| Type | Campus-based career school; many programs blend online theory with shop or lab time |
|---|---|
| Campuses | 22 in 12 states (CO, CT, GA, IL, IN, MD, NJ, NY, PA, RI, TN, TX); 3 more announced for 2026–27 |
| Credentials | Certificates and diplomas; associate degrees in automotive, diesel, HVAC, electrical and collision management |
| Program length | Diplomas and certificates 27–104 weeks; most trade programs 44–57 weeks on a day schedule |
| Accreditation | ACCSC (institutional); ACEN for practical nursing at Lincoln, RI; program accreditations vary by campus |
| Federal aid | Yes (Pell Grants, Direct Loans); GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon |
| Owner | Lincoln Educational Services Corp. (NASDAQ: LINC), Parsippany, NJ. Founded 1946 in Newark, NJ |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
About Lincoln Tech
Lincoln Tech opened in Newark, New Jersey in 1946 to train returning World War II veterans. It now runs 22 campuses in 12 states, mostly in the Northeast, Midwest, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas, and had about 18,900 students in mid-2026. Campuses operate under three names: Lincoln Technical Institute (mainly the Northeast), Lincoln College of Technology (mainly the Midwest, South and West) and Nashville Auto Diesel College.
Lincoln has narrowed and moved in recent years. It sold its Las Vegas beauty school (Euphoria Institute) at the start of 2025 and closed Somerville, Massachusetts in 2023, and it no longer teaches culinary arts or cosmetology anywhere. At the same time it opened East Point, Georgia (2024) and Houston (2025–26), moved Nashville to a new site and Philadelphia to Levittown, Pennsylvania (2025), and has announced campuses in Hicksville, New York, Rowlett, Texas and Suitland, Maryland.
Programs and where they are taught
Programs differ a lot by campus: some campuses teach only trades, some only health and IT. Hours and total costs below come from Lincoln’s campus catalogs and 2025 tuition sheets (the latest published); totals include tuition, fees, books and tools.
| Program | Credential | Clock hours (about) | Campuses | Prepares for | Sample total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive Service Technology | Diploma/certificate (management degree option) | 1,320 (57 weeks, day) | 13 | ASE Education Foundation accredited (e.g. Mahwah, Nashville) | $38,112 (Mahwah, Feb 2025) |
| Diesel & Truck Service Technology | Diploma/certificate (management degree option) | 1,320 (transport refrigeration version at South Plainfield) | 6 | Entry-level diesel and truck technician | $38,191 (South Plainfield, Apr 2025) |
| Collision Repair & Refinishing | Diploma (management degree option) | 1,000 | 4 | I-CAR Pro Level 1 (Non-Structural, Refinish) | – |
| Heavy Equipment Service Technology | Diploma (degree option) | 1,320 | Nashville, South Plainfield | Heavy equipment technician | $41,838 (South Plainfield, Apr 2025) |
| HVAC (Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating) | Certificate/diploma (management degree option) | 1,200 (52 weeks, day) | 17 | EPA Section 608 testing encouraged | $32,770 (Mahwah, Feb 2025) |
| Electrical & Electronic Systems Technology | Certificate/diploma (management degree option) | 1,200 (52 weeks, day) | Most trade campuses | NCCER-accredited (Mahwah); apprentice or helper roles | $32,904 (Mahwah, Feb 2025) |
| Welding & Fabrication | Certificate/diploma | 720–1,200 (960 hours is about 44 weeks, day) | 13 | AWS SENSE certificate of completion; OSHA 10 | $33,627 (Mahwah, Feb 2025) |
| Advanced Manufacturing with Robotics (machining) | Certificate | 990 (46 weeks) | Mahwah only | NIMS credentials; Haas CNC machines | $26,597 (Mahwah, Feb 2025) |
| Practical Nursing | Certificate/diploma | 1,425–1,500 (52 weeks day, 90–104 evening) | 7 | NCLEX-PN (LPN licence) | $36,539 (Iselin, Feb 2025) |
| Medical Assistant | Diploma/certificate | 880 (about 37 weeks) | 12 | RMA (AMT) at some campuses | $23,697 (Iselin, Feb 2025) |
| Dental Assistant | Certificate | 960 (about 42 weeks) | Iselin only | DANB RHS and ICE exams | $22,976 (Iselin, Feb 2025) |
| Patient Care Technician | Certificate | 600 (about 27 weeks) | Iselin, Paramus | EKG, phlebotomy and patient care technician exams | $16,832 (Iselin, Feb 2025) |
| Computer Systems Support Technician | Certificate | 990 (about 42 weeks) | Iselin, Paramus | CompTIA A+, Network+ | $27,449 (Iselin, Feb 2025) |
Lincoln works with employers and manufacturers on some programs: Audi, Mazda and Tesla in automotive at some campuses, Johnson Controls and Hussmann in HVAC and refrigeration, Republic Services in diesel, and Haas in machining. Which partnerships are available varies by campus.
