Best ROI Colleges in Maine
25 schools ranked by median earnings divided by average net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.
Includes two-year, technical and community colleges alongside four-year universities — the typeis shown under each name. Schools appear only where the underlying figures exist: a real undergraduate population and a published graduation rate. Satellite campuses that repeat a parent institution's numbers are collapsed into one entry.
| # | School | Earnings ÷ Net Price | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kennebec Valley Community College Fairfield · community | 9.2× | $3,910 | 44.8% | $36,035 | — |
| 2 | York County Community College Wells · community | 7.6× | $5,875 | 29.4% | $44,873 | — |
| 3 | University of Maine at Fort Kent Fort Kent · public | 6.8× | $7,482 | 55.0% | $51,077 | 97.9% |
| 4 | Washington County Community College Calais · community | 6.7× | $5,149 | 51.5% | $34,407 | — |
| 5 | Central Maine Community College Auburn · community | 6.1× | $6,975 | 34.9% | $42,448 | — |
| 6 | Northern Maine Community College Presque Isle · community | 6.0× | $7,181 | 50.0% | $43,348 | — |
| 7 | University of Maine at Presque Isle Presque Isle · public | 5.8× | $7,035 | 42.8% | $40,956 | 99.9% |
| 8 | Bowdoin College Brunswick · private | 5.7× | $14,398 | 94.1% | $82,735 | 7.1% |
| 9 | Colby College Waterville · private | 4.7× | $17,180 | 87.6% | $80,490 | 7.1% |
| 10 | Eastern Maine Community College Bangor · community | 4.7× | $8,928 | 33.9% | $41,704 | — |
| 11 | Maine Maritime Academy Castine · public | 3.8× | $23,414 | 71.9% | $89,964 | 54.1% |
| 12 | Southern Maine Community College South Portland · community | 3.8× | $11,086 | 28.3% | $41,661 | — |
| 13 | University of Maine at Augusta Augusta · public | 3.7× | $10,924 | 29.2% | $40,342 | — |
| 14 | University of Southern Maine Portland · public | 3.7× | $13,596 | 49.5% | $49,958 | 79.2% |
| 15 | Maine College of Health Professions Lewiston · private | 3.0× | $26,312 | 73.8% | $79,840 | 71.4% |
| 16 | University of Maine Orono · public | 2.8× | $17,510 | 56.0% | $48,653 | 96.6% |
| 17 | University of Maine at Farmington Farmington · public | 2.6× | $16,857 | 55.9% | $44,433 | 96.7% |
| 18 | Thomas College Waterville · private | 2.4× | $18,885 | 51.9% | $44,991 | 96.3% |
| 19 | Bates College Lewiston · private | 2.4× | $29,351 | 92.3% | $69,498 | 13.3% |
| 20 | Husson University Bangor · private | 2.1× | $21,005 | 58.4% | $45,025 | 81.0% |
| 21 | Saint Joseph's College of Maine Standish · private | 2.1× | $27,555 | 51.6% | $59,045 | 83.5% |
| 22 | Unity Environmental University New Gloucester · private | 2.0× | $19,104 | 55.8% | $37,852 | — |
| 23 | College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor · private | 1.6× | $25,184 | 65.0% | $40,264 | 70.2% |
| 24 | Empire Beauty School-Maine Bangor · private | 1.5× | $16,191 | 64.8% | $23,925 | — |
| 25 | University of New England Biddeford · private | 1.5× | $38,107 | 65.7% | $55,921 | 91.6% |
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Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.