PARSIPPANY, N.J., Aug. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (Nasdaq: LINC) today announced financial and operating results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025, as well as recent business developments.

Second Quarter 2025 Financial and Operational Highlights
(Quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to June 30, 2024, unless otherwise noted)

Financial Performance

• Revenue of $116.5 million, an increase of 13.2%, 15.1% excluding the Transitional segment
• Adjusted EBITDA of $10.5 million, an increase of 68.4%
• Net income of $1.6 million, compared to $0.7 million net loss
• Based on strong first half performance and favorable operating trends, guidance for 2025 has been raised

Student Metrics*

• Student starts up by 19.5%, or 21.8% excluding the Transitional segment
  • Organic student starts up by 18.6%**
• Quarter-end student population up by 18.2%, or 20.6% excluding the Transitional segment
  

* Includes 2,764 student starts on July 1, 2025, to align with comparable student start activity in the prior year that occurred in the last week of June 2024
** Excludes student starts from our programs launched in 2024 and 2025, discontinued programs, Paramus nursing program, newly opened East Point campus and the Transitional segment

A complete listing of Lincoln's non-GAAP measures is described and reconciled to the corresponding GAAP measures at the end of this release.

Campus Development Activity

• Nashville, TN campus relocation completed in March. Student starts and revenue performance are exceeding expectations, with two new programs set to launch in October.
• Houston, TX campus received regulatory approval in June. Student enrollments are underway, with first classes expected to start in early Q4.
• Levittown, PA campus relocation completed and existing automotive students already transferred to the new location in August. HVAC, electrical and welding programs to start in September.
  

“Our operating and financial momentum continued to build throughout the second quarter as we generated nearly 22 percent student start growth and grew revenues by more than 15 percent from campus operations, as well as increased consolidated adjusted EBITDA by 68%. As a result of our performance continuing to exceed expectations during the first half of 2025, and current operating trends, we are raising our full-year guidance,” said Scott Shaw, President and CEO.

“Our growth is driven by continued rising demand for high-value career-focused training, the effective and efficient execution of our growth strategy, successful implementation of our Lincoln 10.0 hybrid teaching model, which is delivering increased instructional leverage, and ongoing improvements in our marketing efficiency.

“Campus development remains a key growth driver with our new East Point campus and our relocated Nashville campus outperforming our expectations. In August, we completed the transfer of our Philadelphia automotive campus to its new location in Levittown where we will add new programs in HVAC, welding and electrical during the third quarter. Our Houston campus has begun enrolling students for its fourth quarter opening. Looking further ahead, the Hicksville, New York campus remains on track to open during the fourth quarter of 2026, and we hope to announce another new campus development shortly.

“We believe we are exceptionally well-positioned to meet unmet market needs in up to a dozen additional markets and are actively exploring these opportunities for additional new campuses. The demand for high-value programs that train students for rewarding, long-lasting careers continues to grow, as does the need by America’s corporations to fill their skills gap. Our increased outlook for 2025, the continued growth in student demand for our programs and our success with our campus development efforts positions Lincoln to exceed the longer-term 2027 targets of approximately $550 million in revenue and $90 million in adjusted EBITDA we set out last year.”

2025 SECOND QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS

(Quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to June 30, 2024)

• Revenue increased by $13.6 million, or 13.2% to $116.5 million, primarily due to a 16.0% increase in average student population, from the higher beginning of the year population and our strong start growth in both the first and second quarters of 2025.
• Educational services and facilities expense increased by $1.2 million, or 2.7% to $46.8 million. This increase includes a $1.0 million reduction related to the Transitional segment, which incurred expenses in the prior year but not in the current period. On a comparable basis, educational services and facilities expense increased by $2.2 million. As a percentage of revenue, educational services and facilities expense declined to 40.2% from 44.3% in the prior year, demonstrating improved operating efficiency at our campuses as we scale operations.
• Selling, general and administrative expense increased by $9.2 million, or 15.9% to $67.1 million. This includes a $1.1 million reduction related to the Transitional segment, which had expenses in the prior year but none in the current period. The increase over the prior year was primarily driven by $7.6 million or 36.5% higher administrative expense, due to higher medical claims expense, costs associated with our expanding student population and compensation expense including performance-based incentive compensation in line with improved financial performance. Additionally, although marketing expense increased slightly, our cost per student start declined 14.0% compared to the prior year period, reflecting a greater return on investment.
  

