I have guided enough families to know that this “almost everything” is not insignificant. It will not tell you whether your child will be happy there, whether they will find their people, or whether the professor in their calculus class will explain things well. But it will tell you, precisely, how large this school is, how expensive a year there is, how easy it is to get in, how many students stay and how many leave, and how much aid it distributes. That is the foundation. Let’s stand on it together.
What kind of university it is, in a few words
University of Maine is a public, four-year university that offers programs through the doctoral level. Carnegie, the system that classifies universities in the United States, places it among the country’s doctoral institutions with the highest level of research activity. It is a medium-sized and primarily residential school: in the latest available reporting period, between one-fourth and one-half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or affiliated housing, and at least half attended full-time.
Carnegie also places it in its “inclusive” undergraduate admissions category, a label that combines two different situations—schools that do not report admissions scores and schools whose scores indicate broad access—without telling us here which of the two applies. And something worth knowing if you did your research a few years ago: between 2018 and 2021, Carnegie changed this university’s category. If you saw an old guide that describes it differently, it does not mean someone made a mistake. The classification changed.
University of Maine is in Orono, within Penobscot County, in the Bangor metropolitan area, although that does not mean the campus is in the heart of that city. Its census code classifies it as suburban: within the urbanized area but outside the principal city. If your child were considering living at home and commuting to classes, the only real way to know how long it takes is to drive the route on a weekday at the exact time their class would meet. The time shown on a map is almost never the actual time.
There is one more identity detail worth noting: in the most recent official file, University of Maine is designated a Land Grant Institution—a historic designation shared by only 80 of the 3,012 institutions in this census. It is neither an HBCU nor a Tribal College. And like any institutional label, it does not tell you what actual support your child will receive there. Ask about that by name: what student center exists, which scholarship applies, and who answers the phone in April.
A large school, with more graduate students than it might seem
University of Maine reported 11,760 enrolled students in its latest fall count. It is a large school—the government places it in the 10,000 to 19,999 range—and, compared with other selective public four-year institutions, its size is among the most common: neither one of the giants nor one of the small schools.
But that large number conceals something your family should know if your child is entering a bachelor’s degree program: of the total, 9,267 are undergraduate students and 2,493 are graduate students. A significant part of the university community has already completed a degree. If your child is just beginning, the number that truly matters is not the impressive-sounding 11,760 in a brochure. It is 9,267.
And who are those 9,267? Of every 100 undergraduate students, 5 are Hispanic or Latino—a small minority that places the university in the lowest quarter among 519 comparable selective public schools. The undergraduate population is almost evenly divided between men and women, at 50 and 50. Students ages 25 to 64 are a minority, at 10 out of every 100. And just over half of first-time students, 59 out of every 100, reported a permanent address within the state of Maine when they applied.
Having few Latino students does not make the school bad, nor would having many make it good. It is simply information about who is enrolled. If your child will be one of the few, the right question is not whether they should go. It is what exists there for them: a student group, a cultural center, someone in the office who speaks Spanish. Talk with a current student before deciding. The number describes the entire school; your child’s specific major may feel different.
How the academic year works and what is accepted as prior credit
The academic calendar follows semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. University of Maine stated that it accepts credit for AP exams, as well as what IPEDS calls “credit for life experiences”—learning gained through independent study, adult courses, work experience, a portfolio, prior licenses, or military or professional opportunities. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual enrollment program and reports accepting credit for military training.
Here is the hard truth: the fact that the university reports these pathways does not mean your child will automatically receive credit for them. It does not say what AP scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits apply to the specific major your child is interested in. Request a written transfer-credit evaluation before enrolling. Do not include those savings in your budget until you have it in hand.
As for the range of majors: between July 2022 and June 2023, University of Maine awarded 1,828 bachelor’s degrees across 25 distinct academic families. None takes a large share of the pie: the most popular, business and management, accounted for only 17 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. Compared with the other 514 selective public schools, it falls within the quarter with the greatest number of academic families represented in its offerings. It is a broad university, not one specialized in a single path. Still, 25 families represented in the report do not mean 25 guaranteed majors or that all of them have active degree programs: verify that the exact program your child is interested in exists today.
