List of colleges and universities in Maine

Bowdoin College's Massachusetts Hall

The U.S. state of Maine has twenty-nine accredited, degree-granting institutions of higher learning. The state's land-grant university and only research university is the University of Maine in Orono. It is the flagship of the University of Maine System, which also has institutions in Augusta, Portland/Gorham/Lewiston, Farmington, Fort Kent, Machias, and Presque Isle. ^[1] Maine's public education system also includes the Maine Community College System, comprising seven schools, and the Maine Maritime Academy.

The state's three oldest institutions of higher education are Bowdoin College (founded in 1794), Colby College (1813), and Bates College (1855). The three colleges collectively form the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium and are ranked among the best colleges in the United States; often placing in the top 10 percent of all liberal arts colleges. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

The largest institution in the state is the public University of Maine, with 12,231 students. The smallest, with 43 students, is Maine Media College. The University of Maine is home to the state's only NCAA Division I athletic program, the Maine Black Bears. Maine also hosts numerous private baccalaureate colleges such as Husson University, Unity Environmental University, and Thomas College. There is only one medical school in the state, the University of New England's College of Osteopathic Medicine, and only one law school, the University of Maine School of Law.

Open institutions

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Universities and colleges in Maine blue=public; green=private

School	Location(s)	Control	Type [a]	Enrollment [5] (Fall 2024)	Founded	Athletic Conference
University of Maine	Orono	Public	Research university	10,878	1865	AmEast (NCAA D-I)
Unity Environmental University	New Gloucester and Unity	Private	Masters university	9,154	1965	N/A
Southern Maine Community College	South Portland and Brunswick	Public	Associates college	7,900	1946 [6]	YSCC (USCAA D-II)
University of New England	Biddeford and Portland	Private	Research university	6,573	1939	CNE (NCAA D-III)
University of Southern Maine	Gorham and Portland	Public	Masters university	6,257	1878	LEC (NCAA D-III)
Central Maine Community College	Auburn	Public	Associates college	4,754	1963 [7]	YSCC (USCAA D-II)
Husson University	Bangor	Private	Doctoral university	3,133	1898	CNE (NCAA D-III)
University of Maine at Augusta	Augusta	Public	Baccalaureate college	3,034	1965	YSCC (USCAA D-II)
Eastern Maine Community College	Bangor	Public	Associates college	2,719	1966 [8]	N/A
Kennebec Valley Community College	Fairfield	Public	Associates college	2,489	1969 [9]	Independent (USCAA D-II)
Colby College	Waterville	Private	Baccalaureate college	2,299	1813 [10]	NESCAC (NCAA D-III)
York County Community College	Wells	Public	Associates college	1,875	1994 [11]	YSCC (USCAA D-II)
Bowdoin College	Brunswick	Private	Baccalaureate college	1,850	1794	NESCAC (NCAA D-III)
Bates College	Lewiston	Private	Baccalaureate college	1,753	1855	NESCAC (NCAA D-III)
Thomas College	Waterville	Private	Masters university	1,737	1894	NAC (NCAA D-III)
University of Maine at Farmington	Farmington	Public	Baccalaureate college	1,524	1863	NAC (NCAA D-III)
University of Maine at Presque Isle	Presque Isle	Public	Baccalaureate college	1,509	1903	NAC (NCAA D-III)
Saint Joseph's College of Maine	Standish	Private	Masters university	1,478	1912	GNAC (NCAA D-III)
Maine Maritime Academy	Castine	Public	Baccalaureate college	897	1941	CNE (NCAA D-III)
Northern Maine Community College	Presque Isle	Public	Associates college	808	1961 [12]	N/A
Washington County Community College	Calais	Public	Associates college	805	1969 [13]	Independent (USCAA D-II)
University of Maine at Fort Kent	Fort Kent	Public	Baccalaureate college	770	1878	Independent (USCAA D-II)
Maine College of Art & Design	Portland	Private	Special-focus institution	436	1882	N/A
Beal University	Bangor	Private (for-profit)	Associates college	400	1891 [14]	N/A
College of the Atlantic	Bar Harbor	Private	Baccalaureate college	380	1969	N/A
University of Maine at Machias	Machias	Public	Baccalaureate college	293	1909	N/A
University of Maine School of Law	Portland	Public	Special-focus institution	277	1962	N/A
Maine College of Health Professions	Lewiston	Private	Special-focus institution	237	1891 [15]	N/A
Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts	Portland	Private	Masters college	92	2007 [16]	N/A
New England Bible College and Seminary	Bangor	Private	Seminary	55	1959	N/A
The Landing School	Arundel	Private	Special-focus institution	46	1978 [17]	N/A
Maine Media College	Rockport	Private	Special-focus institution	43	1973	N/A