2025 SECOND QUARTER SEGMENT RESULTS

Campus Operations Segment
Revenue increased by $15.2 million, or 15.1% to $116.5 million. Adjusted EBITDA increased by $9.1 million, or 56.4% to $25.4 million, from $16.3 million in the prior year.

Transitional Segment
During 2024, the Company’s Summerlin, Las Vegas campus was classified in the Transitional segment. The sale of the campus was consummated on January 1, 2025. In the prior year comparable period, the Summerlin campus had revenue of $1.7 million and operating expenses of $2.2 million. As of June 30, 2025, no campuses were classified in the Transitional segment.

Corporate and Other
This category includes unallocated expenses incurred on behalf of the entire Company. Corporate and other expenses were $16.4 million, compared to $10.7 million in the prior year. The increase was primarily driven by higher salaries and benefits due to workforce expansion to support a larger student population and execute our growth initiatives. Additionally, medical claims increased, and performance-based incentive compensation increased in line with improved financial performance.

SIX MONTHS FINANCIAL RESULTS
(Period ended June 30, 2025, compared to June 30, 2024)

• Total revenue increased by 13.4% to $234.0 million
• Student starts grew by 18.1%*, or 21.4%* excluding the Transitional segment
• Quarter-end student population rose by 18.2%*, or 20.6%* excluding the Transitional segment
• Adjusted EBITDA increased by 65.4% to $21.1 million
• Net income of $3.5 million, compared to $0.9 million net loss
  

* Includes 2,764 student starts on July 1, 2025, to align with comparable student start activity in the prior year that occurred in the last week of June 2024

FULL YEAR 2025 OUTLOOK
Based on the 2025 first half operating and financial results, as well as the outlook for the remainder of the year, the Company is raising its financial guidance for revenue, adjusted EBITDA, net income, capital expenditures, and student starts as follows:

As a reminder, to provide a clearer view of the Company’s underlying performance, guidance excludes non-cash stock-based compensation and one-time, non-recurring items. Additionally, it excludes pre-opening costs, as well as net operating losses from new campuses, for up to four quarters after the campus opening, or until the campus becomes profitable, whichever occurs first. In terms of relocating the Nashville and Levittown campuses, adjustments have been made to exclude pre-opening costs and relocation costs through the end of the quarter in which the relocation is completed. In the case of program replications and expansions, adjustments are made to exclude net operating losses through the quarter in which the program is launched.

CONFERENCE CALL INFO
Lincoln will host a conference call today at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time to discuss results. To access the live webcast of the conference call, please go to the Investor Overview section of Lincoln’s website at http://www.lincolntech.edu. Participants may also register via teleconference at: Q2 2025 Lincoln Educational Services Earnings Conference Call. Once registration is completed, participants will be provided with a dial-in number containing a personalized PIN to access the call. Participants are requested to register at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call.

An archived version of the webcast will be accessible for 90 days at http://www.lincolntech.edu.

