Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC) Financial Ratios
25 years of historical data (2001–2025) · Consumer Defensive · Education & Training Services
EV/EBITDA
↑
32.37
↑+157% vs avg
5yr avg: 12.59
30Y Low2.5·High24.5
P/FCF
N/A
—
5yr avg: 9.41
30Y Low3.8·High21.4
P/B Ratio
↑
7.06
↑+229% vs avg
5yr avg: 2.14
30Y Low0.6·High3.8
ROE
↓
10.6%
↑-25% vs avg
5yr avg: 14.0%
30Y Low-49%·High61%
Debt/EBITDA
↑
4.12
+3% vs avg
5yr avg: 3.98
30Y Low0.2·High13.2
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
LINC Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation trades at 69.4x earnings, 185% above its 5-year average of 24.3x, sitting at the 100th percentile of its historical range. Compared to the Consumer Defensive sector median P/E of 19.1x, the stock trades at a premium of 264%.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $1.4B | $755M | $489M | $307M | $150M | $187M | $161M | $66M | $78M | $48M | $45M |
| Enterprise Value | $1.6B | $930M | $607M | $347M | $204M | $202M | $201M | $132M | $109M | $86M | $66M |
| P/E Ratio → | 69.37 | 37.15 | 49.44 | 11.81 | 16.08 | 7.18 | 4.36 | 34.48 | — | — | — |
| P/S Ratio | 2.75 | 1.46 | 1.11 | 0.81 | 0.43 | 0.56 | 0.55 | 0.24 | 0.30 | 0.18 | 0.23 |
| P/B Ratio | 7.06 | 3.78 | 2.74 | 1.84 | 1.03 | 1.32 | 1.56 | 1.20 | 1.96 | 1.05 | 0.62 |
| P/FCF | — | — | — | — | — | 9.41 | 8.98 | — | — | — | — |
| P/OCF | 24.04 | 12.73 | 16.68 | 12.00 | 169.89 | 6.83 | 6.85 | 67.10 | — | — | — |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
LINC EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation's enterprise value stands at 32.4x EBITDA, 157% above its 5-year average of 12.6x. The Consumer Defensive sector median is 11.5x, placing the stock at a 182% premium on an enterprise-value basis.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 1.80 | 1.38 | 0.92 | 0.59 | 0.60 | 0.69 | 0.48 | 0.42 | 0.33 | 0.33 |
| EV / EBITDA | 32.37 | 18.80 | 22.90 | 8.66 | 9.03 | 3.58 | 9.07 | 9.87 | 24.48 | 21.66 | 11.17 |
| EV / EBIT | 52.83 | 31.52 | 35.13 | 9.65 | 12.32 | 4.10 | 13.69 | 25.13 | — | — | — |
| EV / FCF | — | — | — | — | — | 10.14 | 11.24 | — | — | — | — |
LINC Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation earns an operating margin of 5.8%, above the Consumer Defensive sector average of 1.5%. Operating margins have compressed from 8.8% to 5.8% over the past 3 years, signaling potential cost pressures or competitive headwinds. ROE of 10.6% is modest. ROIC of 6.8% represents adequate returns on invested capital versus a sector median of 5.5%.
Margins
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | — | — | 58.7% | 57.1% | 57.3% | 58.6% | 58.3% | 54.8% | 52.4% | 50.6% | 51.8% |
| Operating Margin | 5.8% | 5.8% | 3.4% | 8.8% | 4.7% | 14.7% | 5.0% | 1.9% | -1.5% | -1.8% | -2.6% |
| Net Profit Margin | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.2% | 6.9% | 3.6% | 10.4% | 16.6% | 0.7% | -2.5% | -4.4% | -14.4% |
Return on Capital
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 10.6% | 10.6% | 5.7% | 16.7% | 8.8% | 28.4% | 61.4% | 4.2% | -15.3% | -19.4% | -36.9% |
| ROA | 4.3% | 4.3% | 2.5% | 8.2% | 4.3% | 12.8% | 22.1% | 1.2% | -4.3% | -7.2% | -15.2% |
| ROIC | 6.8% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 12.3% | 6.9% | 24.7% | 8.4% | 4.1% | -3.8% | -4.0% | -4.0% |
| ROCE | 8.2% | 8.2% | 4.9% | 13.1% | 7.0% | 24.2% | 9.4% | 4.8% | -4.2% | -4.7% | -4.4% |
LINC Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 4.1x, which is highly leveraged (22% above the sector average of 3.4x). Net debt stands at $175M ($204M total debt minus $29M cash). Interest coverage of 8.9x is adequate, though a cyclical earnings downturn could tighten the margin of safety.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 1.02 | 1.02 | 1.00 | 0.70 | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.76 | 1.62 | 1.22 | 1.15 | 0.58 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 4.12 | 4.12 | 6.70 | 2.91 | 4.44 | 1.74 | 3.54 | 6.68 | 10.92 | 13.19 | 7.11 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.88 | 0.66 | 0.24 | 0.38 | 0.10 | 0.39 | 1.19 | 0.78 | 0.83 | 0.29 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 3.54 | 3.54 | 4.46 | 1.02 | 2.41 | 0.26 | 1.82 | 4.91 | 6.98 | 9.54 | 3.54 |
| Debt / FCF | — | — | — | — | — | 0.73 | 2.26 | — | — | — | — |
| Interest Coverage | 8.93 | 8.93 | 5.92 | 96.13 | 101.74 | 24.45 | 11.59 | 1.77 | -1.63 | -0.66 | -0.84 |
