State Hub

Colleges in Maine

CampusPin tracks 29 colleges in Maine, 21 universities and 8 community colleges. Compare tuition, acceptance, size, and setting to build a shortlist that fits.

Colleges tracked

29

Universities

21

Community colleges

8

Avg. in-state tuition

$23k

About college search in Maine

How Maine's higher-education landscape shapes a search

Maine’s public higher-education sector is anchored by the University of Maine System with seven campuses, including the flagship University of Maine in Orono. The Maine Community College System operates seven community colleges. Maine is distinctive for the strength of its private liberal-arts sector relative to population, Bowdoin (Brunswick), Bates (Lewiston), and Colby (Waterville) are sometimes referred to collectively as the "Maine Big Three" and are nationally selective. The Maine State Grant supports eligible in-state students at Maine colleges.

University of Maine System (7 campuses)

The UMS covers UMaine Orono (flagship), Augusta, Farmington, Fort Kent, Machias, Presque Isle, and Southern Maine.

Maine Big Three privates

Bowdoin (Brunswick), Bates (Lewiston), and Colby (Waterville) are the state’s most-selective private liberal-arts colleges.

Maine Community College System (7 colleges)

The MCCS coordinates seven community colleges with formal transfer paths to the UMS.

Free Community College Scholarship

Maine has offered tuition-free community college for recent high school graduates through targeted initiatives. Verify current eligibility with MCCS.

Public university system

University of Maine System (UMS), 7 campuses

UMS governs Maine’s seven public universities: UMaine Orono, UMA, UMF, UMFK, UMM, UMPI, and USM (Portland/Gorham).

Community college network

Maine Community College System (MCCS), 7 colleges

MCCS operates seven community colleges with formal transfer paths to the UMS through the Maine Educational Opportunity Tax Credit and articulation agreements.

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition

Maine in-state public tuition is in the mid-range nationally. New England Tuition Break reciprocity may apply for selected majors at neighboring states’ public institutions; verify with NEBHE.

Top metros for college search

Where Maine's higher-education density concentrates

  • Portland metro

    The Portland metro hosts the University of Southern Maine, Maine College of Art and Design, and several community college campuses.

  • Orono / Bangor

    Orono is the home of the University of Maine, the state’s primary public flagship. Bangor (nearby) hosts Husson University and Eastern Maine Community College.

  • Lewiston-Auburn

    Lewiston is the home of Bates College (private).

  • Brunswick

    Brunswick is built around Bowdoin College (private), one of the most-selective liberal-arts colleges in the U.S.

  • Waterville

    Waterville is the home of Colby College (private), the third of the Maine Big Three privates.

What Maine actually costs

Median net price after grants
$9,441 for families under $30,000
$21,756 at $110,000 or more
Across 21 Maine colleges reporting the full series. All five income bands
Median federal debt at graduation
$19,157 with 28.5% borrowing
Debt without the borrower share is misleading, so CampusPin never shows one alone. Debt by college
Studying entirely online
37% of Maine students
Federal enrolment collection, weighted by students rather than campuses. Where they study

Every college we track

Colleges and universities in Maine

Filter all Maine schools

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Northeast region overview

What students weigh when searching colleges in Maine

Across Maine (ME), CampusPin currently indexes 29 institutions: 14 public and 15 private, split between 21 universities and 8 community colleges. Students often need to weigh dense geography, cost variation, and the difference between urban access and residential campus feel.

Compare commute realities, housing expectations, and total cost, not just sticker price.
Separate highly selective options from practical-fit schools so shortlist decisions stay grounded.
Use public-system and transfer routes when you want flexibility without abandoning strong outcomes.

Browse by major

Maine colleges by program

Jump straight to Maine colleges and universities that offer a specific major. Each page compares tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment for that program across Maine.

Fields with a distinct set of Maine colleges

29 fields where the colleges that awarded credentials in Maine are a materially different set from those of any closely related field, based on federal completions data. The number is how many colleges awarded credentials.

How to use the Maine hub

Start with CampusPin results filtered to Maine so your first pass stays geographically focused.
Use school profiles to compare tuition, admissions, program format, and campus fit before building a shortlist.
If you are looking for lower-cost or transfer-first options, compare community colleges and four-year destinations separately.
Use blog guides and help-center content when you need stronger decision frameworks, not just more schools.