ABOUT LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORPORATION 

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation is a leading provider of diversified career-oriented post-secondary education helping to provide solutions to America’s skills gap. Lincoln offers career-oriented programs to recent high school graduates and working adults in four principal areas of study: skilled trades, automotive, health sciences and information technology. Lincoln has provided the workforce with skilled technicians since its inception in 1946 and currently operates 21 campuses in 12 states under the brands Lincoln Technical Institute, Lincoln College of Technology and Nashville Auto Diesel College. The Company was incorporated in New Jersey in 2003 as the successor-in-interest to various acquired schools including Lincoln Technical Institute, Inc. which opened its first campus in Newark, New Jersey in 1946. For more information, please go to www.lincolntech.edu.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements in this press release and in oral statements made from time to time by representatives of Lincoln Educational Services Corporation regarding Lincoln’s business that are not historical facts, including those made in a conference call, may be “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the federal securities law. The words “may,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” and “continue,” and their opposites and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made and/or management’s good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved, if at all. Generally, these statements relate to business plans or strategies and projections involving anticipated revenues, earnings, or other aspects of the Company’s operating results. The Company cautions you that these statements concern current expectations about the Company’s future performance or events and are subject to a number of uncertainties, risks, and other influences, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, that may influence the accuracy of the statements and the projects upon which the statements are based including, without limitation, impacts related to epidemics or pandemics; our failure to comply with the extensive regulatory framework applicable to our industry or our failure to obtain timely regulatory approvals in connection with acquisitions or a change of control of our Company; our success in updating and expanding the content of existing programs and developing new programs for our students in a cost-effective manner or on a timely basis; risks associated with cybersecurity; risks associated with changes in applicable federal laws and regulations; uncertainties regarding our ability to comply with federal and state laws and regulations, such as the 90/10 rule and prescribed cohort default rates; risks associated with the opening of new campuses; risks associated with integration of acquired schools; industry competition; our ability to execute our growth strategies; conditions and trends in our industry; general economic conditions; and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Reports and Quarterly Reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and Lincoln undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise after the date hereof.

(1) RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
In addition to disclosing financial results that are determined in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), the Company believes it is useful to present non-GAAP financial measures that exclude certain significant items as a means to understand the performance of its business, and to enable comparability of operating performance between periods. Additionally, the Company’s management regularly uses our non-GAAP financial measures to make operating decisions, for planning and forecasting purposes. EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income and total liquidity are measures not recognized in financial statements presented in accordance with GAAP.

• We define EBITDA as income (loss) before net interest expense (interest income), provision (benefit) for income taxes, depreciation and amortization.
• We define adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA plus stock-based compensation expense and adjustments for items not considered part of the Company’s normal recurring operations.
• We define adjusted net income as net income plus adjustments for items not considered part of the Company’s normal recurring operations.
• We define total liquidity as the Company’s cash and cash equivalents and available borrowings under our credit facility.

EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, and total liquidity are presented because we believe they are useful indicators of the Company’s performance and ability to make strategic investments and meet capital expenditures and debt service requirements. However, they are not intended to represent cash flows from operations as defined by GAAP and should not be used as an alternative to net income (loss) as indicators of operating performance or cash flow as a measure of liquidity. EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income and total liquidity are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.

The following is a reconciliation of net income (loss) to EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, and total liquidity (in thousands):

The tables below presents selected operating metrics for our reportable segments (in thousands, except for student population and starts) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025:

* Includes 2,764 student starts on July 1, 2025, to align with comparable student start activity in the prior year that occurred in the last week of June 2024

Information included in the table below provides student starts and population under the Campus Operations segment with a breakdown by Transportation and Skilled Trade programs and Healthcare and Other Professions programs.

* Includes 2,764 student starts on July 1, 2025, to align with comparable student start activity in the prior year that occurred in the last week of June 2024

The reconciliations provided below represent management’s projections of various components included in our outlook for the full year 2025. These calculations are for illustrative purposes and will be reviewed as the year progresses to reflect actual results, our outlook and continued relevance of specific items. Any revisions or modifications, if necessary, will be disclosed in future announcements of 2025 quarterly results. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income have been reconciled to the midpoint of our guidance.

LINCOLN EDUCATIONAL SERVICES CORPORATION
Brian Meyers, CFO
973-736-9340

EVC GROUP LLC
Investor Relations: Michael Polyviou, mpolyviou@evcgroup.com, 732-933-2755
Media Relations: Tom Gibson, 201-476-0322

Lincoln Educational Services Corporation