Shares of Lincoln Educational Services surged 5.25% in pre-market trading following the release of its first-quarter 2026 financial results, which significantly exceeded analyst expectations.

The career education provider reported Q1 earnings per share of $0.14, beating the FactSet consensus estimate of $0.04 by 250%. Revenue for the quarter rose 22.5% year-over-year to $143.96 million, surpassing the $139.99 million analyst forecast. The company's net income more than doubled to $4.36 million, while adjusted EBITDA climbed 85% to $15.5 million. Strong growth was driven by a 19.5% increase in student starts and an 18.2% rise in the average student population.

Further fueling investor optimism, Lincoln Educational raised its full-year 2026 guidance, now expecting revenue of $590 million to $600 million (up from $580 million to $590 million) and adjusted EBITDA of $76 million to $80 million (up from $72 million to $76 million). The company also issued 2026 EPS guidance of $0.74 to $0.83, above the FactSet estimate of $0.70, and indicated it is projected to exceed its original 2027 financial targets.