What the main programs cover
Automotive Service Technology
At Mahwah the certificate is 1,320 clock hours over about 57 weeks: eleven 120-hour courses, each half lecture and half lab, covering shop practices, gasoline engines, electrical systems and powertrain electronics, transmissions, air conditioning, advanced diagnostics, brakes, steering and suspension, and service shop management. Nashville’s 1,560-hour diploma adds fuel and emissions and driveability diagnosis, and a 1,920-hour version adds high-performance engines. Mahwah and Nashville hold ASE Education Foundation accreditation, and Lincoln requires its auto instructors to hold ASE certifications. Management versions of about 1,545 to 1,785 hours add general education and lead to an associate degree.
HVAC (Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating)
The HVAC certificate is 1,200 clock hours over about 52 weeks: ten 120-hour courses, half lecture and half lab, covering climate control systems, electricity, two heating courses, basic refrigeration, air conditioning, energy conservation, commercial refrigeration and commercial troubleshooting, and advanced electrical troubleshooting. Students learn refrigerant recovery and recycling and are encouraged to take the EPA Section 608 test, which is required to buy and handle refrigerants; Lincoln’s catalogs don’t say whether the test is included. Mahwah’s program is accredited by HVAC Excellence.
Electrical & Electronic Systems Technology
This 1,200-hour certificate has ten courses: an introduction to the trades, materials, electronic and electrical principles, basic electricity, wiring principles, electrical controls and PLCs, then four low-voltage courses on fiber optics and networking, security and CCTV, fire alarms, and home theater and system integration. Mahwah’s program is NCCER-accredited and Lincoln says it prepares students for New Jersey apprenticeships. A state electrician’s licence still requires years of supervised work and an exam.
Welding & Fabrication
The 960-hour program at Mahwah and South Plainfield (about 44 weeks by day, 52 on weekends at South Plainfield) has eight courses: welding and cutting fundamentals with a 10-hour OSHA safety orientation, arc welding procedures, stick (SMAW) plate, MIG/flux-cored plate, TIG, stick and MIG pipe welding, and fabrication. Nashville runs a 720-hour version without pipe, and Grand Prairie a 1,200-hour version with an introduction to pipefitting. Students can earn an AWS SENSE certificate of completion; this is not an AWS certified-welder test, so ask which weld tests you can take.
Practical Nursing
At Iselin the program is 1,500 clock hours (about 52 weeks by day, 104 in the evening) with 575 clinical hours spread across four clinical courses. Coursework covers anatomy and physiology, nursing fundamentals, pharmacology, mental health, maternity and pediatric nursing, and adult nursing across the lifespan, and prepares graduates for the NCLEX-PN. Lincoln, RI’s version is 1,425 hours with about 495 clinical hours. Clinical times are set by the sites, and students pay their own travel and meals. Applicants take a nursing entrance assessment and a background check; Lincoln, RI also interviews applicants.
Medical Assistant
The program is 880 clock hours, about 37 weeks, with day, afternoon or evening classes. Six courses cover an introduction to allied health, cardiopulmonary procedures, the musculoskeletal system and medication administration, clinical lab techniques, laboratory and surgical procedures, and the administrative medical office, including vital signs, EKG, phlebotomy and injections. It ends with a 160-hour internship in daytime hours, about five weeks full time, even for evening students. Lincoln, RI and Indianapolis name the RMA exam from American Medical Technologists.
Cost and paying for it
Lincoln publishes a tuition sheet for each campus. The latest available are dated 2025: core trade programs total about $32,000 to $42,000, practical nursing about $36,500, medical assisting about $23,700, and the most expensive on the sheets we found, Diesel & Truck with Transport Refrigeration at South Plainfield, $46,161. Totals include fees, books and tools. Lincoln’s annual report gives diploma tuition of $14,500 to $44,000 and associate degree tuition of $34,000 to $43,000.
Lincoln is eligible for federal student aid; about 85% of its 2025 revenue came from federal aid programs. It accepts the Montgomery and Post-9/11 GI Bill, takes part in the Yellow Ribbon program and offers SkillBridge for service members in their last months of duty. Lincoln says it is awarding $25 million in scholarships in 2026, including the American Hero Scholarship of up to $1,000 for military members and veterans who enroll before 31 December 2026.
Admissions and schedule
Applicants need a high school diploma or an equivalent such as the GED or HiSET and must complete Lincoln’s assessment. Health programs add a background check, and practical nursing adds a nursing entrance assessment. New classes start roughly monthly. Trade programs run in morning, afternoon and evening shifts, four or five days a week, and practical nursing has day and evening tracks. Some coursework is delivered online through Lincoln’s blended format, with shop and lab time on campus.