Regarding class size, one number is helpful but does not tell the whole story: the ratio is 15 students per full-time-equivalent faculty member, slightly below the median among comparable schools. It is a middle-range figure, neither high nor low, and it is not the actual size of a classroom. IPEDS does not provide that information.
University of Maine also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, teacher certification preparation, and the ability to complete certain teaching specializations there.
What the path to admission looks like
Here is one of the figures that may give you the most peace of mind, but it must also be read carefully so it is not confused with something else.
University of Maine does not have open admissions: it reviews components of an applicant’s record before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it identifies four as required: the high school record, completion of the college-preparatory coursework the university requires, letters of recommendation, and an English proficiency exam when applicable. Other components are not required but are considered if submitted: high school GPA, class rank, a personal essay, and work experience. The published undergraduate application fee is $0.
And about the letters of recommendation—which are required—ask for them a month in advance. Give the teacher or counselor a sheet listing what your child has done over the years. No one remembers everything when the deadline arrives.
Now, the figure that changes the conversation: in the latest report, University of Maine received 13,995 first-time applications and offered admission to 13,395. That is 96 out of every 100. Among 519 comparable selective public schools, it is one of those that accept the highest shares of applicants; at least nine out of ten schools in that group accepted a smaller percentage. Put simply: here, they almost always say yes. Your child’s energy is better spent completing the application properly and meeting deadlines than worrying about fighting for a place.
But being easy to enter does not mean it is inexpensive or that most students finish there. Before deciding, two calculations matter more than admission: net price and graduation rate. We will get to both.
There is another number worth keeping in mind: out of every 100 admitted students, only 14 enrolled. Of every seven who receive a yes, roughly one ends up attending. Do not read that as a blemish—the federal record does not say why each person chose what they chose, and many of those admitted students probably already had a place secured elsewhere. What it does tell you is useful: what others decided does not predict what your family will be offered. Wait for your own letter with the actual net price. With that number in hand, decide whether this school stays on the list.
Regarding standardized tests: University of Maine reported that it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions decision, even if you submit them. That does not cover scholarships or course placement—ask the admissions office about those separately.
One transfer figure is rarely seen but carries weight here: of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 26 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing a credential here. That is a considerable share, and the report does not say why. At the same time, 452 students arrived at University of Maine for the first time after studying at another institution—a high number of incoming transfer students. Keep this information in mind when we reach the graduation rate: a student who transfers is not counted as a graduate from this university, even if they complete their degree elsewhere.
The price: two numbers, not one
At University of Maine, among 131 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $13,800. Among 135 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $16,408; among 258 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $21,756. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (131 students) and the average for the highest-income band (258 students) is $7,956. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship, the average was $18,237.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, it falls within the most expensive quarter for the lowest-income families. That does not mean you should rule it out. It means you should request the financial aid letter before deciding.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students with grant aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
Financial aid: who receives what
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at University of Maine, 89 received a grant, scholarship, or other aid that does not have to be repaid. Among the 519 comparable schools, that share places it in the quarter where aid reaches the most students; the annual average among those who received it was $11,098.
The Pell Grant—federal aid specifically for low-income families with demonstrated need—reached 25 out of every 100 students. It is a difference worth noting: nearly 9 out of every 10 receive some kind of aid, but only 1 out of every 4 specifically receive Pell. The difference may come from state, institutional, or other sources of aid; the report does not make it possible to know exactly how it is composed. When your financial aid letter arrives, separate it by hand into three piles: what does not have to be repaid, what must be repaid with interest, and what must be earned through work. Many letters combine them in a single column, and that confusion has cost more than one family dearly.
Regarding loans: 43 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal loan during the reported academic year. Among those who borrowed, the average amount per borrower that year was $6,230. Be careful: this percentage describes other families, not yours. What your child would have to borrow depends entirely on their own financial aid letter. And this average covers only one year and only federal loans in the student’s name—it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit card debt, and it is not the total debt with which someone graduates. Determining that would require adding several years together, and that number is not in this report.
University of Maine also reports a tuition installment payment plan and participation in a Promise program to help manage costs.
Campus life, learning formats, and support
University of Maine has its own housing, with a reported maximum capacity of 3,634 students on or off campus. It does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there—although that does not rule out the possibility that a specific program may require it. It also offers meal plans, but the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available for your child; request the current year’s rate, the application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or your child would enter a waiting list, all in writing.