Next actions for Maine

Explore all colleges in MaineView community colleges in MaineView online programs in MaineRead planning guides before you compare

Frequently asked questions

Questions families ask about colleges in Maine

Which is the public flagship university in Maine?
The University of Maine in Orono is the state’s public flagship and land-grant institution. It is part of the seven-campus University of Maine System.
How many HBCUs are in Maine?
Maine has no federally designated HBCUs.
What is the Maine Big Three?
"Maine Big Three" refers informally to Bowdoin (Brunswick), Bates (Lewiston), and Colby (Waterville), three private liberal-arts colleges that are nationally selective and have historically attracted students from across the U.S. and internationally.
How does New England Tuition Break help Maine students?
The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) runs the Tuition Break / Regional Student Program. Maine residents can enroll in selected programs at public colleges in other New England states at reduced rates if those programs aren’t offered in Maine. Eligibility is program-specific; verify with NEBHE and the destination institution.
How many Maine colleges are flagged for lower earnings on the FAFSA?
4 schools in the Department of Education's March 2026 release, the list the 2027-28 FAFSA uses, out of 31 Maine schools with an earnings figure. The December 2025 release flagged 4: 0 came off and 0 were added. Every one is named in the Maine section of CampusPin's FAFSA lower earnings list. The notice is informational and does not affect financial aid, and it describes a whole school, not a program.
How many Maine colleges cost more than a family can borrow from the federal government?
For families earning under $30,000, 2 of the 21 Maine colleges reporting the complete federal net-price series charge more after grants than the $25,500 a first-year dependent student and their parents can borrow federally from 1 July 2026; the median college there charges $9,441. For families earning $48,001–$75,000 it is 3 (median $11,676). Net prices are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any family, and Parent PLUS requires no adverse credit history.

Related blog clusters

Guides that pair well with a Maine search

Cost and Financial Aid

College affordability, net price, aid interpretation, borrowing decisions, and budgeting guidance for students and families using CampusPin to compare higher-ed options with more discipline.

Community College

Community-college strategy, affordability, transfer readiness, and credential pathway content for students exploring two-year options through CampusPin.

College Search Strategy

Filter-first search strategy, shortlist building, and planning content for students and parents using CampusPin to discover best-fit colleges and universities.

Help Center

Workflow guides for students searching in Maine

Getting Started With CampusPin

A fast orientation to the CampusPin workflow, from your first search through profile review, pins, and next-step planning.

How to Use Filters to Narrow Your College List

A practical help article on how to use CampusPin filters without over-filtering or locking yourself into the wrong criteria too early.

How to Read a CampusPin School Profile

A guide to the major sections inside a CampusPin institution profile and how to interpret them effectively. Each page connects to clearer next steps, related guides, and the CampusPin tools that help you decide.

CampusPin research

National analyses with Maine in the data

Each report is built from a checksum-verified snapshot, with full methodology and a downloadable CSV that includes Maine.

Comparing schools on price? See our national analysis of how college cost relates to graduation and earnings, an association driven by selectivity and sector, not evidence that a pricier college pays off.

Explore Maine

More ways to explore Maine colleges

What this count of 29 includes

Other sites publish very different totals for Maine, and most do not say what they are counting. Here is exactly what this one counts, so you can check it against anyone else's.

By level
21 listed as universities and 8 as community colleges. CampusPin records this as an institution type, and uses it as an approximation of four-year versus two-year; it is not a separately reported degree-level field.
By control
14 public and 15 private. CampusPin records control as public or private only, so private nonprofit and private for-profit institutions are not separated here.
  • Every institution counted has its own CampusPin profile listing the figures behind it and where each one came from, so the total can be checked against its parts rather than taken on trust.
  • This is CampusPin's directory of 3,798 institutions nationwide, not the full federal universe. NCES counted 5,829 Title IV institutions, administrative offices, and U.S. service academies nationwide for 2024-25. That figure includes entities a student would never apply to, which is one reason published totals differ so widely.
  • Figures come from federal sources on a reporting lag, so a very new or very recently closed institution may not be reflected yet. Found something wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
Full data methodologyCoverage and data quality

Data sources & methodology

College listings for Maine are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

  • IPEDS / NCES College Navigator

    Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.

  • U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

    Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.

  • Institutional websites

    Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Methodology Data dictionary Report a correction

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Colleges in Maine. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/colleges-by-state/maine