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State profile · 36 colleges · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Colleges in Maine

Colleges in Maine from PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, compared on acceptance, cost, and 10-year former-student earnings.

36
Colleges
$48,802
Avg 10-yr earnings (32 of 36)
70.1%
Avg acceptance

Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

Maine · the picture in one line

Maine's 32 of 36 colleges that report earnings average $48,802 in 10-year former-student earnings - 10th highest of 56 states and territories that report.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

#10
of 56 states by avg former-student earnings
$89,964
top earnings - Maine Maritime Academy
70.1%
avg acceptance (16 reporting)
15 / 15 / 6
public / nonprofit / for-profit

Best earnings-to-cost value among Maine colleges with reported figures: Bowdoin College.

Maine · enrollment ≠ earnings

In Maine, University of Maine leads by undergraduate enrollment (8,496 students, #1 of 29) but ranks #11 of 29 on 10-year median earnings ($48,653), while Maine Maritime Academy tops earnings at $89,964 (#1 of 29) with 942 students (#18 of 29). The biggest campus is not always the highest-paying outcome.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

8,496
University of enrollment #1
$89,964
Maine Maritime earnings #1
#1
Enrollment rank of earnings leader
#11
Earnings rank of enrollment leader

Enrollment is IPEDS fall headcount; earnings are Scorecard 10-year medians for federally aided former students. Different populations, not one ROI ratio.

Enrollment of Maine's #1 campuses by size vs earnings

Same unit (undergraduate students) for both named leaders.

students

What this shows University of Maine is largest by enrollment; Maine Maritime Academy leads on 10-year earnings at $89,964.

Source IPEDS via College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

This page aggregates colleges and universities in Maine returned by PlainCollege's U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard snapshot. It combines IPEDS-derived institutional fields with Treasury-derived earnings published for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Maine as a single denominator, community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The Scorecard data used here was retrieved in March–July 2026. That retrieval window is not the measurement year: tuition and enrollment fields retain their source reporting periods, while 10-year institution earnings describe federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, a decade after entry.

Largest Colleges in Maine by Enrollment

IPEDS Fall enrollment via College Scorecard.

students

What this shows Enrollment size reflects institutional scale, not quality or on-campus experience - a large school here can still be a small, selective program relative to its state peers.

Source IPEDS As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Highest Earnings, 10-Year Median: Maine

U.S. Treasury earnings linkage via College Scorecard.

USD

What this shows Former-student earnings vary by program mix and local labor market as much as by the school itself; this comparison does not isolate a school's causal effect.

Source College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

The ROI lens

Maine colleges: earnings vs. cost

Maine colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 14 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Maine colleges, positioned by earnings vs net price COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $31K $87K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $3K $40K Avg Net Price ($) University of Maine: $49K earn · $18K net · 56% grad University of Maine Unity Environmental University: $38K earn · $19K net · 44% grad Unity Environmenta… Southern Maine Community College: $42K earn · $11K net · 24% grad Southern Maine Com… University of Southern Maine: $50K earn · $14K net · 43% grad University of Sout… Central Maine Community College: $42K earn · $7K net · 29% grad Central Maine Comm… University of Maine at Augusta: $40K earn · $11K net · 25% grad University of Main… Husson University: $45K earn · $21K net · 58% grad Colby College: $80K earn · $17K net · 89% grad University of New England: $56K earn · $38K net · 65% grad University of Maine at Presque Isle: $41K earn · $7K net · 45% grad Bowdoin College: $83K earn · $14K net · 95% grad Eastern Maine Community College: $42K earn · $9K net · 33% grad Bates College: $69K earn · $29K net · 90% grad Kennebec Valley Community College: $36K earn · $4K net · 44% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

National context

How Maine ranks among the states

Maine's average 10-year earnings of $48,802 place it in the 84th percentile among all 56 states and territories tracked by the College Scorecard.

Maine: average former-student earnings vs. every state

State-average 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$48,802 Top 16% higher than 84% of 56 states & territories

$24,000–$28,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $28,000–$32,000: 1 states & territories (2%). Below this entry. $32,000–$36,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Below this entry. $36,000–$40,000: 12 states & territories (21%). Below this entry. $40,000–$44,000: 14 states & territories (25%). Below this entry. $44,000–$48,000: 10 states & territories (18%). Below this entry. $48,000–$52,000: 7 states & territories (13%). This entry sits in this band. $52,000–$56,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. $56,000–$60,000: 3 states & territories (5%). Above this entry. ME $24,000 $60,000 every state, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $4K-wide band; taller bars hold more states & territories. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Maine vs. every state, at a glance
EarningsAffordabilityOptionsAccess

Each axis is this state's percentile among all states & territories on that metric (Earnings/Affordability/Options/Access) -- not a composite grade, just four independent comparisons in one shape.

School type matters

How school type shapes earnings in Maine

Average 10-year former-student earnings by institution type. Program mix, selectivity, student background, and local labor markets all contribute to the observed gaps, so read this beside each school's own figures.