LINC Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
The current ratio of 0.86x is below 1.0, meaning current liabilities exceed current assets. The current ratio has declined from 1.83x to 0.86x over the past 3 years.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 0.86 | 0.86 | 1.23 | 1.83 | 2.07 | 1.85 | 1.11 | 0.88 | 0.88 | 0.93 | 0.97 |
| Quick Ratio | 0.82 | 0.82 | 1.20 | 1.79 | 2.03 | 1.80 | 1.07 | 0.85 | 0.86 | 0.90 | 0.95 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.28 | 0.28 | 0.66 | 1.04 | 1.11 | 1.26 | 0.57 | 0.41 | 0.27 | 0.31 | 0.31 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 1.05 | 1.01 | 1.10 | 1.19 | 1.14 | 1.20 | 1.40 | 1.80 | 1.69 | 1.21 |
| Inventory Turnover | — | — | 59.53 | 55.05 | 56.82 | 51.06 | 51.04 | 76.80 | 86.40 | 78.10 | 89.72 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 40.97 | 35.65 | 34.46 | 38.96 | 28.47 | 37.39 | 27.58 | 25.90 | 22.01 | 28.51 |
LINC Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation does not currently pay a dividend and has no material buyback yield, reinvesting earnings back into the business. The earnings yield of 1.4% (inverse of P/E) provides a useful comparison to bond yields when assessing the stock's relative attractiveness to fixed income.
Dividends
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | — | — | — | — | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Payout Ratio | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Total Shareholder Return Metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 1.4% | 2.7% | 2.0% | 8.5% | 6.2% | 13.9% | 22.9% | 2.9% | — | — | — |
| FCF Yield | — | — | — | — | — | 10.6% | 11.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Buyback Yield | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 6.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 7.0% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $31M | $31M | $31M | $26M | $25M | $25M | $25M | $24M | $24M | $23M |
Peer Comparison
Compare LINC with 10 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 LINCYou | $1B | 69.4 | 32.4 | — | — | 5.8% | 10.6% | 6.8% | 4.1 |
 UTI | $2B | 34.2 | 17.3 | 38.0 | 49.7% | 10.0% | 21.4% | 12.0% | 3.2 |
 PRDO | $2B | 14.4 | 9.1 | 10.1 | 71.7% | 23.2% | 16.6% | 15.3% | 0.4 |
 COCO | $4B | 57.0 | 44.0 | 99.2 | 36.3% | 13.6% | 24.2% | 51.2% | 0.2 |
 GHC | $5B | 17.0 | 15.0 | 18.3 | 27.6% | 5.1% | 6.4% | 3.3% | 4.1 |
 LOPE | $5B | 22.0 | 13.6 | 19.3 | 52.4% | 27.5% | 28.2% | 32.5% | 0.6 |
 STRA | $2B | 14.6 | 7.2 | 11.7 | 49.0% | 15.5% | 7.7% | 9.0% | 0.4 |
 APEI | $1B | 42.7 | 17.0 | 22.9 | — | — | 10.5% | — | 1.2 |
 LAUR | $5B | 17.1 | 9.8 | 17.5 | 28.3% | 25.3% | 26.2% | 20.3% | 1.6 |
 CHGG | $138M | -1.3 | — | — | 59.6% | -31.0% | -66.2% | -25.3% | — |
 COUR | $1B | -19.1 | — | 9.4 | 54.6% | -10.3% | -8.3% | — | — |
| Consumer Defensive Median | — | 19.1 | 11.5 | 14.9 | 40.2% | 1.5% | 7.7% | 5.5% | 3.4 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
Download Financial Ratios Data
Includes 30+ ratios · 24 years · Updated daily
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Start ComparisonLINC — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying LINC stock.
What is Lincoln Educational Services Corporation's P/E ratio?
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation's current P/E ratio is 69.4x. The historical average is 20.9x. This places it at the 100th percentile of its historical range.
What is Lincoln Educational Services Corporation's EV/EBITDA?
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation's current EV/EBITDA is 32.4x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 10.2x.
What is Lincoln Educational Services Corporation's ROE?
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation's return on equity (ROE) is 10.6%. The historical average is 4.5%.
Is LINC stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, Lincoln Educational Services Corporation is trading at a P/E of 69.4x. This is at the 100th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What are Lincoln Educational Services Corporation's profit margins?
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation has 5.8% operating margin.
How much debt does Lincoln Educational Services Corporation have?
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation's Debt/EBITDA ratio is 4.1x, indicating high leverage. A ratio above 4x may signal elevated financial risk.