Accreditation and results
All Lincoln campuses are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), and the practical nursing program at Lincoln, RI also holds ACEN accreditation. Lincoln’s federal Student Right-to-Know disclosures for full-time students who started in 2020–21 show graduation within 150% of normal time of 72% at Grand Prairie, 53% at Indianapolis and 51% at Iselin. First-time NCLEX-PN pass rates in 2025 were 83% at Iselin, 92.5% at Moorestown and 95% at Paramus (January to September), and 96% day and 92% evening at New Britain and 93% day and 100% evening at Shelton.
Lincoln was one of 153 schools named in the Sweet v. Cardona borrower-defense settlement and asked the Supreme Court to block it; the Court refused in April 2023.
Internships, career help and housing
Lincoln offers career services to help graduates with job searches and employer connections. Health and IT programs include an internship or clinical placement, and students pay their own transport and meals; medical assisting internships run in daytime hours even for evening students. Lincoln has no dormitories but partners with EduRent to help relocating students find housing at eight campuses, including Nashville, Grand Prairie, Houston, Denver and Indianapolis.
Before you enroll
- Check that your campus teaches your program. Union, NJ, for example, now teaches only automotive, electrical and HVAC, and Brooklyn is an admissions office, not a campus.
- Most trade programs total about $32,000 to $42,000. Community college programs in the same trades are usually cheaper.
- The electrical program prepares you for an apprenticeship or helper role, not a licence.
- Paramus’s practical nursing program was on Board of Nursing probation in 2024 for low pass rates. It improved in 2025 and resumed enrolling in January 2026, but ask about its current status.
- Older listings may show culinary, cosmetology or massage programs or the Las Vegas, Somerville and Philadelphia campuses; none of these exist any more.
What students say
Lincoln has no single school-wide review page with enough reviews, so we looked at its campus pages on Niche. Seven campuses have 25 or more reviews, about 800 in total, with averages from 3.75 (Indianapolis) to 4.2 (Marietta) out of 5 (checked October 2026). The largest are Lincoln, RI (3.95, 262 reviews), Denver (3.83, 157) and Nashville Auto Diesel College (3.96, 132).
- Praised: hands-on shop time, instructors with industry experience, small classes and helpful staff, and career services support.
- Criticized: instructor turnover in some programs, unexpected charges and financial-aid problems, equipment and tools below expectations, more online coursework than expected, and some reviewers who felt the tour oversold the program.
Sources
Lincoln Tech campuses · Program areas · Lincoln FY2025 annual report (10-K) · Mahwah tuition sheet · Iselin tuition sheet · NJ NCLEX-PN results · Scholarships · Niche (Lincoln, RI)
Programs & Courses
Automotive and Diesel
- Automotive Service Technology
- Automotive Service Management (degree)
- Diesel & Truck Service Technology
- Diesel & Truck with Transport Refrigeration
- Collision Repair & Refinishing
- Heavy Equipment Service Technology
Skilled Trades
- Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating (HVAC)
- Electrical & Electronic Systems Technology
- Welding & Fabrication (with Pipe)
- Advanced Manufacturing with Robotics (machining)
Health Sciences
- Practical Nursing
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Assistant Technology
- Dental Assistant
- Patient Care Technician
Information Technology
- Computer Systems Support Technician
Campus Locations
Denver, CO 11194 E. 45th Ave, Denver, CO 80239
East Windsor, CT 97 Newberry Rd, East Windsor, CT 06088
New Britain, CT 200 John Downey Dr, New Britain, CT 06051
Shelton, CT 8 Progress Dr, Shelton, CT 06484
East Point, GA 1200 Centre Pkwy, East Point, GA 30344
Marietta, GA 2359 Windy Hill Rd, Marietta, GA 30067
Melrose Park, IL 8317 W. North Ave, Melrose Park, IL 60160
Indianapolis, IN 7225 Winton Dr, Building 128, Indianapolis, IN 46268
Columbia, MD 9325 Snowden River Pkwy, Columbia, MD 21046
Iselin, NJ 675 US Route 1 South, 2nd Floor, Iselin, NJ 08830
Mahwah, NJ 70 McKee Dr, Mahwah, NJ 07430
Moorestown, NJ 308 W. Route 38, Moorestown, NJ 08057
Paramus, NJ 240 Bergen Town Center, Paramus, NJ 07652
South Plainfield, NJ 901 Hadley Rd, South Plainfield, NJ 07080
Union, NJ 2299 Vauxhall Rd, Union, NJ 07083
Queens (Whitestone), NY 15-30 Petracca Pl, Whitestone, NY 11357
Allentown, PA 5151 Tilghman St, Allentown, PA 18104
Levittown, PA 311 Veterans Hwy, Levittown, PA 19056
Lincoln, RI 622 George Washington Hwy, Lincoln, RI 02865
Nashville, TN 2813 Brick Church Pike, Nashville, TN 37207
Grand Prairie, TX 2915 Alouette Dr, Grand Prairie, TX 75052
Houston, TX 2000 S. Lockwood Dr, Houston, TX 77023