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Lincoln Educational ServicesLINC -0.43%66 Debt-to-Equity is 1.04 as of Mar. 2026, which is 37% above its 10-year median of 0.76. GuruFocus rates LINC with a GF Score™ of 66/100 and a GF Value™ of $19.04 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 221 Education companies, Lincoln Educational Services ranks worse than 80.54% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for Lincoln Educational Services's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
LINC'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.45 Med: 0.76 Max: 2.21
Current: 1.04
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Lincoln Educational Services was 2.21. The lowest was 0.45. And the median was 0.76.
LINC's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 80.54% of 221
companies
in the Education industry
Industry Median: 0.31
vs LINC: 1.04
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
Lincoln Educational Services Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Lincoln Educational Services Debt-to-Equity 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 AFYA, COUR, PXED: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Education & Training Services subindustry, Lincoln Educational Services's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity 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-Equity vs Education Industry
For the Education industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Lincoln Educational Services's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Lincoln Educational Services's Debt-to-Equity 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.
Lincoln Educational Services (LINC) has a Debt-to-Equity of 1.04 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Lincoln Educational Services and its competitors. This is 37% above median its historical median of 0.76. Over the past decade, Lincoln Educational Services' Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.45 to 2.21. According to the industry distribution chart, Lincoln Educational Services ranks #178 out of 221 companies in the Education industry, placing it in the top 80.5%.
Is Lincoln Educational Services' Debt-to-Equity too high?
Lincoln Educational Services' current Debt-to-Equity of 1.04 is 37% above median its 10-year median of 0.76. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.45 to a high of 2.21. The Education industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.31. Lincoln Educational Services' value of 1.04 is 235.5% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Lincoln Educational Services ranks #178 out of 221 companies in the Education industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Lincoln Educational Services has a GF Score™ of 66/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Lincoln Educational Services' Debt-to-Equity compare to AFYA and COUR?
According to the Education industry distribution chart, Lincoln Educational Services ranks #178 out of 221 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Lincoln Educational Services in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.31. Lincoln Educational Services' value of 1.04 is 235.5% above this benchmark. Historically, Lincoln Educational Services' own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.45 to 2.21 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.76 vs. the industry median of 0.31, 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-Equity for an Education company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Education companies is 0.31, based on 221 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Lincoln Educational Services's current Debt-to-Equity of 1.04 is 235.5% 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-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Lincoln Educational Services and its competitors. For the Education industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.31 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Lincoln Educational Services's current Debt-to-Equity is 1.04, which is 37% above median its own 10-year median of 0.76. 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 $19.04, compared to a current price of $41.85 — trading 119.8% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 1.04, which is 37% above median its 10-year median of 0.76 and 235.5% above the Education industry median of 0.31. Lincoln Educational Services' overall GF Score™ is 66/100 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-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Lincoln Educational Services (LINC), the current Debt-to-Equity is 1.04 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 $41.85 is trading 119.8% above its estimated GF Value™ of $19.04.
GuruFocus considers Lincoln Educational Services to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for LINC:
Debt-to-Equity: 1.04 (37% above median its 10-year median of 0.76)
GF Value™: $19.04 vs. price of $41.85 (119.8% above fair value)
Industry Position: 235.5% above the Education median (#178 of 221)
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.
66GF Score
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