Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)

Lincoln University is a historically black university (HBCU) located in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. Founded as Ashmun Institute in 1854, it was the first degree-granting HBCU in the United States. The university was renamed Lincoln University in 1866 in honor of President Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln University has a long and distinguished history of educating African American leaders. Notable alumni include Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice; Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana; and Nnamdi Azikiwe, the first president of Nigeria.

The university offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts, sciences, and humanities. It is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Lincoln University comprises three colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Adult and Continuing Education, and the Graduate Studies and Professional Development program.

The main campus is located in rural southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. Lincoln University also operates a campus in University City, Philadelphia. The university's athletic teams, known as the Lions, compete in NCAA Division II athletics as a member of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).