Defunct institutions

School	Location(s)	Founded	Closed	Cite
Bangor Theological Seminary	Bangor	1814	2013	[18]
Bliss College	Lewiston	1897	1972	[19]
Casco Bay College	Portland	1863	1999	[b] [20] [21]
Eastern State Normal School	Castine	1867	1942	[22]
Gorham State College	Gorham	1878	1970	[23]
Immaculate Heart of Mary Institute	Saco			[24]
John F. Kennedy College	Fort Kent	1965	1975	[25]
LaMennais College	Alfred	1951	1959	[26]
Mid-State College	Augusta	1867	2003	[27]
Nasson College	Springvale	1912	1983	[28]
Northern Conservatory of Music	Bangor	1929	1972	[29]
Oblate College & Seminary	Bar Harbor	1941	1969	[30]
Ricker College	Houlton	1848	1978	[31]
Salt Institute for Documentary Studies	Portland	1973	2016	Acquired by the Maine College of Art [32]
Westbrook College	Portland	1831	1996	[c]

Out-of-state institutions

• Northeastern University in Massachusetts offers graduate degrees in technology at the Roux Institute in Portland. ^[33]
• Tufts University School of Medicine in Massachusetts offers a medical degree program at the Maine Medical Center in Portland. ^[34]

Unaccredited institutions

One school is recognized by the state as a degree-granting institution, but has not been accredited by a recognized accrediting body: ^[35]

• Heartwood College of Art — Biddeford

See also

• List of college athletic programs in Maine
• Higher education in the United States
• Lists of American institutions of higher education
• Education in Maine

References

General

• National Center for Education Statistics. "Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System" . Retrieved July 14, 2021.
• Peterson's (2004). Peterson's Colleges in New England. Thomson Peterson's. ISBN   0-7689-13829.
• U.S. News & World Report. "America's Best Colleges 2008" . Retrieved September 29, 2007.

Specific

1. "About UMaine". Umaine.edu. Retrieved July 18, 2016.
2. "National Liberal Arts College Rankings | Top Liberal Arts Colleges | US News Best Colleges". colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
3. "College Guide Rankings 2015 – Liberal Arts Colleges". Washington Monthly. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
4. "America's Top Colleges". Forbes . Retrieved August 12, 2016.
5. "College Navigator - Maine". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
6. Southern Maine Community College. "History of SMCC" . Retrieved September 29, 2007.
7. Central Maine Community College. "About CM". Archived from the original on May 8, 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
8. Eastern Maine Community College. "Our History". Archived from the original on July 2, 2007. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
9. Kennebec Valley Community College. "Fall 2006 Profile". Archived from the original on May 13, 2008. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
10. "About" . Retrieved August 19, 2016.
11. York County Community College. "History". Archived from the original on August 7, 2007. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
12. Northern Maine Community College. "About NMCC". Archived from the original on October 23, 2007. Retrieved September 29, 2007.
13. Washington County Community College. "Student Handbook" (PDF). p. 6. Retrieved September 29, 2007.^{[ permanent dead link ]}
14. Beal University. "Course Catalog". p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 9, 2008. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
15. "History of the College". Maine College of Health Professions. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
16. Wunsch, Oliver (September 1, 2010). "Do artists need PhDs?". Art21. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
17. The Landing School. "History" . Retrieved July 14, 2021.
18. "About". The BTS Center. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
19. "Bliss College on Lisbon Street, Lewiston" . Retrieved August 19, 2016.
20. Vegh, Steven G. (August 10, 1999). "Andover buys Casco Bay College". Portland Press Herald. ProQuest   276912665.
21. "Casco Bay College advertisement". Burlington Free Press. July 7, 1986 – via Newspapers.com.
22. Beveridge, Pam (January 18, 2012). "Heirlooms Reunited: Eastern State Normal School at Castine, Maine - 1881 Catalog/Names". Heirlooms Reunited. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
23. "Campus Descriptions - Gorham | Special Collections | University of Southern Maine". usm.maine.edu. Retrieved August 19, 2016.
24. "Saco school is among affiliates of Catholic U". Biddeford-Saco Journal. May 5, 1962 – via Newspapers.com.
25. Daigle, Laurel J. (January 1, 2009). Fort Kent. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   9780738563831.
26. Robert Crichton (January 1, 1959). The Great Impostor. RandomHouse.
27. Chmelecki, Lisa (August 27, 2003). "Questions left at Mid-State". Sun Journal. Lewiston, Maine. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
28. www.dawnsweb.net. "Nasson College Alumni Association: History". www.nasson.org. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
29. Burnham, Emily (September 26, 2008). "Rite of fall: Bangor Symphony Orchestra kicks off new season Sunday" . Bangor Daily News. ProQuest   414357791.
30. "Several new assignments made by Oblates of Mary". The Bangor Daily News. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
31. "America's Lost Colleges". America's Lost Colleges. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
32. "Maine College of Art Announces Acquisition of Salt Institute of Documentary Studies". Maine College of Art. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
33. Grunewald, Will (March 30, 2021). "Can the Roux Institute Turn Portland Into a Tech Hub?". Down East Magazine. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
34. "Medical Students - Maine Track Program | MaineHealth". www.mainehealth.org. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
35. "Maine Degree Granting". Maine Department of Education. Retrieved July 14, 2021.

Notes

1. School types are based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
2. Casco Bay College was purchased by Andover College in 1999.
3. The Westbrook College campus is now known by the University of New England as the UNE Portland Campus.

External links

• Department of Education listing of accredited institutions in Maine