Average former-student earnings by school type - Maine

Mean of per-school 10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

avg earnings

What this shows Keeping schools within one state reduces some regional variation, but this descriptive comparison does not control for program mix, selection, or student background.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
36
Total Schools
$22,741
Avg In-State Tuition (28 of 36)
70.1%
Avg Acceptance Rate (16 of 36)
$48,802
Avg Median Earnings (32 of 36)
15 Public 15 Private NP 6 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Maine

PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset contains 36 postsecondary institutions in Maine. The ownership mix is 15 public institutions, 15 private nonprofits, and 6 private for-profit schools. Public institutions often report lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits may show higher sticker prices partly offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition among the 28 of 36 Maine institutions that report one is $22,741, and the average admission rate among the 16 that report one sits at 70.1%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Institution-level earnings connect cost to one observed outcome. Among the 32 of 36 Maine colleges that report 10-year median earnings, federally aided former students show a mean of $48,802, based on Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study, student background, and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts institutions with reported IPEDS enrollment so users can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side.

All Schools in Maine

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
University of Maine Orono Public 8,496 96.6% $48,653
Unity Environmental University New Gloucester Private NP 6,483 - $37,852
Southern Maine Community College South Portland Public 5,675 - $41,661
University of Southern Maine Portland Public 4,222 79.2% $49,958
Central Maine Community College Auburn Public 2,952 - $42,448
University of Maine at Augusta Augusta Public 2,659 - $40,342
Husson University Bangor Private NP 2,618 81.0% $45,025
Colby College Waterville Private NP 2,407 7.1% $80,490
University of New England Biddeford Private NP 2,135 91.6% $55,921
University of Maine at Presque Isle Presque Isle Public 1,913 99.9% $40,956
Bowdoin College Brunswick Private NP 1,873 7.1% $82,735
Eastern Maine Community College Bangor Public 1,840 - $41,704
Bates College Lewiston Private NP 1,760 13.3% $69,498
Kennebec Valley Community College Fairfield Public 1,597 - $36,035
University of Maine at Farmington Farmington Public 1,140 96.7% $44,433
York County Community College Wells Public 1,133 - $44,873
Saint Joseph's College of Maine Standish Private NP 964 83.5% $59,045
Maine Maritime Academy Castine Public 942 54.1% $89,964
Thomas College Waterville Private NP 647 96.3% $44,991
Northern Maine Community College Presque Isle Public 638 - $43,348
University of Maine at Fort Kent Fort Kent Public 599 97.9% $51,077
Beal University Bangor For-Profit 484 - $35,639
Washington County Community College Calais Public 443 - $34,407
Maine College of Art & Design Portland Private NP 415 76.1% $40,778
College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor Private NP 353 70.2% $40,264
Spa Tech Institute-Westbrook Westbrook For-Profit 263 - $27,803
Maine College of Health Professions Lewiston Private NP 239 71.4% $79,840
Capilo School of Hair Design Augusta For-Profit 156 - -
Empire Beauty School-Maine Bangor For-Profit 117 - $23,925
Northeast Technical Institute Scarborough For-Profit 74 - -
The Landing School Arundel Private NP 32 - $65,849
Maine Media College Rockport Private NP 3 - -
Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts Portland Private NP - - -
Beal University Wilton For-Profit - - $35,639
University of Maine - Machias Machias Public - - $48,653
Unity Environmental University - Unity Unity Private NP - - $37,852

Featured Colleges in Maine

Quick picks from this state – compare two schools side by side

University of Maine
Orono, ME
8,496 students
Unity Environmental University
New Gloucester, ME
6,483 students
Southern Maine Community College
South Portland, ME
5,675 students
University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME
4,222 students
Central Maine Community College
Auburn, ME
2,952 students
Compare University of Maine vs Unity Environmental University →

Explore more Maine data

Highest-earning colleges → Best value colleges → ROI calculator → Compare states →

Guides & Resources

Is College Worth It?

A data-driven answer using earnings and cost data.

How to Compare Colleges

A framework for picking schools with data, not rankings alone.

Financial Aid & Net Price

How net price differs from sticker price and financial aid.

Understanding College Earnings Data

How Scorecard earnings figures are measured and their limits.

About This Data

According to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, PlainCollege's current snapshots were retrieved in March–July 2026. This state's institution-level figures come from the July retrieval, including IPEDS-derived characteristics. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year, using U.S. Treasury-derived records published through the Scorecard.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Maine applicants

  • Maine has 36 colleges in PlainCollege's Scorecard dataset, spanning community colleges, public flagships, and private institutions.
  • Average reported admission rate across Maine colleges is 70.1% - individual schools vary widely, check each profile for its own rate.
  • State-level averages pool every reporting institution together; run a specific school's numbers before assuming the state figure applies to it.Use the ROI calculator

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or educational advice. State-level averages pool every reporting institution and do not predict any individual school's outcome.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. State-level rollups are computed directly from College Scorecard and IPEDS data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.