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University of Southern Maine: Corthell Hall, University of Southern Maine, Gorham ME
Photo: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional university

University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $13,596 a year

Median debt at graduation: $19,060 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.40%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.74%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,116 · ACT 26
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,101

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$9,999
$30,001–$48,000$10,847
$48,001–$75,000$12,550
$75,001–$110,000$16,750
Over $110,000$19,180

Full cost of attendance before aid: $23,717 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
5,520
Men and women
Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Men 41% · Women 59%
First-generation students
Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition
33%
First-year students from another state
Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS)
33%
Total students7,528
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$13,596
Cost of attendance (per year)$23,717
Median federal debt at graduation$19,060
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
40%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
47%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
44%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard)
65%
First-year retention74%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$49,958
Admission rate79%
Application fee
Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS)
No application fee
Students receiving Pell grants28%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 990–1250ACT 24–28
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1116
SAT reading & writing500–650
SAT math490–600
ACT composite24–28
Test policyRequired

Value: Very good · Top 24% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Mechanical engineering$88,515
Information technology$79,352
Industrial technology$77,734
Nursing$75,465
Finance$73,068
Accounting$71,945
Political science$65,836
Business administration$65,230
Natural resources and conservation$60,665
Kinesiology and exercise science$60,086
Criminology$59,270
Biology$58,164
Marketing$57,968
Allied health$57,790
Linguistics$55,435
Communication studies$53,033
Social work$52,903
Liberal arts$48,909
Hospitality management$47,748
Psychology$45,529
Other social sciences$45,523
English$43,823
Fine arts$43,514
History$42,778
Theatre$33,005

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer science, Economics, Electrical engineering, Engineering (general), Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Geography, Geology and earth science, Industrial Engineering, Management science, Mathematics, Medical assisting, Music, Philosophy, Physical Sciences, Physics, Public health, Rehabilitation and therapy, Romance languages, Secondary education, Security science, Sociology, Special education, Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations, Teacher education.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions25%
Business18%
Social sciences15%
Psychology5%
Visual and performing arts4%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates20%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older20%
On-campus room and board (per year)$12,280
SportsNCAA Division III · Little East Conference
ROTCArmy · Air Force
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member14 to 1
Faculty who are full-time40%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Endowment per student$8,623Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS)
Dorm spaceFor about 32% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS)
Nearest airport with scheduled flightsPortland International Jetport (PWM)About 2 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports)
Town population68,8542020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau)
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreBostonAbout 99 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau)
Average temperature in January24°F1991–2020 normal, from PORTLAND INTL JETPORT, ME US, about 2 miles away (NOAA)
Average temperature in July70°F1991–2020 normal, from PORTLAND INTL JETPORT, ME US, about 2 miles away (NOAA)

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.330.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is University of Southern Maine’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does University of Southern Maine cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $13,596 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into University of Southern Maine?
University of Southern Maine admitted 79% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do University of Southern Maine’s graduates do?
40% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $49,958; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,060.

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