SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	6 Months Ended
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	Jun. 30, 2015
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES [Abstract]
Business Activities	Business Activities – Lincoln Educational Services Corporation and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) is a provider of diversified career-oriented post-secondary education. The Company reorganized its operations in the first quarter of 2015 into three reportable segments: a) Transportation and Skilled Trades, b) Healthcare and Other Professions, and c) Transitional. The Company offers recent high school graduates and working adults career-oriented programs in these segments. The Company currently has 31 campuses in 15 states across the United States.
Liquidity	Liquidity—For the last several years, the Company and the proprietary school sector have faced deteriorating earnings. Government regulations have negatively impacted earnings by making it more difficult for potential students to obtain loans, which, when coupled with the overall economic environment, have hindered potential students from enrolling in its post-secondary schools. In light of these factors, the Company has incurred significant operating losses as a result of lower student population. The Company also recorded a pre-tax goodwill impairment charge of $39.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 as a result of a significant decline in market capitalization. Despite these events, the Company believes that its likely sources of cash should be sufficient to fund operations for the next twelve months. At June 30, 2015, the Company’s available sources of cash primarily included cash from operations, cash and cash equivalents on hand of $4.9 million and the ability to draw up to $20 million (less letters of credit of $7.0 million) under its revolving line of credit that was due to mature on April 5, 2016. On July 31, 2015, the Company repaid in full and terminated the revolving line of credit with the proceeds of a new $45 million term loan; refer to Note 11 for a description of the term loan, and certain restrictions on the use of cash. To fund the Company’s business plans, including any anticipated future losses, purchase commitments, capital expenditures, principal and interest payments on borrowings and to satisfy the Department of Education (the “DOE”) financial responsibility standards, the Company has the ability to leverage its owned real estate that is not classified as held for sale. The Company is also continuing to take actions to improve cash flow by aligning its cost structure to its student population. In addition to the current sources of capital discussed above that provide short term liquidity, the Company plans to sell approximately $52.4 million in assets which are currently classified as held for sale and are expected to be sold within one year from the date of classification. We also are currently exploring various other alternatives including strategic partnerships.
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation – The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial statements. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual financial statements have been omitted or condensed pursuant to such regulations. These statements, which should be read in conjunction with the December 31, 2014 consolidated financial statements and related disclosures of the Company included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2015, reflect all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring adjustments and impairments necessary to present fairly the consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows for such periods. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements	Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements – The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates the estimates and assumptions including those related to revenue recognition, bad debts, fixed assets, goodwill and other intangible assets, stock-based compensation, income taxes, benefit plans and certain accruals and contingencies. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
New Accounting Pronouncements	New Accounting Pronouncements – In January 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-01, Income Statement – Extraordinary and Unusual Items. ASU 2015-01 simplifies income statement classification by removing the concept of extraordinary items from U.S. GAAP. Under the existing guidance, an entity is required to separately disclose extraordinary items, net of tax, in the income statement after income from continuing operations if an event or transaction is of unusual nature and occurs infrequently. This separate, net-of-tax presentation (and corresponding earnings per share impact) will no longer be allowed. The existing requirement to separately present items that are of unusual nature or occur infrequently on a pre-tax basis within income from continuing operations has been retained. The new guidance also requires similar separate presentation of items that are both unusual and infrequent. The guidance, effective for the Company on January 1, 2016, with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption, is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In August 2014, the FASB issued a new standard – ASU No. 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern - that will explicitly require management to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures in certain circumstances. According to the new standard, substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern exists if it is probable that the entity will be unable to meet its obligations as they become due within one year after the date the entity’s financial statements are issued. In order to determine the specific disclosures, if any, that would be required, management will need to assess if substantial doubt exists, and, if so, whether its plans will alleviate such substantial doubt. The new standard requires assessment each annual and interim period and will be effective for the Company on December 31, 2016 with earlier application permitted. In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued a new standard related to revenue recognition, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The new standard will replace most of the existing revenue recognition standards in GAAP. In July 2015, the FASB voted to defer the effective date by one year to December 15, 2017 for annual reporting periods beginning after that date. Early adoption is not permitted. The new standard can be applied retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect of the change recognized at the date of the initial application. The Company is assessing the potential impact of the new standard on financial reporting and has not yet selected a transition method. In April 2014, FASB issued amended guidance on the use and presentation of discontinued operations in an entity's consolidated financial statements. The new guidance restricts the presentation of discontinued operations to business circumstances when the disposal of business operations represents a strategic shift that has or will have a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results. The guidance became effective on January 1, 2015. Adoption is on a prospective basis. The Company adopted the new guidance as of December 31, 2014 and based on the guidance did not present the schools that are held for sale as discontinued operations in the consolidated financial statements. As discussed in Note 4, the Company did include the five training sites from Florida in discontinued operations in the consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014 as they qualify under the amended guidance.
Stock-Based Compensation	Stock-Based Compensation – The Company measures the value of stock options on the grant date at fair value, using the Black-Scholes option valuation model. The Company amortizes the fair value of stock options, net of estimated forfeitures, utilizing straight-line amortization of compensation expense over the requisite service period of the grant. The Company measures the value of service and performance-based restricted stock on the fair value of a share of common stock on the date of the grant. The Company amortizes the fair value of service-based restricted stock utilizing straight-line amortization of compensation expense over the requisite service period of the grant. The Company amortizes the fair value of the performance-based restricted stock based on the determination of the probable outcome of the performance condition. If the performance condition is expected to be met, then the Company amortizes the fair value of the number of shares expected to vest utilizing straight-line basis over the requisite performance period of the grant. However, if the associated performance condition is not expected to be met, then the Company does not recognize the stock-based compensation expense.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes – The Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Code (“ASC”) Topic 740, “Income Taxes” (“ASC 740”). This statement requires an asset and liability approach for measuring deferred taxes based on temporary differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities existing at each balance sheet date using enacted tax rates for years in which taxes are expected to be paid or recovered. In accordance with ASC 740, the Company assesses its deferred tax asset to determine whether all or any portion of the asset is more likely than not unrealizable. A valuation allowance is required to be established or maintained when, based on currently available information, it is more likely than not that all or a portion of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. In accordance with ASC 740, the Company’s assessment considers whether there has been sufficient income in recent years and whether sufficient income is expected in future years in order to utilize the deferred tax asset. In evaluating the realizability of deferred income tax assets, the Company considered, among other things, historical levels of income, expected future income, the expected timing of the reversals of existing temporary reporting differences, and the expected impact of tax planning strategies that may be implemented to prevent the potential loss of future income tax benefits. Significant judgment is required in determining the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company’s consolidated financial statements and/or tax returns. Differences between anticipated and actual outcomes of these future tax consequences could have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations. Changes in, among other things, income tax legislation, statutory income tax rates, or future income levels could materially impact the Company’s valuation of income tax assets and liabilities and could cause the Company’s income tax provision to vary significantly among financial reporting periods. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, the Company did not have any interest and penalties expense associated with uncertain tax positions.

Disclosure of accounting policy for income taxes, which may include its accounting policies for recognizing and measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances, recognizing investment tax credits, operating loss carryforwards, tax credit carryforwards, and other carryforwards, methodologies for determining its effective income tax rate and the characterization of interest and penalties in the financial statements.