educational Services to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for LINC:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 3.78 (12% below median its 10-year median of 4.29)
GF Value™: $18.99 vs. price of $40.90 (115.4% above fair value)
Industry Position: 148.7% above the Education median (#141 of 187)
No single metric tells the full story. See the LINC stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Lincoln Educational Services Corp provides diversified career-oriented post-secondary education to high school graduates and working adults. The company offers programs in automotive technology, skilled trades, healthcare services, hospitality services, and business and information technology. Its reportable segments include: Campus Operations and Transitional. The majority of the revenue is generated from the Campus Operations segment, which includes all campuses that are continuing in operation and contribute to the company's core operations and performance.
63GF Score
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