For those interested in ROTC, the university listed two available branches: Army and Navy. It did not list Air Force. Appearing in the report is not the same as being accepted, nor does it mean the program is necessarily conducted on this campus—ask directly by name before building a plan around it.
In sports, University of Maine competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA. The report confirms membership for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field, but does not provide details about divisions or scholarships by sport. If your child is an athlete, write directly to the coach of the sport they are interested in and request a written response about a place on the team and the possibility of a scholarship.
Regarding distance education: it is offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. In the most recent count, 16 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire course load through distance education, while 84 took at least one in-person class. The university also reported offering at least one complete program that can be finished entirely through distance education, although the report does not specify whether that program is undergraduate or graduate—confirm this with the exact program your child is interested in.
The library operates with paid staff and annual expenditures above the $100,000 threshold recorded by the federal government. It has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. That threshold is only a minimum floor; it does not guarantee that databases specific to your child’s major are available. Ask about those by program name.
For general support, the university reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, a student veterans’ organization, and a published website for disability services.
Who stays and who graduates
This is where the numbers begin to tell a story about time, not just money.
Of the cohort of full-time students who entered in fall 2022, 77 out of every 100 were still enrolled at University of Maine one year later or had already completed their bachelor’s degree. Among part-time students that same fall, the result was lower: 42 out of every 100. These are different groups with different circumstances—do not compare the two numbers as though one proves something about the other. Compared with similar schools, full-time retention is slightly above the group’s midpoint: neither among the best nor among the worst.
And now we come to graduation, where the clock becomes real money.
Of the cohort that entered in 2017 as full-time bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, 56 out of every 100 had graduated from University of Maine within six years. Within four years, the figure was 40 out of every 100—sixteen percentage points lower. Four years is the timeframe most families use for their budgets. The 16-point gap measures how much the share with a bachelor’s degree increased between the four-year and six-year reporting points for the same cohort. The data do not say how many semesters each person attended and do not report tuition, rent, or wages.
Of that total cohort of 2,330 students, 1,314 graduated here within the timeframe, only 4 completed a program of less than four years, 604 transferred to another institution without completing a credential here, 46 remained enrolled without having graduated, and 362 were classified as “no longer enrolled”—a category that does not explain the reason and may include people who graduated after the measured time limit.
Compared with other selective public schools, University of Maine is above the group median for this six-year rate. Before making any commitment, ask in writing how long the program your child is interested in actually tends to take, how required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the plan extends beyond four years.
There is one final, longer-term measure: following a cohort that entered between 2015 and 2016—including both first-time and transfer students, as well as full-time and part-time students—after eight years, 57 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, the share was lower: 49 out of every 100, twelve percentage points below the group without Pell. Compared with similar schools, this eight-year figure falls below the group median.
If your family would qualify for Pell today, that twelve-point difference warrants a direct question to the university: what specifically exists for those students? An assigned counselor, emergency aid, an institutional scholarship that renews each year? Ask for the answer in writing. The historical data do not determine what will happen to your child, but they tell you exactly what to ask before making a commitment.
What you already know and what remains yours to decide
You now know something real about University of Maine: a large public university with high-level research that admits nearly everyone who applies, but where only a fraction of admitted students decide to enroll. You know that nearly 9 out of every 10 students receive some form of aid, that 4 out of every 10 take out a federal loan, and that just over half graduate within six years—with a significant gap between the four-year timeframe that nearly every family budgets for and the time it actually takes to complete a degree there.
That is the foundation. But the foundation does not walk on its own.
Your child must decide whether this university connects with what they want to study, the life they imagine living during those years, and the distance from home they can tolerate. Your part is the money: requesting the actual financial aid letter before ruling the school out or making a commitment, understanding which residency rate applies to your family, and asking in writing about what this report cannot answer—from how an AP exam will transfer to whether there is room on the sports team your child is interested in.
You now know one of the pieces you need to make this decision in depth. Combine it with what your child wants, what they have built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A plan emerges from that combination, not from a single figure.
The information in this article comes from data reported by University of Maine to the United States Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, along with comparisons within a census of selective public four-year schools. Best College Aid does not represent University of Maine or any government agency; it organizes and explains public information so families can use it in their own decision-making process.