Lincoln Tech is an American group of for-profitpostsecondaryvocational institutions headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey with campuses in Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Texas.[1][2] Each campus is owned and operated by Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (Nasdaq:LINC), a provider of career-oriented post-secondary education.[3]
Lincoln Tech operates schools under three names or brands: Lincoln Technical Institute, Lincoln College of Technology and Nashville Auto-Diesel College.
History
Lincoln Technical Institute was established in 1946 in Newark, New Jersey. The school's founder and first president, J. Warren Davies -- a decorated Army Captain and entrepreneur -- wanted to serve World War II veterans returning from overseas. At Lincoln, these veterans found training programs to help them learn career-specific skills, and transition into civilian careers in diesel engine repair and installation and servicing of air conditioning and refrigeration equipment.[4]
Automotive courses were added in 1948. Lincoln established traveling schools to offer NAPA-certified training, which certified over 11,000 mechanics between 1955 and 1965.
In 1969, Ryder acquired Lincoln Technical Institute and two other technical schools with campuses in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.[citation needed]
As part of a campaign event in 1992, then President George H. W. Bush spoke at the Lincoln Tech campus in Union, NJ. He was joined by Secretary of Labor Lynn Martin. During the speech he expressed a commitment to job training.[5]
In 2003, Lincoln Educational Services acquired Nashville Auto-Diesel College. The school, located in Nashville, TN on 16 acres of land, was founded in 1919 by H.O. Balls and, at the time of acquisition, had graduated more than 44,000 technicians from around the world.[6][7]
In 2004, Lincoln Tech began diversifying its program offerings with the purchase of New England Technical Institute, which operated a culinary school in Connecticut.[8]
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation made its initial public stock offering in 2005, trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol LINC.[9]
In 2004 and 2005, Lincoln Tech would continue expanding its footprint in education by acquiring additional schools and brining the Lincoln Tech mission to new markets. Included in the acquisitions were Southern College of Business[10], Computer-Ed Business Institute, and Denver Automotive and Diesel College.[11]
In December of 2005, Lincoln Tech acquired Euphoria Institute of Beauty Arts and Sciences, which marked the school's entry into the salon and spa educational vertical.[12] Twenty years later, Lincoln Tech would sell the school to Intellitec College.[13]
In October 2009, Lincoln Tech announced the acquisition of Briarwood College in Southington, CT.[14]
Lincoln Tech further expanded in 2009 with the addition of five more schools: Baran Institute of Technology, Connecticut Culinary Institute, Americare School of Nursing, Engine City Technical Institute, and Clements College.[15]
Academics
Lincoln Tech offers certificate and associate degree programs in Automotive, Skilled Trades, Health Sciences, and Information Technology. Below is a list of available programs:[16]
Automotive Technology
Collision Repair and Refinishing
Computer Networking
Dental Assistant
Diesel Technology
Electrical/Electronics
Heavy Equipment
HVAC
Machining and Manufacturing
Medical Assistant
Medical Assistant Technology
Patient Care
Practical Nursing
Welding Technology
Accreditation
Lincoln Tech is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career School and Colleges (ACCSC), which is recognized by the United States Department of Education.[17]
Lincoln Tech also maintains several industry accreditations, including:
National Center for Construction Education & Research[18][19]
As part of Lincoln Tech's career education programs, the school has partnered with several industry companies to provide specialized training to students.[23] Partnerships include:
Lincoln Tech provides several services to students and graduates as part of their education and career journey, including:
Financial Aid: Lincoln Tech's Financial Aid Department works with students to create a financial plan for their education. This can include assisting with student loans, scholarships, and a variety of other financial aid programs.[42] Lincoln Tech students are eligible to receive Federal Student Aid.[43]
Academic Support: Lincoln Tech's Educational Department provides additional academic support outside of the classroom including a Learning Resources Center, Student Advising, and tutoring.[44]
Career Services: Lincoln Tech's Career Services Department assists students and graduates with resume writing, interview skills, and job search strategies.[44] Career Days or Career Fairs are also held regularly where local companies are invited to campus to engage students and graduates.[44][45][46]
In 2014, The New York Times reported that 50% of all Lincoln schools failed proposed gainful employment regulations.[47] Sixty of Lincoln Tech's programs had passing rates, thirteen had "zone" rates, and five programs failed.[47]
Awards
In 2025, USA Today named Lincoln Tech's Melrose Park and South Plainfield campuses as part of America's Top Vocational Schools. This list evaluated schools based on key criteria including graduation rates and graduate salaries.[48]
Lawsuits and investigations
Lincoln Educational Services faced an investor lawsuit on behalf of those who purchased company stock between March 3, 2010, and August 5, 2010. The plaintiffs alleged that Lincoln Educational Services issued a series of materially false and misleading statements related to its business and operations in violation of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The case was dismissed by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey in September 2011.[49]
In 2013, USA Today, based on data from 2009 to 2010, called one of the company's 31 campuses a "Red Flag school", one which has "a higher loan default rate than graduation rate."[50]
In October 2014, Massachusetts state attorney general Martha Coakley announced an investigation into Lincoln's for-profit schools in the state of Massachusetts.[51]
In 2015, Lincoln Educational Services agreed to repay approximately $1 million to graduates of its criminal justice program in Somerville and Lowell, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts' Attorney General found that students were unable to find work in their fields of study, and the company included unrelated jobs in its placement data. According to the Boston Globe, "The school also allegedly told recruiters to 'establish unhappiness, create urgency,' and 'bring out the pain' to pressure prospective students to attend the school instead of military or community college. The for-profit school instructed recruiters to contact students at least seven times within the first three days to convince them to enroll."[52]
In 2022, Lincoln Educational Services was one of 153 institutions included in student loan cancellation due to alleged fraud. The class action was brought by a group of more than 200,000 student borrowers, assisted by the Project on Predatory Student Lending, part of the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School. A settlement was approved in August 2022, stating that the schools on the list were included "substantial misconduct by the listed schools, whether credibly alleged or in some instances proven."[53][54] Lincoln Educational Services challenged the settlement. The Supreme Court rejected the challenge in April 2023.[55]
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